Outmode
- June 22, 2022
- Rockateer
Get on SteamOutmode is an arcade racer heavily inspired by the Outrun aesthetic movement of the early 2010s. Featuring a retro-futuristic neon setting of beaches, cities and highways; experience the '80s again like never before and take the wheel of a legendary pop culture inspired car, get up close and personal to your rivals and become the driver you always dreamed you could be.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning visuals and a captivating synthwave aesthetic that immerses players in an 80s-inspired world.
- The soundtrack is exceptional, with the option to add custom music, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
- Gameplay offers a variety of modes and unlockable cars, providing replay value and engaging challenges for players.
- The controls are poorly designed, with issues such as acceleration being mapped to the left stick instead of the trigger, leading to a frustrating experience.
- The AI is inconsistent and often unbalanced, resulting in unpredictable racing dynamics that detract from the overall enjoyment.
- The game suffers from various bugs and performance issues, particularly with controller support, which can significantly hinder gameplay.
- music19 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its exceptional synthwave soundtrack, which perfectly complements the retro '80s aesthetic and enhances the overall racing experience. Players appreciate the option to add their own music, although it cannot be mixed with the in-game tracks. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The in-game soundtrack is very appropriate for the entire style of the game, and you also have the option to link your favorite songs to listen to while racing.”
“It captures the essence of the '80s with its neon-lit world, synthwave music, and retro-futuristic cars; Outmode is a must-play for fans of arcade racing games.”
“The synthwave music used in-game has some good bass lines and will serve you well through your laps around the various tracks.”
“Driving through an 80s neon synth-wave landscape in VR is fun at first, especially with some of the music tracks bundled with the game, but the price is too high for what's currently being offered, and it won't be able to keep your attention for long.”
“You can add your own music; however, you cannot mix your music with the soundtrack, so it's one or the other.”
“It is flawed and oftentimes reminds me of those early Unity games many indie devs made back in 2012, but the visuals and music (you can insert your own custom music as well) are both fantastic.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant and stylish aesthetic, effectively capturing an 80's retro vibe with a neon color palette. While some users note that the simplistic visuals demand significant resources, the overall impression is that the art style is gorgeous and immersive, appealing particularly to fans of outrun and vaporwave aesthetics. Despite some technical flaws reminiscent of early indie games, the visuals and accompanying music contribute to a compelling experience that many players find worth exploring.
“Outmode is quite a good racing game that really manages to portray the aesthetic 80's style; sometimes maybe a bit too colorful, but everything fits perfectly into the picture.”
“The aesthetic is gorgeous.”
“This is a brilliant, impressive solo project, William. You've really made the game come to life through the vibrant and distinct art style, played along with the unique and fulfilling gameplay.”
“Performance-wise, it consumes a lot of resources for what simplistic graphics it actually has.”
“It is flawed and oftentimes reminds me of those early Unity games many indie devs made back in 2012, but the visuals and music (you can insert your own custom music as well) are both fantastic.”
“I'll be honest, I instantly wishlisted this purely for the aesthetics alone.”
- gameplay12 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Outmode has received mixed reviews, with some praising its vibrant visuals and unique mechanics, while others criticize the stiff controls, inconsistent physics, and unbalanced AI behavior. While the drifting mechanic and car abilities are appreciated, many players find the overall gameplay lacking in depth and excitement, often feeling more like cruising than a competitive racing experience. Despite these issues, the game is noted for its smooth mechanics and engaging soundtrack.
“The map designs are reminiscent of Mario Kart; I like the drifting mechanic and all of the abilities that are tailored for each car.”
“As for the gameplay, I was never big on racers, but this one has really hit well for me.”
“This is a brilliant, impressive solo project, William. You've really made the game come to life through the vibrant and distinct art style played along with the unique and fulfilling gameplay.”
“Outmode definitely nails the synthwave vibe, but it doesn't really nail the gameplay part of a video game.”
“Mechanically speaking, the game works fine with mouse/keyboard or controller, but there is a known bug with the controller on the menus not always working (it is an issue with the version of Unity used), so keep your mouse handy.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is mixed; while some users report it as not buggy with acceptable controls, others experience significant bugs and limitations in customizing button configurations.
“The game runs smoothly without any major bugs.”
“The controls are responsive and reliable.”
“I haven't encountered any crashes or stability issues.”
“It is buggy, and I am not able to choose my own buttons.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
“I experience constant lag and glitches that ruin the experience.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for its high resource consumption relative to its simplistic graphics, leading to an overall decent frame rate in VR but lacking a sense of speed.
“Most of the time, the frame rate and performance are okay now in VR, but there's no sense of speed.”
“Performance-wise, it consumes a lot of resources for how simplistic the graphics actually are.”
“Most of the time, the frame rate and performance are okay in VR, but there's no sense of speed.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the game offers good replayability due to its multiple lap cycles, adjustable difficulty levels, and the option to choose different rivals on tracks, making the $10.99 price point feel justified.
“Overall, the game is enjoyable, and the $10.99 price tag is acceptable since there is a solid amount of replay value with the various lap cycles, difficulties, and number of rivals you can select on tracks.”
“The game lacks significant replayability; once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to return.”
“While the initial experience is fun, the limited variety in gameplay modes makes it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
“After a few rounds, the game feels repetitive, and I found myself losing interest quickly.”
