We all have fears. For some it is the fear of losing someone, for others it is illness and still others do not want to grow old alone. We learn to deal with fears in our lives, but still remain uncomfortable feelings always an integral part.
In Heading Out we are confronted with beautiful but also bad feelings from our past. Symbolically, we sit in the Racing game from Serious Sim and publisher Saber Interactive at the helm of various Carts and drive away from our fears.
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The virtual one Road trip through the USA surprised us positively on many levels, impressed us with interesting sideshows and also looked fantastic.
The Interstate Jackalope
In Heading Out you slip into the shoes of a speedster who is not only running away from his fears, but also from the law. At the beginning of the adventure we choose a name, but it is only used for on-screen displays.
Who we really are and how we became the hunted is what we need to find out over the course of the approximately eight-hour story. In radio announcements and by other road users we are repeatedly called the Interstate Jackalope, a mythical creature that is particularly well-known in the western United States.
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A jackalope most closely resembles the Bavarian Wolpertinger in appearance, which is why it is sometimes used synonymously in German text translations. This isn't important for our story, but it does place us very well as a mysterious driver.
The plot is told in four acts. At the end of each section we meet a different mysterious racer that we are supposed to defeat. However, after each round we end up back at the starting position and are allowed to rush across the country again.
What may sound annoying is absolutely not. After all, on the one hand we can choose different paths, on the other hand we experience a number of different and, above all, interesting stories on our trip.
Source: Serious Sim
Who am I?
Before each act, personal questions from the game are posed to us to ensure an immersive experience. The first time we did it, we pondered why it was important that Heading Out knew our relationship status, for example.
But as the story progresses, our answers make sense and change the conversations with other characters and the comments of certain radio hosts a little. The feature makes experiences on the screen seem more authentic and in some places we actually think about our given choices.
Since your own fears and overall mental health are an extremely sensitive topic, we do not have to provide the information before the respective act. If you want to maintain your privacy completely, you can skip the virtual question and answer session and still not miss any important elements of the action.
Source: Serious Sim
From east to west
But let's get to the core gameplay, which is divided into two different facets: With Heading Out we're not just dealing with a racing game, but also a visual novel.
On the map of the USA with several cities marked on it, we accelerate and brake our vehicle on the map. It is important not to exceed the speed limit as much as possible, as this increases our wanted level.
We also have to pay attention to gas costs, the condition of our car and the passing of time, because the police and fear are always breathing down our necks. For example, if we are empty, we can no longer pay for the next tank of gas and have to flee from the cops. On the way from one city to the next we recognize markings on the map. These can be specific events like a race, but also small stories in which our intervention is expected.