While my primary focus is obliterating fools in every online game imaginable, I do have a soft spot for racing games. I taught my mom how to play Forza Horizon 5 (it went as well as you can imagine), and remember the good ol’ days of Driver on my now very dusty PS1. So, when I saw Heading Out, which blends the slickness of Forza with the OG narrative racing of Driver, I uninstalled League of Legends and got ready for a new adventure (don’t worry, I’ll reinstall it in ten minutes time).
It’s 1970s America, and the open road awaits. Where are you going? You have no idea. Your snazzy muscle car is out front, and all you care about is driving, breaking the speed limit, and more driving – with maybe a little casual racing on the side. This is Heading Out, the absolutely stunning looking racing game that is now top of my Steam wishlist.
Your goal is simple: plan your own route across the US, and execute it. But, depending on what character you want to play, your story will change. In the character creator you’ll be asked a series of questions – who or what do you fear? Who could be chasing you? Where do you see yourself in ten years time? Okay, maybe not that one, but you get the drift (ha ha).
On your way across the Western US you’ll be presented with various narrative-altering choices, and you’ll need to keep an eye on both your fuel gauge and the state of your car; after all, you can’t evade the law in a banged-up old heap, can you?
But, despite all of this, the thing that drew me in was Heading Out’s comic book art style. The game is filtered in black and white with the occasional splash of vibrant color, and juxtaposes comic-style panels with 3D driving gameplay. It reminds me of the newspapers in my all-time favorite RPG game, LA Noire, and it immediately reeled me in.
The Heading Out release date is set for Tuesday, May 7, so you won’t have to wait too long to play it. So if you, like me, are considering heading out (ha ha), you can wishlist it on Steam.
While you wait, though, we have a rundown of all the best story games if you’re looking for a gripping narrative adventure. Or, if you’d rather put the pedal to the metal, check out our Pacific Drive review – you won’t want to miss this roguelike game turned driving sim.
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