Outtrigger
Alternate Titles - アウトトリガー, Autotorigā (Japan)
Developer - SEGA AM2
Publisher - SEGA
Director - Hiroshi Kataoka
Producer - Yu Suzuki
Game Designer - Daichi Katagiri
Head Programmer - Hideya Shibazaki
Sound Design - Fumio Ito
Genre - First-person shooter / third-person shooter ; Up to four players, plus online multiplayer (offline-only in Europe)
Dreamcast Release Dates - July 24, 2001 (North America); August 2, 2001 (Japan); August 3, 2001 (Europe)
Additional Releases - SEGA NAOMI arcade cabinet (1999)
Current Average Price - $55
Outtrigger is a third/first person single- or multi-player shooter developed for the NAOMI arcade cabinet by SEGA’s famed AM2 studio (makers of Virtua Fighter, Virtua Cop, Space Harrier, Outrun, Super Hang-on, Shenmue, and more). The game is a 3D arena shooter similar to Quake III Arena or Unreal Tournament, though it differs greatly from those franchises through its bright visuals and colorful atmosphere.
As an arcade game, Outtrigger could be played by four players simultaneously. Controls were handled via a rotating trackball and buttons, allowing the frantic on-screen action to be mastered by skilled players. Like its arcade forebear, the Dreamcast port also allows for four-player split-screen gameplay, but also includes an excellent online multiplayer component wherein six players are able to battle online. Here the Dreamcast controller works well enough, though modern FPS gamers will likely find the lack of twin-sticks to be disorienting a best (unplayable at worst). The antidote to the antiquated controls is to use the Dreamcast’s keyboard and mouse, which Outtrigger supports.
The player can choose from one of four characters, each of which has his or her own special performance characteristics and weapon specialty (mini-gun, sniper rifles or laser guns, for example). Combat is fast and chaotic, and each stage offers a number of powerups and items which can alter the course of combat.
There’s an arcade mode for single players, as well as a mission mode where certain parameters must be met to advance the game, a local death-match mode, and online play (though today, online play will need to be run via private fan-made servers).
The game’s graphics were impressive in its day, with crisp textures and a vibrant color pallete, and it consistently runs at a solid 60 frames per second. This is good, since the entire design of the game is based on speed and action.
Contemporary reviews praised the game’s visuals and its fast pace, with many comparing it favorably against Quake III Arena and Unreal Tournament (two the era’s premier competitive 3D shooters). Others noted that there’s not much to keep the buyer busy who isn’t likely to play the game online or with friends in local multiplayer. That remains true today.