FUEL - Openworld racer from Codemasters

[Dimahoo]

Blimey....You could have actually had the Netherlands as an area. It certainly wouldn't tax the game engine.

Grass? Check!

Some Canels? Check!

Windfarms? Check!

Elevation ?....naaaah!

[Meers]

If it's technically possible now, Codemasters should produce a Pilotwings-type game in a world like that!

We have a serious shortage of games in that genre!

[Joyrex-J9]

We have a serious shortage of games in that genre!

What the "exploring the Netherlands" genre, yup there is a massive shortage of games in that area.

[Meers]

What the "exploring the Netherlands" genre, yup there is a massive shortage of games in that area.

[Fondue]

Can you elaborate on that?

Just at the start it makes you do a career mode challenge then seems to leave you to your own devices. Which is probably fine for some, but I'd have appreciated something laying out my options and what it means to the game.

e.g.

Career mode - allows you get x, y and z. You'll only be able to unlock X through this.

Challenge mode - ""

Free mode - you can do everything, but may not get everywhere until you've unlocked stuff through career or challenge.

I'd have liked some free mode "tutorial" too, where you can optionally have some waypoint to get to, which on the way shows you how things can appear on your map and when you get there, there's a vista or something else that pops up.

It just seems a little too open, and I need to adjust to that.

[linkster]

Just at the start it makes you do a career mode challenge then seems to leave you to your own devices. Which is probably fine for some, but I'd have appreciated something laying out my options and what it means to the game.

e.g.

Career mode - allows you get x, y and z. You'll only be able to unlock X through this.

Challenge mode - ""

Free mode - you can do everything, but may not get everywhere until you've unlocked stuff through career or challenge.

I'd have liked some free mode "tutorial" too, where you can optionally have some waypoint to get to, which on the way shows you how things can appear on your map and when you get there, there's a vista or something else that pops up.

It just seems a little too open, and I need to adjust to that.

Fair enough. Not defending the presentation, just wanted to be sure what your beef was.

[scissorkicks]

The lengthy loading interruptions really hamstring the "Openworld" aspect of this. For example, if I do a challenge or career race, when it's over I get the options :

1. Go to Free Ride

2. Retry

3. Return to camp

But, each of these options triggers a lengthy load*, so I find myself wishing I could just pick another race or challenge from the career mode instead, and save myself a needless load wait. Which makes the free-roaming feel a bit pointless.

Some of the racing is really fun (bikes are great), although the early muscle car races where your crappy machine is just sliding all over the road on corners are a bit tiresome.

*Sometimes going to free ride is instantaneous, but I can't remember in which situation this happens.

[linkster]

The lengthy loading interruptions really hamstring the "Openworld" aspect of this. For example, if I do a challenge or career race, when it's over I get the options :

1. Go to Free Ride

2. Retry

3. Return to camp

But, each of these options triggers a lengthy load*, so I find myself wishing I could just pick another race or challenge from the career mode instead, and save myself a needless load wait. Which makes the free-roaming feel a bit pointless.

Some of the racing is really fun (bikes are great), although the early muscle car races where your crappy machine is just sliding all over the road on corners are a bit tiresome.

*Sometimes going to free ride is instantaneous, but I can't remember in which situation this happens.

Eh? Go to free ride doesn't involve a load...? That's the point of it - rejoin the world exactly where the race ends.

I'd be utterly gobsmacked if that got changed at the end cos it was never ever like that.

[SteveH]

It has its faults for sure. But like TDU it feels more than the sum of its parts, which I guess is the same conclusion Edge came to.

The loading can be a pain, but in a game like TDU it didn't have a day/night cycle, nor dynamic weather. I did love Oblivion and Fallout 3 though, and seeing this huge world before me and wondering what lies ahead makes it very compelling as far as I am concerned. Plus I like the vehicle handling so far, so it all adds up to be pretty damned enjoyable at the moment.

[p1nseeker]

Going to freeride does involve a loading screen yeah.

[Fragmaster]

Has anyone tried this game with a wheel, or is it a bit of a cack affair like the other Codies games

Might pick it up later, just not sure whether to grab it on the PS3 now or wait around until the PC version launches. Is it that buggy at the mo? I've heard people complaining about slowdown.

[p1nseeker]

I wouldn't want to play it with a wheel tbh. Too many savage twitch movements needed!

[Fragmaster]

Yeah I'm still recovering from DIRT. I'll probably wait until theres a bit more feedback regarding it, would just be nice for the whole free-roaming aspect coupled with the fact I got a decent wheel and I'm a bit bored of using it on tarmac.

[Mr. Gerbik]

What the "exploring the Netherlands" genre, yup there is a massive shortage of games in that area.

GTA: Holland. You know it makes sense, you know it would be brilliant.

[linkster]

Going to freeride does involve a loading screen yeah.

Christ, that's a shame.

[Fondue]

It is, and there's a lot of loading (outside of free roam) - especially noticable when wanting to restart a race, or after pressing the "get me back on track" button.

[Rudderless]

*Sometimes going to free ride is instantaneous, but I can't remember in which situation this happens.

That's true. But sometimes it does involve a load. I'm trying to remember now. Is it when you finish a race and then go to freeride that it's instantaneous? It's been a week or so since I last played it and I've played a few other games since then so I can't quite recall.

