There has always been a fondness for the road movies of the 1970s, be it the thrills of something likeVanishing Pointor the insanity of something more comedic likeThe Gumball Rally.The freedom of the open road, the various views of America’s nooks and crannies spread across several states, the outlaw protagonists giving massive middle fingers to the authorities in one way or another…they always seem to have something that resonates with viewers, even decades later. And now, Saber Interactive and developers Serious Sim are attempting to condense the feel of these movies intoHeading Out,a hybrid of visual novels, driving games and roguelikes. A novel idea for sure, but does it triumphantly roar down the highway or crash and burn?
Born to Run
Taking place across four acts,Heading Outsees you playing as a faceless driver dubbed the “Interstate Jackalope” by everyone around you, with one single mission: make your way across the country to chase down the world’s greatest driver. Of course, there are several obstacles in your path, be it the police, having to maintain your car, managing money for gas, the ominous cloud of fear that spreads along the land and kills you should it ever catch up to you…common driving obstacles, you know. And once you finally catch up to this driver, it becomes more clear that things are clearly not as they seem, and that the Interstate Jackalope has a mystery on their hands that they’ll have to solve with each trip.
Starting out from Detroit at the start of every run, you begin by making your escape from the city, getting the hang of the controls for the driving sections in the process. The core driving gameplay inHeading Outisn’t particularly groudbreaking, but still fun, especially as you experiment and get used to each of the four unlockable cars. There are different scenarios to get caught up in, be it races against other drivers, attempting to flee the police or even trying to make your way through a traffic jam, if you want to tackle them. Even when speeding through them at 100 MPH (and youwillhave to speed through them, as the fear catches up with you if you stop or slow down for too long), they also feature impressive monochrome visuals on top of being enjoyable, each area showcasing their own unique traits in various ways.
The more interesting gameplay inHeading Out,surprisingly, happens in between the more traditional driving moments. The other half of the game takes place on a road map, where you have to choose what routes the Interstate Jackalope will take to reach their final destination. With every route, you use up a certain amount of gas money, and if you run out, it’s game over, thus encouraging the player to take on deliveries and street races for cash. It’s also game over if the fear catches up with you, spreading across the country with an ominous red trail, and you’re only ahead of it by so many hours. And resting or repairing your car in each city to refill your Focus or improve your car’s condition (lest you slow down and fall asleep at the wheel or break down, respectively) takes up time, so you have to figure out if you can afford it, especially when certain cities only have certain amenities.
Giving It More Gas
So the resource management inHeading Outis terrific, satisfying and provides a good challenge, and yet it’s actually improved even further by the simple addition of a brake and a gas pedal. Unlike other roguelike games where you just select a path and head straight to the next option, here you can progress along at a steady 50 MPH, stopping only for various challenges and story moments along the route, but you can also use gas to speed up, getting you to your destination quicker and putting more distance between you and the fear. The catch is that more gas means more gas money has to be used, and if you’re speeding, then your wanted level goes up, causing more police officers to begin hunting you down. But while you can see them approaching you on the map, you can also brake in order to avoid them, waiting for them to slip by if possible.
It’s a simple addition, and yet it shockingly makesHeading Outmuch more challenging by adding an extra layer of strategy. One good example is when bets are added to list of possible challenges, requiring you to reach a certain city within a limited amount of hours. You might be hesitant to take them, but you also need the money, so you have to see if you can afford any possible detours, put the pedal to the metal, and speed across the states at top speed, risking more police coming as your wanted level goes higher and higher, maybe hoping you can cross a state line to reduce it, all so you can get the money needed to stay alive for just a little longer. It’s just perfectly high-tension stuff.
Along the way, you get caught up in various tales along the highway, where the visual novel elements kick in more. Here you find yourself in scenarios ranging from encounters with runaways, fellow outlaws, panicking brides, to mafia goons, potential superheroes, kid wrestlers and massive potholes. Typically, it boils down to a choice that impacts your current stats in one way or another, including your fame and reputation. Fame is gained through driving scenarios via your skills, among other ways, and reputation is gained through your choices along the way. The better your fame and reputation are, the more scenarios and options you can encounter, along with perks like the occasional freebies at in-city stores.
We Want the Airwaves
The stories encountered here are nice and well-written, perfectly evoking the mysteries and seediness of the 1970s through the gritty narration and comic panels (even ifHeading Outnever states when it actually takes place). It also comes along through the music as well, once again with a nice variety of sounds perfect for driving that really play an essential part in the game, to the point where each driving section lasts for the length of a certain song. Be it chilled moments or pulse-pounding guitar tunes, it’s a terrific soundtrack overall. The talk radio portions, alternatively, get to highlight a colorful cast of characters, from a DJ having barricaded themselves in after a breakdown to a rebellious teenage girl, and are a hoot to listen to.
It helps that your actions along the way can end up shaping what you hear on the radio as well, as your reputation eventually builds you into a legend of sorts. Oddly, the parts inHeading Outwhere you travel across the country and build up your myth as a potential hero to the common American people are the more satisfying parts of its story, compared to the main tale. The core story is fine, but just isn’t as compelling as the various vignettes along the way, not helped by a bit of an obvious twist. It can also all be over too quickly, lasting only six hours or so as long as you don’t fail any runs, and things are always manageable (it helps that the final races at each act’s end allow you to retry them if you fail). Still, in a more narrative-focused game such as this, the difficulty isn’t the main draw, and things are still mostly challenging.
PAX East 2024: Heading For a Wild Ride in Heading Out
With gameplay that provides unique blend of genres, impressive presentation, and terrific story moments, Heading Out is one to look out for.
But whileHeading Out’sdifficulty isn’t much of an issue, there are a few bigger problems that should be addressed. For one, the AI during the races against other cars can make for some moments that feel too luck-based. Sometimes your opponents make rookie mistakes that cause them to wipe out instantly, other times you can put a tremendous amount of distance between the others and they’ll still find a way to nip at your heels later on, rubberbanding their way back. Sometimes, the detours are effective in providing shortcuts, sometimes they aren’t. Sometimes you can’t afford to crash even once, sometimes you can still catch up somehow after multiple crashes. Fun as the driving is, there appears to be a bit of an imbalance when other racers are added.
There are other issues as well. Radio broadcasts tend to repeat after a while, especially in the later acts. You seemingly can’t revisit previous acts upon beating the game, making it tougher to play with each unlockable car and set of obstacles, as well as trying to experience every story. And in its current state, the game appears to be prone to crashes, with at least half a dozen having occurred in our playthrough. There should be a Day One patch addressing this issue and others, but it’s still a notable pain, especially as the game only saves progress when in cities, meaning entire races and story moments had to be replayed. SoHeading Outhas its issues, small or big, but overall, the end result is a success. The occasional bump in the road still doesn’t result in a wreck, and the rest of the road is still thankfully mostly smooth.
Closing Comments:
An impressive ode to the classics of the 1970s,Heading Outis a unique blend of genres with its own unique gameplay twists that make it worth checking out, whether you’re a fan of high-octane driving or strategy-focused resource management. Dripping with style, a killer soundtrack and a ton of interesting stories along the way, it makes for one mesmerizing road trip, with the journey being one that Serious Sim should be proud of.
Heading Out
Version Reviewed: PC
