I was waiting for this game ever since it was announced, counted the days until it became available, got it the moment it came out and didn't stop playing until I got all 200 achievement points.
My love of Sega arcade racers can do very strange things to me. Luckily, OutRun Online Arcade deserves this love, and is well worth the $10.
On the surface, this game might not seem like much- there's no cars to unlock, no secret tracks to find, not much to do aside from driving. But hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? If the ten cars are awesome Ferraris, and the tracks well designed, what else do you need?
The graphics are a great throwback to the Sega racers of old. No rain, no urban decay, just blue skies. The framerate moves at a fast clip, and the details like waterfalls and shining stars contribute to a breath of fresh air compared to the Fast and the Furious-style street racers out there. The music, which includes updates of classic OutRun tunes along with more modern stuff, only adds to the atmosphere.
But, really, it's all about the gameplay, and this is the reason why I love this game so much. Half the fun is executing the perfect drift, with the perfect stab of the brakes, perfect countersteering, and shooting out of the turn at 170 MPH. The other half is doing it in Heart Attack mode, where you have to execute certain demands to get a high score. The controls are perfect, the mechanics of drifting, slingshotting and shifting are perfect... what more do you need?
How about online multiplayer and leaderboards? Yeah, they're included.
I can't recommend this game highly enough. I thought it would be $15, but at $10, it's a steal for such a well-rounded game. It's the perfect antidote of the Forzas and Gran Turismos of the world-
sure, it's unrealistic, but who cares when you're having fun?
