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Back in the mid-80s,
after yuppies and Miami Vice became the mode, an incredible car racing game appeared on the
arcade scene in the form of Outrun. Fast red Ferraris with gull-wing doors was what
this particular teenager wanted from life, and the closest thing I could get to one was riding in a
sit-down cabinet that twisted and turned with every move of the steering wheel in front of me. It all
felt so real...
As I put this new disc in the Xbox, the first thing I heard, on the main title screen, was a new version
of the theme I haven't heard in a long time as it was used on the original arcade machine, Magical
Sound Shower. Fantastic! One or two others were also memorable so this shows that the level of detail
required for this release has been met.
There are different game modes, but the basics are that you need to drive your chosen vehicle from A to B
in the allotted time or you'll never get to the next checkpoint and it's "game over". For the first mode,
Outrun Arcade, this is the standard original Outrun 2 game, not massively different from the basic
premise of the original, during which you can run a straight race, play "Heart Attack Mode" - where passing
cars and powerdrifting your car along the track will make your lady companion's heart race faster, or
"Time Attack Mode" - similar to the original mode but with a ghost car to show a previous race.
Next up, comes the Outrun Challenge, a series of 101 mini-tests which, in total, will take you along
every stretch of the Outrun 2 track, in case you don't make it during the usual arcade game. You'll take
each stage a few missions at a time to complete that one and move onto the next. Early ones include
knocking over certain sets of cones while leaving others standing, keeping within set markers shown up as
coloured sections of the road, beating other opponents to the finish and making your lady companion's heart
race in a number of different ways :)
Completing missions and stages will gain you bonus cards and special items. There are also additions to options
above: to compete against friends in 'Party Missions' or race along any unlocked course.
One place in which this title has the place to excel, because it takes the arcade aspect of it, and
extends its lifetime considerably, is in the Xbox Live capability. There are bonus tracks made
for online play, plus the whole Outrun arcade game until the first one crosses the final finish line,
as well as playing these in reverse.
However, on the communication side, why is it that although I can play against everyone and hear
them, I can't talk back? The game just doesn't recognise my speech at all so no-one can hear me! I even
went back to the Xbox dashboard and tested it and that worked fine, so why can't I talk to anyone?
Aside from all that, there's a bit of slowdown when the screen gets busy but nothing to be too mithered
about. And it's rather annoying you don't get to see to the end of an Outrun race when you're trailing
behind, but I guess they can't wait for you forever and that's where the incentive comes in all the
more to get higher up the ladder.
Graphically, Outrun 2 is unsurpassable in what it tries to achieve. It's fast, colourful, and
mostly runs like shit off a shovel. Sure, there are games which have even more intricate backgrounds
and something like
Driv3r
has the ability to do replays and edit the footage, but compared to the original arcade game and the
way in which a new background pops up in a springy way really brings back all the old feelings I had
back then, apart from the desire to blast out The Rah Band's Clouds Across the Moon from
1985 at full volume with pride :).
Sonically, while I was taken back to the era with the music, the sound FX of the cars aren't a massive
amount to shout about, but then I could say that - and have done - about most car games before now.
When it comes to the playability, it takes a little while to get used to the handling of your car (and
there's several to choose from, all with the official Ferrari licence this time, although some of them
are locked at first), but once that's done you'll be zooming along and powerdrifting round the corners
with conviction. At first it was strange to remind myself that I was just playing an out-and-out racing
game, where the car largely sticks to the road - except for the occasional crash - and nothing with stunts
to be attempted, but then there's no shame in going comparatively back to basics because it's been done,
and updated, so bloody well!
GRAPHICS SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC PLAYABILITY ENJOYMENT
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Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
One place in which this title has the place to excel, because it takes the arcade aspect of it, and
extends its lifetime considerably, is in the Xbox Live capability. There are bonus tracks made
for online play, plus the whole Outrun arcade game until the first one crosses the final finish line,
as well as playing these in reverse.
Graphically, Outrun 2 is unsurpassable in what it tries to achieve. It's fast, colourful, and
mostly runs like shit off a shovel. Sure, there are games which have even more intricate backgrounds
and something like
