FUEL - Openworld racer from Codemasters

[Rudderless]

http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/fuel-tornado

Looks like he didn't get on with the handling.

[linkster]

hehe yeah.

There was someone else at Eurogamer very recently who did the preview and was far more positive, can't dig out the link on the phone. Similarly IGN having been very down on it. Can't say I'm looking forward to their take though...

[Mr Do 71]

Bugger

Will wait to see what Edge think.

[JPickford]

On the one hand it is like having your school course work assessed by a particularly timid, narrow minded and curriculum driven teacher.

I know that feeling so well. It's very hard to speak about reviews of games you've worked on without coming across as bitter. But at the same time, it's heartbreaking when a reviewer dismisses years of work without really bothering to look at it properly.

On the other I must have trained myself to think this way as the score is no great surprise to me. I'd be sad if the comment about laggy online were true though as the online component alone raises this a couple of points in my view. But no, it comes down to the handling and in that sense I could have written that myself - a game that looks superficially like Motorstorm from the publisher of niche racers Grid and Dirt? WTF? Why does it play like this? Well because it was meant to include those people who can't stand the barrier to entry of most driving games; who just want to chill out or enjoy the drive rather than learning every square inch of every route. I think that was a decent goal, and a shame it wasn't recognized in this, by far it's lowest score so far.

So is this a game where I'll be able to get around the corners? I can't play realistic driving games at all. I can happily (if badly) play Mario Kart, Burnout, Pure etc. But when you get into PGR territory I can never figure out how to get around corners. I heard some rumours about using the brakes but that's no fun.

[Meers]

So is this a game where I'll be able to get around the corners? I can't play realistic driving games at all. I can happily (if badly) play Mario Kart, Burnout, Pure etc. But when you get into PGR territory I can never figure out how to get around corners. I heard some rumours about using the brakes but that's no fun.

[Joyrex-J9]

Ohhh I was looking forward to this.

Maybe I'll pick up Pure or Motorstorm instead, I was in the mood for something a bit off-road but simple and arcadey to play

So the guy marked it down for not being hardcore enough?

I've read the review and I can't quite make sense of it, probably because I don't play racers

[NecroMorrius]

Ohhh I was looking forward to this.

Maybe I'll pick up Pure or Motorstorm instead, I was in the mood for something a bit off-road but simple and arcadey to play

So the guy marked it down for not being hardcore enough?

I've read the review and I can't quite make sense of it, probably because I don't play racers

Pure and Motorstorm 2 are great, I found Motorstorm 1 quite annoying.

[Joyrex-J9]

Pure and Motorstorm 2 are great, I found Motorstorm 1 quite annoying.

Are they fairly easy to play? arcade handling? or do you spend 9 hours fine tuning your suspension system just so you can make it round a bend?

Sorry for going OT and all the questions

[JPickford]

I managed to get round the corners ok on both (demo versions). Motorstorm seemed to have a bit too low of a framerate for a racer. Pure is lovely.

[stefcha]

Are they fairly easy to play? arcade handling? or do you spend 9 hours fine tuning your suspension system just so you can make it round a bend?

Sorry for going OT and all the questions

Pure ticks all the boxes.

[linkster]

It all depends what you want. I always loved TDU because I could turn it on, kick back and drive around seeing people do silly things. Fuel's got that at its core, and so offers something way in excess of Pure, Motorstorm, or even Dirt or Grid or Flatout which are exclusively circuit racers, as well as a career if you want to play it that way. Don't get me wrong, it deserves criticism like anything else. It's had some decent scores so far. I just think a 5, even if as someone on Euro staff as said it's "a pass not a fail" (I didn't expect my teacher analogy to become so literal) is harsh. They must know damn well a score like that screams below average, even if mathematically it's in the middle I don't ever recall games reviews working that way.

[p1nseeker]

Is there a "free roam" kinda multiplayer at all ie me and a couple of friends can just drive around the map arseing around?

[linkster]

Is there a "free roam" kinda multiplayer at all ie me and a couple of friends can just drive around the map arseing around?

Yes, 16 players can do this, either as a friends list or by joining a public free roam session and effectively joining/leaving different sessions. You can also design races anywhere with different vehicles of up to 30 checkpoints.

It's partly what annoys me in the Eurogamer review - anyone who sits down with this game just zones out and explores for ages before wanting to do anything else. I honestly don't recognise what they describe as the unlikelihood of ANYONE wanting to do so, or it being 'average' (compared to what? A circuit based racer, apparently...), and it really makes me question the validity of the score being an honest appraisal. The preview was so much more positive.

[Vulgar Monkey]

TBH I'm completely disregarding the review scores until I hear some user feedback.

It's difficult to read reviews these days without thinking they're pushing some kind of agenda. Good for getting info on basic game mechanics, but not much beyond that.

[Guest]

I tend to look at the reviewer writing the piece, it often gives a good idea of what you can expect.

[NecroMorrius]

Are they fairly easy to play? arcade handling? or do you spend 9 hours fine tuning your suspension system just so you can make it round a bend?

Sorry for going OT and all the questions

Pure has a lot of options for building your quad, but its all cosmetic I think. Motorstorm 2 has no tinkering whatsoever, you pick a vehicle class and then go for it. Demos for both are available on PSN store, I recommend trying both as they're decent representative demos.

As for Motorstorm framerate, its a bit dippy in the first and rock solid (and high) in the second. The second is a far superior game, I wouldn't bother with the first as it seems half finished.