[linkster]

That's true. But sometimes it does involve a load. I'm trying to remember now. Is it when you finish a race and then go to freeride that it's instantaneous? It's been a week or so since I last played it and I've played a few other games since then so I can't quite recall.

That's the bit I'm finding it hard to believe now involves a load.

[sosidge]

Finding it difficult to get a feel for this game. Will pick it up later today. What are the environments actually like? Great having a massive environment but not so great if it's a bit boring with nothing to see and do.

How does it compare to Pacific Rift in terms of racing gameplay and graphics? Seems to be the closest comparable.

Does the game use the Grid/Dirt engine or has it been written purely for this? Anyone know if the PS3 version is inferior to the 360?

[scissorkicks]

That's the bit I'm finding it hard to believe now involves a load.

It may well be that if you do a career race it's instantaneous - in fact I think it is. But if you do a challenge - at the start there are loads more challenges than career races - you always have that load to go back to Free Ride.

[scissorkicks]

How does it compare to Pacific Rift in terms of racing gameplay and graphics? Seems to be the closest comparable.

I only played Motorstorm briefly (I don't have a PS3), but I remember it being a lot prettier than this.

Does the game use the Grid/Dirt engine or has it been written purely for this?

It uses Asobo's proprietary engine afaik.

I don't want to come across like I hate it - I'm really enjoying the bike races/challenges in particular, I'm just finding it a bit of a slog through the loading screens.

[linkster]

Yeah it is a shame, talk about extremes though - you could have a 10 hour online free roam session, cover half the map and never see a loading screen.

[scissorkicks]

Yeah it is a shame, talk about extremes though - you could have a 10 hour online free roam session, cover half the map and never see a loading screen.

I was wondering though - do you think I'm "playing it wrong"? I mean, when you start, it gets you to choose a race from the pause menu rather than guiding you to races on the map - maybe I've just got stuck doing it that way, meaning more loads as I'm jumping around the map?

[SteveH]

I was wondering though - do you think I'm "playing it wrong"? I mean, when you start, it gets you to choose a race from the pause menu rather than guiding you to races on the map - maybe I've just got stuck doing it that way, meaning more loads as I'm jumping around the map?

You mean right from that start of the game? It dropped me near a waterfront and left me to drive off and find races - that is following career mode by the way.

[linkster]

I was wondering though - do you think I'm "playing it wrong"? I mean, when you start, it gets you to choose a race from the pause menu rather than guiding you to races on the map - maybe I've just got stuck doing it that way, meaning more loads as I'm jumping around the map?

"playing it wrong" funny way of putting it! It really depends - there's no question the goal was to get people to see as much of the world as possible, ideally online together, and design their own races where they wanted, or just mess around. The career races were partly to help introduce the world and the vehicles in a way that was structured, but also (if you really didn't want to drive around...) to just get race after race with as much variety as possible. Point is when you end a race the option is always there to 'go free roam'. The hope was you'd been helicoptred somewhere new, did a race, liked where it finished, and decided to explore so stayed in free roam in which case you'd see markers to vista points and the like. Now if none of that interests the player then yeah it's basically dealing with the loading aspect time and again and that's bound to become annoying. It's also missing what really makes the game different, but that's not the player's fault of course.

[scissorkicks]

"playing it wrong" funny way of putting it! It really depends - there's no question the goal was to get people to see as much of the world as possible, ideally online together, and design their own races where they wanted, or just mess around. The career races were partly to help introduce the world and the vehicles in a way that was structured, but also (if you really didn't want to drive around...) to just get race after race with as much variety as possible. Point is when you end a race the option is always there to 'go free roam'. The hope was you'd been helicoptred somewhere new, did a race, liked where it finished, and decided to explore so stayed in free roam in which case you'd see markers to vista points and the like. Now if none of that interests the player then yeah it's basically dealing with the loading aspect time and again and that's bound to become annoying. It's also missing what really makes the game different, but that's not the player's fault of course.

Hm I should just try driving around a bit more. I think what's put me off doing that so far is how bleak the terrain is (obviously this is part of the background to the game, so fair enough) with seemingly not an awful lot to do.

I did go on a big detour for a Vista point last night and was disappointed that when I got up there (it took about 15 minutes) nothing "happened". I kind of expected it to switch to wide view for a cutscene of some kind. I just drove over it and it said I'd found it. Hm.

I'm hoping it'll open up for me when more local players are online.

[therev]

I did go on a big detour for a Vista point last night and was disappointed that when I got up there (it took about 15 minutes) nothing "happened". I kind of expected it to switch to wide view for a cutscene of some kind. I just drove over it and it said I'd found it. Hm.

Vista points are spawn points, right, as well as being nice views?

[scissorkicks]

Vista points are spawn points, right, as well as being nice views?

I didn't think they were, but could well be wrong.

When you say spawn points, you mean you can select it on the map and be transported there?

[therev]

I didn't think they were, but could well be wrong.

When you say spawn points, you mean you can select it on the map and be transported there?

Yeah. I probably misunderstood something along the way. Haven't got my copy yet, hopefully will be waiting for me at home this evening.

[Twyford]

Thanks for the opinions earlier on folks, I took a gamble with this and picked up the PS3 version at lunchtime.

One last question about the multiplayer free roam, how do you happen upon other players? Does it work like TDU where you just drive around and "meet" other drivers, or does it depend whereabouts you are on the map and the nearest players online become visible and you can challenge them to races?