Reading this game’s reviews is how I learned it was in Yakuza. What is Yakuza even about, man? (Don’t answer that question)
Read a guide for this one that clued me into the fact that you can only crash twice or you won’t be able to make it to the end. That’s steep! But I guess it’s to be expected.
Outrun's reputation precedes it.
I watched a YouTube video once that tried to convince me that Outrun was a Vaporwave-adjacent internet art genre. I actually looked up the Wikipedia article for Outrun and it says that it “[provided] the name for a popular music genre”? And the popular music genre in question is Synthwave?
Anyways I know that language is fluid and mutates constantly, I’m just not sure how/why people fixate on certain ideas or aesthetic trappings and then draw lines in the sand to differentiate one very similar subset of things from another – and then go onto claim that Outrun is a “genre” associated with gridlines and neon skies when what they really mean is that it’s 80s inspired and/or Synthwave music.
Anyways, it’s a moot point. None of that is in the original Outrun.
Outrun is more like a City Pop EP with an arcade game included.
In this day and age, it’s a relic from a different era. As someone who doesn’t play a lot of racing games, I still had a lot of fun learning how the vehicle controls, and seeing all the different routes available. It’s just fun to play on a fundamental level.
That’s not to say it’s without issues. I think the most egregious is the pseudo-3D which takes a lot of getting used to. Trying to actually gauge how close some vehicles are can be next to impossible. Trying to visualize how fast you’re going is impossible.
When it’s at its best, the flow state reminds me of driving on the i5. Much like in real life, this flow is only interrupted by people who are going way too slow, way too fast, or cutting me off for no reason.
Inversely, I am reminded of the many micro-lessons the road imparts us with. I crack open these proverbs like fortune cookies, small observations which may read as redundant or obvious to others, but to me are the Lego blocks in building a worthwhile compendium of true experience – both in-game and in life.
Know when to take your foot off the gas.
Don’t be afraid to slow down.
It’s okay to go over 150mph if there’s a blonde woman in your passenger seat.
…It’s a relaxing game, actually. Even if I couldn’t always beat the clock, there was always some inherent satisfaction in the journey.
My favorite track was “Splash Wave”.
Also, I am thankful for the literal signposting, which gives players ample time to react to upcoming turns. I couldn’t help but think, “Oh, man, Sonic 2’s special stages would be so much better if they had any signposting at all,” but that’s neither here nor there. I will talk about Sonic 2 one day and I will complain about it then.
There’s some turns that are not signposted in Outrun, and if you’ve played it then you know what I’m talking about. Annoying, right? That’s Sonic 2’s special stages all the time. That’s every special stage.
Outrun is good. Play it in Yakuza 0 if you haven’t played it I guess. Also play Yakuza 0 if you haven’t played it. Play Yakuza 0. HURRY
Read a guide for this one that clued me into the fact that you can only crash twice or you won’t be able to make it to the end. That’s steep! But I guess it’s to be expected.
Outrun's reputation precedes it.
I watched a YouTube video once that tried to convince me that Outrun was a Vaporwave-adjacent internet art genre. I actually looked up the Wikipedia article for Outrun and it says that it “[provided] the name for a popular music genre”? And the popular music genre in question is Synthwave?
Anyways I know that language is fluid and mutates constantly, I’m just not sure how/why people fixate on certain ideas or aesthetic trappings and then draw lines in the sand to differentiate one very similar subset of things from another – and then go onto claim that Outrun is a “genre” associated with gridlines and neon skies when what they really mean is that it’s 80s inspired and/or Synthwave music.
Anyways, it’s a moot point. None of that is in the original Outrun.
Outrun is more like a City Pop EP with an arcade game included.
In this day and age, it’s a relic from a different era. As someone who doesn’t play a lot of racing games, I still had a lot of fun learning how the vehicle controls, and seeing all the different routes available. It’s just fun to play on a fundamental level.
That’s not to say it’s without issues. I think the most egregious is the pseudo-3D which takes a lot of getting used to. Trying to actually gauge how close some vehicles are can be next to impossible. Trying to visualize how fast you’re going is impossible.
When it’s at its best, the flow state reminds me of driving on the i5. Much like in real life, this flow is only interrupted by people who are going way too slow, way too fast, or cutting me off for no reason.
Inversely, I am reminded of the many micro-lessons the road imparts us with. I crack open these proverbs like fortune cookies, small observations which may read as redundant or obvious to others, but to me are the Lego blocks in building a worthwhile compendium of true experience – both in-game and in life.
Know when to take your foot off the gas.
Don’t be afraid to slow down.
It’s okay to go over 150mph if there’s a blonde woman in your passenger seat.
…It’s a relaxing game, actually. Even if I couldn’t always beat the clock, there was always some inherent satisfaction in the journey.
My favorite track was “Splash Wave”.
Also, I am thankful for the literal signposting, which gives players ample time to react to upcoming turns. I couldn’t help but think, “Oh, man, Sonic 2’s special stages would be so much better if they had any signposting at all,” but that’s neither here nor there. I will talk about Sonic 2 one day and I will complain about it then.
There’s some turns that are not signposted in Outrun, and if you’ve played it then you know what I’m talking about. Annoying, right? That’s Sonic 2’s special stages all the time. That’s every special stage.
Outrun is good. Play it in Yakuza 0 if you haven’t played it I guess. Also play Yakuza 0 if you haven’t played it. Play Yakuza 0. HURRY