News

• Reviewed on: PS2
• Also available for: PSP, Xbox, Windows PC
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• The Good: A refreshingly simplistic racer with speed and pleasure more important than car tuning and realism.
• The Bad: Won't suit realism addicts. Slightly sexist girlfriend mode!
• The Verdict: Not the most realistic racing game money can buy, but certainly the most immediately fun.
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REVIEW:

The sun is blazing outside, and I'm coming to terms with the fact that spring is finally here, because I'm trapped inside, my eyes a puffy mess, my nose dripping constantly. Despite sitting in the dark, with a roof over my head in my hay-fever prison, I'm still able to enjoy the sight of the bluest skies I've ever seen.

Thank god for Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast and its acres of blue skies. So relentlessly bright and beautiful is this title that it feels like it should have been released in the dead of winter and given on prescription to anyone suffering from Seasonal Affect Disorder, because it is one bright, sunshiny day of a videogame.

The 2006 suffix may infer that this is merely a seasonal update of Outrun 2, the title that re-energized Sega's by-then-tired Outrun series in arcades in 2003 (and later on Xbox). In actuality, this new release not only incorporates all of the original Outrun 2, but Outrun 2: SP, the until now arcade-only sequel that features 15 new courses, new cars and a finely tuned physics model including aspects such as slipstreaming. Using the new physics model and the 30 courses available from both games, Outrun 2006: Coast 2 Coast offers a whole new selection of modes and missions compared to the original title, and head-to-head and co-operative multiplayer for up to eight players.

However, despite the new inclusions, fans of the game on Xbox or in the arcade will be pleased to know the core game mechanics are unchanged.

Unlike the currently accepted representation of automobile racing in video games, with each new title struggling to be the ultimate in realism, Outrun 2006 gleefully throws any attempt at accurate simulation out of the sunroof to create a racing game with one objective in mind; representing the sheer pleasure of driving a gleaming sports car though gorgeous locales at outrageous speeds.

Ferrari should be commended for allowing Sega and developer Sumo Digital to treat their vehicles so freely, as their range of historic sports cars, from the Dino 246 GTS to the Enzo Ferrari, are represented as roaring speed demons, and using the game's effortless cornering system (really very little more than a quick tap on the breaks) each corner can be taken in a glorious, tire screaming power slide. Ferrari's good nature has even allowed the developers to allow their vehicles embark on dramatic mid-air flips and clattering crashes should they connect with a barrier at top speed, something usually disallowed by car manufacturers, though there is still no visible car damage.

Not that car damage would necessarily be beneficial. Outrun 2006 is all about the joy of the trip, and everything should be beautiful. Not least the locations you'll find yourself speeding through, should you ever slow down enough to get a look at them. From the Niagara Falls-inspired Waterfalls location to the Easter Island-like Giant Statues, even just watching the game as a 'back seat driver' is a pleasure in itself. Indeed, the meat of the game, the Coast 2 Coast mode, features some demanding back seat drivers. Race official Flagman's long list of challenges consist of white knuckled races against rivals, and your three (!) girlfriends each have wildly differing set of demands for you as a boyfriend, from simply avoiding cars, to far more esoteric requests such as avoiding meteor showers or even alien abduction.

The game does, of course, never really deviate from its core design of road races at extreme speeds, and if that isn't your cup of motor oil, it will definitely wear thin quickly.

To increase longevity, Sumo Digital has included a shop system with new cars, soundtracks, courses and other bonuses that can be purchased by spending Outrun miles. The genius of this system is that no time you spend playing Outrun 2006 is ever wasted — even if you fail a mission you're still rewarded with Outrun miles for the distance you travelled, a lucky occurrence, since later vehicles can cost a pretty mileage to purchase.

Despite my near-raving exultations up to this point, there are a few minor flaws. The graphics of the PS2 versions seem to be quite indistinct when compared to the ultra-crisp Xbox graphics, but it's understandable when you compare the system's power, and it does at least offer a brilliant 16:9 mode.

I also have to accept that this game just won't suit everyone. Racing game fans who can't see past the ultra realism of the Gran Turismo and Project Gotham titles won't find anything to like here, but any gamer with an appreciation of the immediacy of an arcade title that can be picked up and played regularly will more than likely find them trapped in a near unbreakable 'just one more go' cycle.

If you've ever wanted to feel wind blowing through your hair as you drive at an absurd speed through a gorgeous forest, while a beautiful model laughs by your side, you need to own this game.