Outlander Game Sample - Genesis/MD
0Outlander is a post-apocalyptic action game released for both the Genesis and SNES (both with mostly subtle differences) that was developed by Mindscape International (1992/93) and, let's just say, "heavily inspired" by the "Mad Max" franchise... awww heck, screw it; it basically is a Mad Max game. Considering the only Mad Max game (currently) ever made was also developed by Mindscape (for the NES in 1990) and this game features several of the "fine aspects" that game possessed, the one thing this game lacked was the rights to the MM license, so they couldn't outright call the game Mad Max or update the NES game for (at the time) next-gen consoles. Word on the street is that it was even slated to be a Mad Max game but things fell through at the last minute, so a few things had to be changed. Still... if you want a game that's in the spirit of Mad Max for a 16-bit console, Outlander is the game for you.
But... is it any good? Eh. It's not bad, but it is quite long and monotonous. In the game, you control a cop driving a black interceptor who goes through a similar ordeal as the "Road Warrior". The world has barely survived an apocalypse, goods are scarce, gangs roam the vast stretches of dirt and road in search of territorial conquest, the world is in a general state of lawlessness, and you're the one lone guy who takes them all out and attempts to restore a small level of order to the wastelands, by force if you must. I don't know if they originally intended this or if it was changed due to any unforeseen changes or licensing issues, but the final boss is kinda strange (looks kinda like a cross between Mike Haggar and a Terminator) and the ending is ridiculously stupid and makes no real sense... it's like one of those things you have to see to believe, but I've seen worse. You can play the game yourself to find out or search for the ending on the web.
The game has two main segments, which are driving and side-scrolling. In the driving segments, you simply drive around defeating bikers, planes, and other foes while avoiding road hazards. This is harder than it sounds when you factor in that you have to keep enemies at bay, but it's not too difficult until you start encountering the late enemies, so the game gets progressively more challenging, which is a good thing (unless your car runs out of fuel on the road due to not reaching enough town stops, where you basically enter hell as you get jacked and blown up). In the side-scrolling segments, you ransack towns for goods (food, water, gas, etc.) and beat down thugs to get supplies to continue heading down the road. These segments are not too difficult until later on, when you have to worry about tougher foes, toxic food, and landmines. The standard foes are male and female rednecks (not my description by the way). You basically walk, jump/run, punch foes, and use your sawed-off shotgun. The driving segments get a little more diverse later with the addition of a few new weapons, but things remain largely repetitive.
The graphics... are okay but not very varied, though this is both to be expected and pretty "convenient" given the theme of the game (you're not going to see much other than wasteland if you survive an apocalypse I'd imagine). Still, the game could've used more enemy variety and a few more perks and weapons for the segments, especially the side-scrolling segment. The side-scrolling segments are nice and smooth with nice-sized characters and smooth animations while the driving segments chug along, sometimes at a crippling pace, but always manages to stay "playable". The music is appropriate for this type of game and most of it (what little there is) is pretty cool. This is a video of some of the game in action. Enjoy.