I have no idea what the title refers to either. (Outriggers (DC))

Member Name: Wolfzilla

Product:	Outriggers (DC)
Date:	07/06/08 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Can be fun on multiplayer, simple

Disadvantages: lack of depth, or a single player game

Outtrigger was one of the last games released for the Sega Dreamcast, and is notable for several reasons. Arguably the most unusual factor surrounding it is the fact its actually based upon an arcade game from 1999, which raises the question of why release it to console gamers 3 years later in 2002? The fact it was an Arcade title raises 2 more noteworthy aspects of it. The game is a First-Person-Shooter (FPS), which isn't a genre I'd readily associate with arcades, which, well the 4 or whatever that still exist, usually consist of fighting, driving, 2D shooters and dancing games. Furthermore, it's a FPS made by a Japanese company, which makes it a rarity in itself. Unfortunately, its final standout characteristic is that it doesn't include a single player mode.

Well to be fair to Sega, there are single player modes of play included on the Outtrigger GD-Rom, the simple fact is they don't comprise the type of single player game you would have expected upon shelling out £40 for a game. Theres 'Arcade Mode', which I can only assume is how the game played on single player in the arcades, where you are set a number of enemies to kill before the time limit runs out. There are a healthy number of these 'Missions', though sadly they take place in small arenas and the stock terrorist enemies you face are fairly uninspiring, as is your limited arsenal, which consists of grenades, a machinegun and a rocket launcher. There are Power-Ups available for the weapons, such as homing missiles for the rocket launcher or laser machinegun ammo, but these are in such short supply and last such a short time that it doesn't do much to alter one's perceptions that the arsenal is far too sparse. It may have been fairly fun for £1 in the arcade, but for £40 at home 'Arcade Mode' really won't hold the attention anywhere near long enough.

To try and bolster the single player aspect of it, you can take a gander at the DC-only 'Challenge Missions'. These fall into fairly similar parameters to the Arcade missions (ie small arenas, beat the clock challenges) but mix it up a bit by having the goal vary. Some revolve around dodging enemy missiles, collecting a set amount of items or killing certain enemies with certain weapons. This mode also boasts the ability to unlock some further DC-only content, such as extra character skins and arenas. You can't fault Sega for the volume of these, there are over 30, the problem is they simply aren't very engaging.

The game really has no story, you get told you are a crack anti-terrorism agent and you shoot terrorists, so I'm not even sure if I can really offer a critique of that, because there is nothing to criticise. What does come under more scrutiny from me is the controls. The Dreamcast was made before 2 Analogue sticks became the norm on controllers, which is something that hampers all its FPS titles. The game does offer several options with regards to controls, with the best one being using the 4 Face Buttons to control movement and the analogue stick control where you look, which is somewhat ironic as I baulked at such a system when I first used it in Quake 3 Arena, but here it was like a godsend. The default control scheme is, to be blunt, absolutely useless. It involves using the analogue stick to look, the D-Pad to move and the face buttons to fire, and to try and use it is to render the game unplayable. Even if you do find a control system that suits, I do have to say I found the analogue stick a bit too loose, which makes aiming rather difficult. The preferred option for many would be to track down a Dreamcast keyboard and/or mouse.

The problem with using the PC-style means of play is that it takes up several of the controller ports, rendering what can be seen as the game's saving grace void. You see, while the game is a joke in single player, its 4-Player Deathmatch is an undeniable laugh. While the lack of weapons and claustrophobic arenas ensure that it still doesn't come close to stealing the thunder of Quake 3, it does at least give the game some purpose, and manages to raise a smile. Which is something the single-player modes can't claim.

The game also makes much of it's 'Customisable Characters' which, to be honest, is a bit of a joke. You basically select one of the character models (there are about 10) get to choose the colour of there armour, and what skin you want to use for the weapons (there is no difference other than visual) and can give them a 3 letter name. WWF Attitude's 'Create-a-Wrestler' this is not.


The aesthetic qualities of the game itself are, almost suitably, uninspiring and rather generic. Graphically there is nothing wrong with the game as such, but its far from the best looking game on the DC, which is probably something to do with the fact the game came out before the machine, and as with Fighting Vipers 2, which spawned from a similar fate, it suffers. Of course the fact it came out in the UK so late into the console's life made the generic 3D graphics look worse than they actually were by comparison. I guess a fair assessment would be that the graphics are decent enough, but offer nothing special, and to be honest there were better looking Dreamcast launch titles. The sound is just...poor. Bleepy techno music with no purpose and one of those bizarre narrators that you only find in Japanese games.

So, what is my call on Outtrigger, a FPS that was limited at the time of its Dreamcast release in 2002, 6 years after that release and the demise of the console? Basically, if you have picked up a cheap second hand DC and are looking for a simple FPS for 4-Player (drunken perhaps) chuckles then Outtrigger will keep you and your friends occupied for a few nights. The wise man would opt for Quake 3 or Unreal Tournament though.

Summary: If it's going for a few quid and you want a FPS for the DC by all means, but the console has better.