OutRun

Back in 1986 Outrun was renowned for being the next big revolutionary step for racing games for the incredible sense of speed it brought to the player.

STORY/CAMPAIGN

It doesn't have one. As the game begins you select what music you want to drive along to and are thrown pretty much straight into the gameplay. You sit in a Ferrari with your lady friend at a start line surrounded by spectators, a timer counts down and your off. You then race through a series of levels, each one transitioning into the next presenting different scenery, until the reach the final destination. There is multiple endings depending which directions you chose at the end of each level as to which location you arrive at in the end. A very short and simple premise that works well for a game focusing on gameplay and style over anything else. It works well.

GAMEPLAY

You race from a to b at high speeds avoiding traffic and mastering corners, to make it to the end within the time limit. You choose either left or right at the end of each level which will transition you to a new area and track where the time limit is refreshed. It plays like one long journey from beginning to end.

Pros

Easily accessible. A short fun game you can jump in and out of at will that doesn't require any serious time to be invested into it, even to complete it. The sense of speed Outrun gives you is brilliant for the time. Difficulty level is pretty high.

Cons

Hit boxes can be very difficult to judge. Multiple times I collided with another vehicle at a greater distance away than I had passed them before. For a game this fast paced and difficult that requires starting from the beginning when failing, this can become very frustrating.

Overall

Great fast paces gameplay that was groundbreaking at the time of release, that does suffer with hitbox flaws.

GRAPHICS/DESIGN

Multiple different environments are showcased as you complete your road trip. Beaches, mountains, highways and lakesides and many more. They are littered with little details like road signs, cactuses and trees, and traffic fill the roads as you cruise in your red open top Ferrari.

Pros

Absolutely stunning. To this day this game looks beautiful. Outrun is an extremely colourful game. The sunset as you near the end of the first track, the snowy mountains visible in the vista, the shiny red Ferrari with the characters hair blowing in the wind, it's all highly detailed for the time.

Cons

The high speeds mixed with low pixel count can be disorienting.

SOUND/AUDIO

Before you begin you can choose one of three iconic tracks to cruise to by switch the radio station which is a nice touch. Soundtrack effects all good for the time.

OVERALL

Outrun is a beautiful and iconic racing game that was groundbreaking for the genre back in 1986. Still fun to play to this day, it's definitely a must play for fans of retro games and gaming history.