Outrun 2 – XB – Review

The original OutRun hit
the arcades in the mid-eighties and immediately dazzled gamers with lightning
fast graphics and smooth arcade racing gameplay.  The result was a
groundbreaking racing game that instantly earned its place as an arcade
classic.  The second OutRun game recently hit arcades using Xbox architecture in
the cabinet.  It featured the same brand of furious gameplay as its predecessor
coupled with incredibly vibrant and realistic graphics.  Now, the sequel is
hitting the Xbox, and since the arcade version was built on Xbox hardware,
OutRun 2 is an arcade perfect conversion and then some.  The game features the
original arcade game as well as a few new features and game modes.  While
certainly not as realistic as Project Gotham Racing or Gran Turismo, OutRun 2
delivers its own brand of fast arcade style racing and comes out in a league of
its own.

OutRun 2 features a
variety of different gameplay modes.  There is the original arcade mode, which
has you racing through various checkpoints before the timer runs out, the Heart
Attack mode, which has you completing certain tasks that your female passenger
calls out in order to earn hearts and bring up your ranking.  There is also a
new mission mode where you must complete certain tasks in order to finish five
stage areas and earn special unlockable items.

The levels in OutRun 2 are
split into stages divided by checkpoints.  Each stage splits apart and will take
you to either to the left or the right, with the stages to the left being the
easier paths and the right more difficult.  Therefore, if you stick through the
left, then you will go through the easy route with less twists and turns, if you
go right then you will experience the tougher areas and if you go left and right
at different checkpoints, then you will come somewhere in between.  This means
that there are tons of different ways to complete each level.

The car handling is not
realistic at all, which may disappoint simulation driving fans looking for some
authentic physics.  The controls are dirt simple; brake and accelerate are all
you need to worry about.  The licensed Ferrari cars each feel pretty similar,
with a few discrepancies in acceleration, handling and top speed.  An important
part of the driving strategy of the game is the use of drifting, which you do by
letting off of the gas, tapping the break, flooring the gas very quickly and
then turning hard into the curve. This helps you take a curve without losing too
much speed.

The graphical presentation
is fantastic, right on par with the arcade game.  The cars have a nice look to
them, with nice reflections and a ton of detail giving the cars a very colorful
and realistic appearance.  The environments in the game are also very detailed
and range from beaches to forest areas and many other background types.
However, the most impressive part of the graphical presentation is the sheer
sense of speed and motion that you get.  The courses seem to fly by at intense
speeds, all with very smooth framerates.

The sound is a bit of a
different story, on the other hand.  The music is very typical of Sega titles,
meaning that it is ludicrously campy and very cheesy.  Songs like “Magical Sound
Shower” jump out as feeling out of place in a racing game, and even though they
may invoke a sense of nostalgia in some gamers, most players will find them
ridiculous and turn them off.

OutRun 2 is a great arcade
driving game with a lot of style.  The game is definitely not realistic in terms
of car handling and physics, but the game provides a solid arcade experience and
a fantastic sense of speed.

Review Scoring Details

Gameplay: 8.5
The gameplay in OutRun 2 is dirt
simple.  There’s no simulation here, just all-out arcade driving.  While gamers
looking for serious meticulously realistic racing will probably be disappointed
with the physics in the game, those looking for a fast smooth arcade racing game
should have a great time.

Graphics: 9.2
The graphics are excellent,
conveying an excellent sense of speed with smooth framerates and clean
textures.  The car models look awesome, with cool looking luster and great
detail, and the environments are fantastic.

Sound: 6.0
As is the custom for most Sega
games, the music in OutRun 2 is pretty terrible.  Each of the songs is very
poppy sounding new agey tripe, which is completely out of place in a racing
game.  There are some limited voice announcing that can get a little campy
sounding as well.  Most people will be well off just turning the TV on mute and
listening to a CD.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.5
OutRun 2 does a fantastic job of
bringing all of the fun of the arcade version and then some with some great
mission-based modes.

Multiplayer: 8.5

The game offers
multiplayer, system link and Xbox Live features.  What more do you need?

Overall: 8.5
OutRun 2 offers the same brand of
arcade racing as the original, with all of the necessary improvements and some
great new features.  Fans of the original game should definitely enjoy this
entry to the series.