Outcast IP back with Appeal, announcement expected soon

Belgian developer Appeal has recovered the rights to open-world adventure Outcast.

Destructoid reports Appeal founders Yann Robert, Franck Sauer, and Yves Grolet have signed off an agreement with Atari Europe SAS returning the IP to its creators.

Appeal has "started the revival of the franchise and will soon announce further developments", apparently.

Outcast released in 1999 and made a bit of a splash with open world action adventure gameplay. A third-person affair, it was controlled entirely with directional controls and the mouse.

One of the best bits was riding around on a Twon-Ha rather than using the teleport gates, but it had some neat ahead-of-the-curve mechanics like an NPC disposition system with consequential dialogue; the necessity of leading with firearms; interesting enemy AI; and the ability to reduce enemy capacity in various areas through quests.

Anyway, don't take my word for it; it's $3 on GOG.com.