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| Blue skies and sandy beaches await. |
OutRun 2 is a game that always captured my interest as I kid many years ago when I first played it in the arcades. It's also one that I have fond memories of playing with friends and family whenever there was an arcade. Picture this: you're speeding through stages as fast as possible in a Ferrari, evading traffic, impressing your girl, and enjoying the scenery all while beating a 60-second timer in each stage. OutRun 2 is a thrilling game that holds a place as one of my favorites, so I thought I'd make a post gushing over its captivating atmosphere!
Right off the title-screen, you can tell the game packs a sunny, beach-inspired vibe to it as you hear calming ocean waves when scrolling through the menus. The game features the classic "OutRun" mode where you drive past 5 of the 15 stages before time runs out, with the last stage you finish in dictating the ending you get and they're pretty amusing. "Heart Attack" mode has you fulfilling your girlfriends requests to increase her impression of you by earning hearts and getting a high rank. These include basic requests like speeding through cars or drifting to some strange ones like... evading UFOs and falling meteors. "Time Attack" is straightforward with you speeding to the end before time runs out.
You'll be driving in style with a selection of head-turning Ferrari cars, each coming with their own unique stats that will help you in clearing the stages much quicker. The likes include the starter 246 Dino and 365 Daytona (both good for newcomers!) all the way to legends such as the F40, F50, and Enzo. Of course, we can't talk about OutRun without mentioning the Testarossa that started it all, which makes an appearance here. Needless to say, Sega went all out with the Ferrari representation in order to bring a thrilling, but also stylish vibe to OutRun 2.
The stages are another highlight of the game as while short, they're filled with lots of detail that's easy to miss given that you're driving blazingly fast. Notable ones include the starting beach stage that's always sunny and gets you pumped to drive, the mesmerizing night city stage where you're surrounded by lots of flashy lights, and the windy meadows where things get relaxing. The final stage you choose to finish in will decide the ending you get and they have you driving off into the sunset, ending up lost in a barren desert, and getting stuck shopping in a bustling city. All in all, the stages were pretty unique and offered lots of replay-value.
Lastly, we can't forget about the game's charming presentation. You're greeted with modern renditions of classic OutRun tracks like Magical Sound Shower, Passing Breeze and Splash Wave. New are "Night Flight", "Nightbird", and "Life Was A Bore", all of which are great tracks that compliment the game's catchy soundtrack well. I found myself gravitating towards the latter with its memorable vocals and I always made it a habit to select it when replaying OutRun 2 after a long time. The visuals might've aged a bit given that it's from 2003, but the cars and backgrounds still look lively and inviting to this day with their bright colors.
If I haven't made it clear already, I love OutRun 2. It holds a special place in my gaming life and I had lots of fun memories playing it. It's one of the few games I constantly go back to and replay since I'm a huge fan of racing games and Ferrari in general. Sadly, OutRun 2 has been lost to time as you can't buy the game officially anymore since Sega's licensing deal with Ferrari expired long ago and both don't seem interested in bringing the game back on modern systems. Still, if you can find a way to play OutRun 2 then you'll quickly find yourself immersed with its charming atmosphere.
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