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Sega proves why it’s the best at arcade racing. OutRun 2006 is a sequel to the Xbox-only OutRun 2, which was a sequel to the original OutRun from Sega’s history. Though the game hasn’t changed a whole lot, it still provides a lot to enjoy.
OutRun 2006 includes a plethora of single-player modes. The main mode is the Coast 2 Coast mode. The career mode of sorts includes races, challenges, and girlfriend missions (which are like the heart attack missions found outside of the career mode). As you progress through Coast 2 Coast, you’ll unlock new challenges and girls. The game’s titular mode (OutRun) has you running through tracks, making sure you hit the next checkpoint before time runs out. It also includes time attack and heart attack; in the latter you’re given challenges such as pass a certain number of cars to more ridiculous tasks like dribbling a humongous beach ball through the track. The game also includes the arcade version of OutRun2 SP.
As expected, the gameplay in the game isn’t very complicated. You’re going to be hitting the accelerator as hard as possible to go at record-breaking speeds. Occasionally, you’ll need to hit the brakes but for the most part the game’s forgiving gameplay mechanics lets you satisfy your need for speed. Even if you hit a wall, you’re back on the road—and going at insane speeds—in a matter of seconds. The game lets you draft behind cars to go even quicker and again, this is a fairly forgiving mechanic. That isn’t to say that the game is too simple. You’re able to powerslide so that you can take corners without losing speed. The game throws you in 30 different tracks ranging from a forest to a casino city that bears more than a passing resemblance to Atlantic City.
In the game’s many modes you’ll unlock OutRun miles which you’ll use to purchase content. You can buy more Ferrari models (there are a dozen or so) ranging from the Enzo to the Testarossa, among others, as well as different colors for models you already own. Aside from buying cars, you can buy new tracks and soundtrack songs.
The Xbox version of the game includes online multiplayer for up to six players. The game doesn’t support split-screen multiplayer. Playing online is as smooth and lag-free as expected. The game’s lobby system has a number of options for the races, and the game includes a leaderboard.
The game’s visuals look fantastic. The car models are excellent featuring a fair amount of detail including realistic reflections and particle effects. The environments are nicely detailed with a lot of variety in the different tracks. The best part of the graphics is that the game’s framerate doesn’t skip a beat. This adds to the great sense of the speed that the game portrays.
Aurally, the game is also solid. The background music includes a number of songs from the original OutRun, as well as newer tracks. It should please diehard fans of the series as well as newcomers. The sound effects are good, though not terribly exciting.
OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast doesn’t race into new terriotory but there is a lot to like in the game, especially if you haven’t played OutRun 2. Sega is firmly established as one the best developers for arcade racers and you don’t need to look further than OutRun 2006 to see why. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Jul 6, 2006
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