Act: Outliner [by Cornutopia]

Game Review: Outliner
Release: Oct 6, 2002
Genre: Action
Developer: Cornutopia
System Requirements: Windows, DirectX8, 200MHz, basic 3D graphics card
Price: US $12

Outliner is the classic Asteroids game, and then some. Playing this game can bring back nostalgia to the old, vector-based graphics in the arcade. Outliner does bring some extra features to differentiate itself from other Asteroids clones, including new ships, enemies, and different game types.

There really isn't much to the story of the game. It is basically Asteroids, but with enemy ships. Simplistic story, simplistic graphics, and simplistic controls? This actually doesn't make for simplistic gaming, but instead there is enough variation to give the game plenty of fun without getting boring too quickly.

The game has a few different game types to play through. There is classic Asteroids, Onslaught where you basically take on as many ships as you can for as long as you can, Base Defender where you protect the central base from attack as long you can, Arena Ascent where you take on the same enemy whose number and speed increases as you progress to the next level, and Target Arena where you try you just try to survive as long as you can against the enemy. There are also two player versions of all these game modes plus two specific modes for multiplayer dog fighting. When dog fighting you have to avoid the asteroids or the mines, depending on which level you picked.

There are different types of ships to fight against, and each has a different method of attack. Some are speedy and dart in different directions. Others are like carriers, slow and continually launching smaller but faster ships. Some ships attack with weapons while others actually home in and try to crash into you. There is also the mine layer and the mines themselves. When playing the regular game or the Onslaught mode, the variety of ships and their many attacks can make the game incredibly challenging and fun to play.

You can also change the appearance of your own ships although your speed or attack doesn't get affected, and the colors of the foreground and the background can be changed as well. Some of the enemy ships take more than one shot to destroy, and some separate into smaller ships when they are destroyed. The explosions are not exactly super graphical explosions, but it is in keeping with the simplistic graphics of this game. The colors fade as the explosions fans out. When your shots hit ships that have shields, you will see the shots dissipate at the impact.

The sound is also simplistic, with nothing but sound effects. The CD-based version of this game provides music according to the Readme.txt provided with the game. The sound effects are pretty basic, with shots, impacts, and explosions making up the bulk. When the game features only one ship getting shot, it isn't exactly very lively, but when multiple ships, asteroids, and mines are getting destroyed regularly, the sound effects really earn their appeal.

There are a number of different methods of control. You can use the mouse, keyboard, or a joystick. While the keyboard is easier, it quickly becomes apparent that the mouse is preferred for its speed. You can turn and move quickly with the mouse whereas the speed of the keyboard movement might not get you out of a jam in time. I was not able to test the joystick support unfortunately.

The multiplayer support is nice, allowing two players at a single computer to play head-to-head or in co-op with each other. It is too bad that there is no network support, as being able to play with a person on the same computer may not be possible for some people. It may be easier to find someone to play with online. You can also change the shielding on your ship, which allows you to change the challenge level. The higher your shielding, the more the enemies will have to hit your ship to destroy it.

While the game does allow for different graphic resolutions, they all aren't too different from each other. With the simplistic graphics, the higher resolutions don't make it look much different. On the other hand, playing at 320x200 is interesting and reminds me of the DOS asteroids clones that I still play. The only real problem with the resolution modes is that the game itself doesn't allow you to change them. You have to edit the config file, which most people won't do. Still, they are not missing out on much as there isn't a noticeable difference between the higher resolution modes.

Also, there is an absence in keyboard configuration. You must use the arrow keys and the right CTRL key to move and shoot. This is true even when you have two players using the keyboard. BOTH players must use the same keys, which just isn't possible. This does allow for you to try to play two player mode on your own, but that is really a novelty way to play. So besides not being able to change the controls to the keys you want to use, there isn't an option for two players to play using the keyboard.

Still, the game is fun and quite challenging, giving the player quite a few options that allow the different modes to appear to be much more varied. Trying to get past the huge mother ships or the smaller fighters can really test your reflexes.

Graphics: 6
While the graphics aren't powered by an amazing 3D engine or have vertex and pixel shaders involved, the simplistic 2D wire frame graphics do fit with the classic game play.

Sound: 6
I did not play the CD version so I cannot comment on the music in the game. The download version only has sound effects, which were also simplistic but varied enough for the different shots and explosions.

Game Play: 9
The controls were simple, and while it takes some getting used to with the mouse, they were also intuitive. You have to watch your acceleration just like in the original Asteroids.

Options: 8
The options available were pretty nice, allowing for varied game play and for two-player support. I still miss the key configuration options though.

Concept: 8
"Asteroids improved!" should be the slogan, but then again, this is so much more than asteroids. It is more of a crossing between the Asteroids game play and Galaga's enemies. Throw in some modes like Base Defender, and the game is unique enough to stand on its own.

Fun: 8
I enjoyed playing this game, even when I couldn't find a second player to go head-to-head against. The regular single player mode itself, with the mother ships and the multiple enemies, provides quite a challenge, and the other modes provide enough interesting variety to make sure this game doesn't go stale too quickly.

Overall: 7
I thought it was a fun game, and besides the missing options mentioned above, the available options do make up for them. The classic Asteroids game play along with variations in enemies, ships, and modes provides for a great game under a rough exterior. The graphics and sound aren't top-notch, but the gaming more than makes up for it.

Added: August 9th 2003
Reviewer: Gianfranco Berardi
Score:
Related Link: Cornutopia Website
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