Heading Out Explanation is a narrative adventure inspired by road movies (PC). Halfway between visual novel and driving games, Heading Out surprises with the originality of its proposal.
Heading Out is presented with that phrase that is often completely true: the important thing is not the destination, but the journey. We are faced with a peculiar combination of narrative adventure, arcade driving with a small dose of management, and the packaging of a striking artistic section.
This is one of those cases in which we have something more than the sum of its components, and that is that the Serious Sim game can convince fans of original experiences and those looking for greater interactivity than what visual novels usually provide.
With fear on your heels
Our character is a mysterious pilot known for his journeys through the United States. Behind this constant movement is the escape of fear from him, and this is not a simple metaphor. An important part of this journey through different cities and states consists of directing our route through the nodes on a map that represents the stops.
Each location can offer us vehicle repairs, shopping, rest – it improves concentration – or “explore” the city, which opens the possibility of listening to stories and receiving secondary objectives – some assignments that reward us with dollars.
Actions that involve spending some time, or simply moving along the road, also cause that red spot to progress on the map: sleeping for many hours, for example, can put you in a bind if fear hunts you down.
Of course, this time management and route choice – a detour may include new stories or activities, but it also takes us away from the goal – is a very important part of Heading Out. There are events with curious characters – although the story is not as complete as we would like – and the general dark comic tone gives it a special charm, surely someone would miss a little more playable chicha. Luckily, Heading Out is more than a balance between obtaining and spending resources.
The objective is to move between the cities on the roads, and this is done from the map view. However, during the trip some events may skip that require stepping on the accelerator in the first person, such as illegal racing proposals, helping a person who is fleeing, or the search level alerting the police and forcing us to get out.
Sometimes these persecutions are the result of a choice and can be avoided – although they have some negative effect on reputation, which serves to unblock decisions -, while in others they are mandatory. There are several levels of difficulty if you want to focus only on the narrative part and soften the action.
You will be able to choose your route and progress through the map while fear advances behind you. Sometimes the longer route can make your progress easier.
In the driving gameplay, we have races that last the same length as the musical theme that plays on the radio, usually between two and five minutes. It takes place on secondary roads, not very wide and two-way, which means that, a bit like Need for Speed, you will have to hunt down a rival or mislead the police while avoiding traffic or obstacles.
Crashes damage the vehicle and a fatal error can be corrected with a retry – but they are limited. If you lose concentration, sleep takes over, and this can lead to frustrating moments.
Sounds good? Yes, although we’re not talking about deep, polished gameplay that can compete with Burnout. At first, it is one of the most surprising sections of Heading Out, but as we spend more and more races, it is perhaps the weakest section of the title because it is inevitable to make comparisons with more addictive arcades.
You can always see the glass half full: it complements the calmer part of the approach quite well; Racing is simply not the strong point of this adventure and the visible rubber banding – the artificial aid to the pursuer, who gains speed so that there is always excitement – will have its detractors.
As we have said, all these systems are related to each other and that is what makes the trip make sense. There are moral decisions that will not be easy, or perhaps your reaction depends more on the need to get money and not waste time. It’s impossible to see everything Heading Out has to offer at a glance, so if you’re interested in hearing the stories of this disturbing world, you’ll want to look at different options and routes; There is a bit of roguelite in its development. To increase the emotional impact, the game itself will ask you some personal questions – which you can answer or not – and thus define the traumas of your protagonist. That fear from which you escape will become more intimate.
A graphic novel in motion
Heading Out simulates a black-and-white comic, or almost. Just a few notes of color to make the gameplay more comfortable, in the case of police signs or lights, break the aesthetic with hard shadows and patterns that give texture to the image.
Since the narrative part and the races respect this same artistic direction, coherence is maintained and it does not feel like they are two different games within one. To make a point, technically it is quite simple, we were a little bothered by the sudden appearance of vegetation.
The good soundtrack stands out, which is also very varied. Radio is our companion in the races, whether it’s jazz, country, or rock, there is a little something for everyone. There are radio programs with some stories that set the plot more, sometimes with sordid stories, the voices are in English, and – if you don’t understand it by ear – you will have to drive and read subtitles.
Conclusions
Taken as a speed arcade, it is not a game that particularly shines; There are better retro-inspired options. But Heading Out is much more than driving, in fact, this is one more mechanic in a cocktail full of personality that tells a story with a lot of style. It will take us about six hours to complete the plot, but we will unlock more types of vehicles – which really do not affect more than a slight difference in speed – and you will probably want to repeat more times with new strategies.
In short, a sometimes overwhelming journey that can even make you reflect on your past. It doesn’t exploit its full potential, but the approach is original enough to be worth at least a look.
We have carried out this analysis thanks to a code provided by Honest PR.