[Rudderless]

I've been playing some of this today. It's probably quite different to what a lot of people are expecting, I think. It's really not like Motorstorm. There's something chilled-out about it, really - it's like a big spliff-toking sprawl of a game, where driving's more about the world than the competition. It's about riding around, taking it all in, doing the odd competition, finding a vista spot or two - looking to the horizon and thinking 'I'll head there next'.

It's absolutely not for everyone, and even given what it's trying to do, I think the world's a little too big. But I like it. It's a bit different, and I think it'll pick up a decent cult following online for people who like to kick back together, chat a bit, ride around and have the odd race, rather than the constant fierce competition, one track after the next, "I'll beat you this time" mentality.

[DJ KNIGHT XIII]

I've been playing some of this today. It's probably quite different to what a lot of people are expecting, I think. It's really not like Motorstorm. There's something chilled-out about it, really - it's like a big spliff-toking sprawl of a game, where driving's more about the world than the competition. It's about riding around, taking it all in, doing the odd competition, finding a vista spot or two - looking to the horizon and thinking 'I'll head there next'.

It's absolutely not for everyone, and even given what it's trying to do, I think the world's a little too big. But I like it. It's a bit different, and I think it'll pick up a decent cult following online for people who like to kick back together, chat a bit, ride around and have the odd race, rather than the constant fierce competition, one track after the next, "I'll beat you this time" mentality.

Perfect !, sold. Seems it has that TDU kind of vibe which I personally like.

[Joyrex-J9]

I've been playing some of this today. It's probably quite different to what a lot of people are expecting, I think. It's really not like Motorstorm. There's something chilled-out about it, really - it's like a big spliff-toking sprawl of a game, where driving's more about the world than the competition. It's about riding around, taking it all in, doing the odd competition, finding a vista spot or two - looking to the horizon and thinking 'I'll head there next'.

So those Fallout 3 comparisons weren't so silly after all?

It's all those aspects that drew me to the game in the first place.

[Vulgar Monkey]

I think it has some limited character modding too, right?

Only cosmetic, I'm sure, but I guess it adds to that fallout-y feel.

Shame you can't customise your post-apocalyptic ride, too.

It'd make perfect sense, with them being a bit ramshackle anyway by the looks of thinks.

[Rudderless]

I think it has some limited character modding too, right?

Only cosmetic, I'm sure, but I guess it adds to that fallout-y feel.

Shame you can't customise your post-apocalyptic ride, too.

It'd make perfect sense, with them being a bit ramshackle anyway by the looks of thinks.

Yep, you can change helmets and clothes, that sort of thing. As for your ride, you can change liveries - that's all I've done so far.

Biggest downside: the music's pretty horrible. You'll almost certainly be able to find something more appropriate to cruise around to in your own music collection.

And no, those Fallout comparisons aren't at all silly.

[Mogster]

So this is a bit like TDU crossed with Fallout? My favourite driving game of the generation crossed with my favourite RPG of the generation?

Pre-order pre-ordered. Eurogamer be damned.

[therev]

Play seem to have cut the price of a pre-order for this down to £29.99, by the way. I've ordered it as it there and if it takes a couple of extra days to get here, so be it, it's under the magical thirty quid barrier.

[DJ KNIGHT XIII]

Play seem to have cut the price of a pre-order for this down to £29.99, by the way. I've ordered it as it there and if it takes a couple of extra days to get here, so be it, it's under the magical thirty quid barrier.

Good man, thanks for the heads up.

[Vulgar Monkey]

Yep, you can change helmets and clothes, that sort of thing. As for your ride, you can change liveries - that's all I've done so far.

Biggest downside: the music's pretty horrible. You'll almost certainly be able to find something more appropriate to cruise around to in your own music collection.

And no, those Fallout comparisons aren't at all silly.

Meh.

It'd be nice if you could bolt on different body panels n so on too.

Especially since the vehicles seem to be mostly an 'assembled in your back yard from parts' kinda affair.

Hell, they could've had scrap lying around the map, if random exploring is the route they wanna take.

[Joyrex-J9]

Meh.

It'd be nice if you could bolt on different body panels n so on too.

Especially since the vehicles seem to be mostly an 'assembled in your back yard from parts' kinda affair.

Hell, they could've had scrap lying around the map, if random exploring is the route they wanna take.

Hmmmm makes me wonder why there's never been a good Mad Max game made.

Maybe Id's Rage will fit the bill.

[Vulgar Monkey]

Doesn't actually bother me, I'm just being difficult.

But yeah, all the component pieces for a Mad Max game are out in various games already. They just need slotting together properly.

I think a MM game would have to be all about open-world survival, getting from A to B without dying of thirst or being ambushed or having a wheel fall off. Wouldn't have been possible last-gen.

[linkster]

I've been playing some of this today. It's probably quite different to what a lot of people are expecting, I think. It's really not like Motorstorm. There's something chilled-out about it, really - it's like a big spliff-toking sprawl of a game, where driving's more about the world than the competition. It's about riding around, taking it all in, doing the odd competition, finding a vista spot or two - looking to the horizon and thinking 'I'll head there next'.

It's absolutely not for everyone, and even given what it's trying to do, I think the world's a little too big. But I like it. It's a bit different, and I think it'll pick up a decent cult following online for people who like to kick back together, chat a bit, ride around and have the odd race, rather than the constant fierce competition, one track after the next, "I'll beat you this time" mentality.

What areas have you been to?

[Vulgar Monkey]

Given how huge the map is, is there a decent amount of detail to any given area?

I'd hate to think they've spread themselves too thin, as it were.

[Mr. Gerbik]

And no, those Fallout comparisons aren't at all silly.

I don't like racing games at all, but i like the sound of this! Fallout with cars- that's at least worth checking out.