OutRun 2

Written by Ryan Genno  on December 02, 2004

Review: It took 18 years for this sequel so it better be good!

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If you're wondering why this game is called Out Run 2, yet you don't remember the first game, then you are not alone. Sega's original Out Run was released way back in 1986, so chances are you are just too young to know it was out there or maybe you weren't even born yet. The original Out Run won rave reviews for its unique non-linear race routes, its then amazing 3D graphics, and who could forget the intense sense of speed either? I was always jealous of my friend having an old Sega Master System because he had a home version of this awesome racer. That was then, this is now! Out Run is finally back and thanks to all of its new features like photo realistic graphics, multi-player options, and online play, it is better then ever.

Although Out Run 2 takes place 18 years after the first game, there are still a lot the two games have in common. You have only a limited amount of time to drive across several scenic locations and at the end of each stage you get to decide if you want to pick the easy path (the left side) or the harder one (the right side). Out Run 2 also has a sexy list of easy to control Ferraris (fully licensed by the way) and there is even a beautiful blonde woman that rides around with you too.

What has changed though is that there are several new play modes that help freshen things up. One of Out Run 2's exclusive new modes is called the Heart Attack. Here, another generic looking blonde woman will ask you to do certain tasks like Pass Cars or Drift around corners to win special heart points. Because of the heavy challenge here, I only recommend the Heart Attack game if you've mastered the Arcade mode first.

In the game's new Challenge mode there is a Halle Berry look-a-like that will ask you to complete various tasks just like in the Heart Attack game. You still race across the same tracks found in the Arcade modes, but these tests are far less demanding since they are usually only one track long plus you can also unlock special cards and bonus missions too. Although the cards were nothing special, these mini games do add a lot of replay value to this fine looking game.

That brings me to what this game has for graphics and sounds. Out Run 2 sure has some breath-taking scenery. In one stage there is a group of trees that cast an impressive looking shadow on the roads, and there is also a nighttime route where you are driving across a huge neon-lighted city. Unfortunately, this game should look good because most of the backgrounds here are non-interactive. You can't do anything crazy or funny like go driving into the lake or go flying into the air and go crashing into a house like in a Grand Theft Auto game. This game is strictly about racing and you can't even cause any physical damage to your Ferraris either. Out Run 2's music is definitely a mixed bag. Although the game has good remixed versions of the older soundtracks, the rest of the newer music is too cherry pop for my taste.