Outlander (video game)

Outlander
Publisher(s)	Mindscape
Composer(s)	Mark Knight (SNES)
Platform(s)	Genesis, Super NES
Release	Genesis 1992 Super NES April 1993

Outlander is an action driving video game with a post-apocalyptic theme. It was developed and published by Mindscape in 1992 for the Mega Drive/Genesis^[1] and in 1993 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.^[2]

The game shares many similarities to the Mad Max film series, originally it was developed as The Road Warrior based on the Mad Max sequel, however near completion Mindscape lost the rights to the license and the title was changed to Outlander to avoid legal issues.

Gameplay

In Outlander, the player drives along a post-apocalyptic road in either first-person view (Genesis) or third-person (Super NES). Bikers and trucks attack the player's car with gunfire or ramming. To fend them off, a car window is displayed allowing the player to fire a shotgun to the left or right. The car is also armed with a forward-firing machine-gun. Enemy vehicles destroyed in this way result in an explosion that may damage the player's car.^[3]

The car's fuel is consumed over time, and the player may either stop to refill, or run out of fuel. In either case, on-foot gameplay ensues. In this section, the player must avoid chain or petrol-bomb wielding bikers, landmines, and armed hillbillies. There is also opportunity to collect health, fuel, and ammunition before returning to the car.

The player may also stop at towns, another on-foot section that allows resource gathering. Items include ammunition, food, water, fuel, surface-to-air missiles, armour, windshields, fuzzy toys, tires, and geiger counters. The geiger counter is used to detect contaminated food.

References