Out Zone
- February 14, 2023
- Bitwave Games
Get on SteamOut Zone is a classic top-down shooter game set in a post-apocalyptic world. Players control mercenaries fighting through hordes of mutants to reach the heart of a secret research facility. With a wide range of weapons, power-ups, and cooperative gameplay, Out Zone offers a challenging and action-packed experience.
Reviews
- Out Zone is a thrilling run-and-gun experience with fast-paced gameplay and a variety of weapon upgrades, making it highly enjoyable.
- The game features excellent graphics and sound design, showcasing a high level of artistry and attention to detail.
- The Steam port has received multiple updates to improve its performance and includes a plethora of quality-of-life features, making it accessible for newcomers.
- The control scheme can be awkward and may lead to frustration, as aiming and movement are limited to a single joystick with no strafing options.
- Some players have reported issues with the emulation, including missing content from the original arcade version and audio problems.
- The game's difficulty may be overwhelming for casual players, making it less approachable for those unfamiliar with the genre.
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their beautiful pixel art and cyberpunk aesthetic, featuring large metallic enemies that enhance the visual experience. Players appreciate the extensive customization options available for adjusting graphics and gameplay settings, making it accessible for both newcomers and veterans. Overall, the graphics and audio are considered impressive for their time, aligning with the high standards expected from Toaplan titles.
“The graphics are impressive, reminiscent of a cyberpunk world with beautiful pixel art where enemies are large and metallic.”
“Graphics and audio are also amazing for their time, but this is Toaplan, so it's to be expected.”
“Bitwave's Toaplan releases have so many options that I only ever expect that M2 STG would do, including graphics options and borders; the input lag is imperceptible.”
“The graphics look outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
“The character models are poorly designed and lack detail, making the game feel less immersive.”
“The environments are bland and repetitive, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- music5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, receiving a perfect score of 10/10 for its quality. However, the normal ROM version is criticized for being an incomplete prototype, featuring only 3 out of 6 music tracks and lacking various enemy layouts and behaviors found in the arcade versions.
“Art + music: 10/10”
“The music is great.”
“The normal ROM version is the oldest available and a prototype: it is missing music, enemy placement is incorrect, and there’s inaccurate enemy behavior, specifically in spawning, attack patterns, and shooting/firing compared to the arcade/ROMs.”
“This version does not emulate the released arcade versions; it has a lot of missing enemy layouts, secrets, and only 3 out of 6 music tracks.”
“First off, the normal version is some kind of prototype or early release, so you get an incomplete OST and several other cut-down content.”
- gameplay4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Out Zone is praised for its engaging mechanics, featuring a gun and limited bombs, alongside appealing aesthetics. However, some players note that the game runs approximately 10% faster than the original arcade version, which disrupts enemy spawning and behavior, affecting the overall experience.
“The game mechanics of Out Zone involve using a gun and limited screen-clearing bombs.”
“I have always been fascinated by this game for its gameplay and aesthetics.”
“Gameplay: 8/10”
“The game mechanics of Out Zone consist of having a gun and limited screen-clearing bombs.”
“Runs too fast — about 10% faster than the original arcade speed, which breaks many gameplay elements related to enemy spawning and behavior.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The stability of the emulation is criticized for feeling outdated and reminiscent of late '90s technology, with numerous bugs in the additional features that detract from the overall experience.
“The emulation still feels like something that would have been more acceptable in '98 when the shark emulator was made, and the extra features are still buggy enough to distract more than they help.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I experienced constant lag and frame drops, which ruined the overall experience.”
