Racing games on the PC just don't seem as good as the console versions. Even with an analogue controller it still doesn't feel quite the same for me. I can't quite put my finger on a reason but there must be one. The same appears to be the case with Outrun 2006 Coast to Coast. Now, that makes it sound like a rubbish game. It isn't. In fact it's actually pretty good. However, I've also played the PSP version and preferred it to this one. They are pretty much identical in content but the PC version doesn't feel quite as enjoyable.
O 2006:C2C has the style of over the top drifting around corners, and doesn't get as monotonous as it does in other similar racing games. It does this by throwing in a decent amount of traffic to avoid and goals to achieve other than just finishing first. These challenges come from your female passenger who needs to be impressed by your driving skills if she is to stay anywhere near you and your Ferrari. She will ask you to do things that last for a short while such as avoiding hitting anything, hitting as much as you can, knocking over a long line of cones or pushing a giant beach ball along the road.
There are game modes aplenty, although some do feel similar to others and your not always quite sure what the difference is between some of them. They do keep you busy though and again, prevent the dreaded MRS, (Monotonous Racing Syndrome), from setting in.
The graphics are quite impressive but did jump a bit on my PC (2.6GHz, 512MB RAM, 256MB Radeon 9550 graphics card). It certainly has some impressive moments though. Certain sections see you driving over the crest of a hill to be presented with a view that looks superb with rolling hills and the winding route ahead twisting amongst them. It really does look stunning at various points of the race.
Shame about the sound though. The engine noises and whooshes as you pass everything else on the road are good enough. However, the music is truly awful. I know Outrun first came out in the eighties but there was absolutely no need at all to solely rely on cheesy music from the decade that style forgot. I ended up turning the music volume down so that it was barely audible.
Bonus's can be bought using Outrun Miles which are accumulated no matter what race you take part in. These include new cars, new car colours, new tracks, new tunes (I haven't bought any of them yet), and new goals to achieve. There's plenty to buy and you can buy them in any order, so you are not limited to getting a new car when the game says you can get one.
To sum it all up then, it's good fun which may not last for a long time but is certainly worth a look. Last of all though… lets face it… this is the closest that most of us are going to get to driving a Ferrari of any sort, let alone having a choice of loads of the things.
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