FUEL - Openworld racer from Codemasters

[mr_woo]

Just installing this now after finishing Infamous (awesome game) so looking forward to giving this a go. I shall add some of you good folk shortly once I've had a wee go on it

[Pioscene]

A couple of hours into this and my opinion has changed completely. It's a fucking shambles. A pox on the House of Codemasters!

[Fusty Gusset]

It's all a bit...well ya know.

innit.

[linkster]

Is this turning into the Friday night drunk thread?

[therev]

First impressions, based on a couple of hours of play. May well be long and rambling, will probably not make much sense, either. Apologies.

Fuel, from what I've seen, is, at its most basic, a game of resource management. You've got two resources to worry about, both represented my meters at the bottom right of the screen. These resources are SPEED and DAMAGE. The trick is to keep SPEED high, while keeping DAMAGE low. Pretty obvious, right? Well, yes, but I've not played an arcade racer - and Fuel is no danger of being mistaken for a simulation, three cheers for that - where conserving speed is so very, very important. There are an awful lot of points where gradients get steep and the terrain gets rough, making acceleration impossible and momentum very necessary. You can't just mess up and then expect to be able to accelerate back up to full speed, or even any speed, in time to catch the pack or beat the timer.

As for damage, Fuel uses an odd system that, on paper, sounds awful. (And, it seems, is in practice for a lot of people.) It worried me greatly before I played. Your damage isn't represented by anything more than a small needle moving around a dial. (And, sometimes, a bit of smoke. Ooh, posh.) If the dial moves over the top, a black screen with the Fuel logo appears and a couple of seconds later you appear back on the road, magically healed. You don't see yourself crash. You see a tree, you see the tree get very, very close to your vehicle, then you see the Fuel logo. Sounds like pretty much the worst thing ever, right? It's not. Somehow, it works. I'm trying to work out why. I think it might be because Fuel's way of doing things keeps the focus on the driving. It's a game about driving, not about crashing and burning. I understand that doesn't sound convincing and I know people online hate the system, but I thought I'd hate it and I find it perfectly acceptable. Sometimes, though, I'd love to see my ride roll down a hillside and explode at the bottom. You know.

So you've got these two resources to manage. It's different, it's simple without being simplistic and it makes driving very, very interesting. For me. You may disagree. Plenty of people do and will.

And then, of course, you've got the world. It's as big as you've heard. Graphically it's very similar to Oblivion, in that it looks gorgeous up close, but awfully ropey the further away you look. Driving down a hillside towards open ground is the best way to make the game look bad. Speeding through a heavily-wooded area at sunrise the best way to make it look great. Speeding, though. Hmm. The sense of speed, at least in the early vehicles, isn't there in either of the behind-vehicle views, but it's pretty decent in the "in-car" (more accurately "no-car") view. I normally use that view when I'm on a motorbike in the woods, for that 3D Deathchase/Return of the Jedi thing, but the further of the two behind-vehicle views the rest of the time. It's not about the speed, it's about driving through the world. Even the races and challenges are just things to do in the world.

If you were to simply go through the game via the menus then you'd be doing it wrong. Very, very wrong. Not only would you have to sit through a million loading screens in short succession, but you'd missing out on the all-important context. I've been driving from challenge to vista point to new livery, sometimes just picking a direction and driving randomly. Leaping over streams, screaming through the woods at night, watching the sun set over a lake, speeding through a still-burning forest fire... that's what it's about. Seeing a building off the distance, racing to it, then driving slowly around looking for any left-over fuel barrels.

It's... I'm not sure. It's not slow, but it's relaxing. It's not pointless, but there's not pressure or hurry to get anywhere. It's just what I wanted. I wanted just to be able to drive, bouncing my way through America. It's what I got.

It's the Assassin's Creed of racing games. Some people saw the world of Assassin's Creed, then looked for the point of it. Others saw the world and thought that it was the point, in and of itself. And some people saw Assassin's Creed's simple missions and simple rules and felt it didn't fit a world that looked so realistic on the surface. There was a break there that some people couldn't get past. And some people, like me, didn't care. Some people were happy with a simple set of game rules, with a few clearly defined variables, in a gorgeous world. And that describes both Assassin's Creed and Fuel.

For many people, Assassin's Creed was a crushing disappointment, others loved it. Fuel will get the get the same reaction - is getting the same reaction. But I loved Assassin's Creed and I think I might love Fuel, too.

Way too long and probably doesn't make any sense to anyone but me, but fuck it. It's Friday night.

[T Pot]

Well i havent played since my xbox crashed earlier. Don't think i can stomach that 3 hour drive again

[macosx]

It's like driving round Oblivion in a real shitty car. Absolutely dire, going back tomorrow. I was hoping for an open world Pure/Motorstorm.

Sadly not.

[Pioscene]

There's just no reward for driving well. You win or lose. They're the only two variables in a race.

Also - The A.I. seems to become really stupid in the last lap. You might struggle to keep up with the pack in the first two laps, but in the last, you'll overtake them all and sail into first place. Not because you drove better, but because all of the A.I. literally slowed right down.

Also this - Playing OFFLINE FREE RUN mode, choose to join an ONLINE UNRANKED game, finish that, but where does the game take me? Back to the lobby? Back to OFFLINE FREE RUN? Nope. It drops me into ONLINE FREE RUN MODE, in a zone literally a thousand miles away (and many hours of play time to unlock).

Bad.

Having said that I'm going back to enjoying offline. It's so empty it's almost fucking zen.

[Twyford]

It's like driving round Oblivion in a real shitty car. Absolutely dire, going back tomorrow. I was hoping for an open world Pure/Motorstorm.

Sadly not.

I'm thinking much the same. It's pretty shit so far, and the online bits, which I was hoping would redeem it, are laggy as fuck.

I'll give it another hour or two tomorrow but 3 hours in and it fucking stinks of shite.

[macosx]

Hope Rushy didn't pick up a copy.

[linkster]

Why?

[Hello Goaty ♥]

Because he'd laugh at it. HARD

I will carry on playing this until next Friday I reckon.. or earlier in the week to get the most money possible on a trade.

.. There may be a chance it gets a reprive.. but looking unlikely.

[mr_woo]

Just been playing for an hour or two and in all honesty I don't know what the hell to think.

I like the handling, think it looks quite nice but I just don't feel involved in any of the races so far. It feels like I'm going through the motions but I feel nothing towards the game, not anger, not excitement, just.... nothing. It also seems to be that the first two racers in a race are permanently ahead and you only get to overtake them when they let you in the last lap, I never feel like I am actually achieving a victory, I often feel like the game's just letting me win. Am I doing it wrong or has anyone else had that ?

I'm not going to run off and bin it just yet, I want to unlock one or two camps first but I just can't help but feel completely nonplussed about it so far.

[Hello Goaty ♥]

Be honest, Codemasters had nothing to do with this game, right?

apart from publish it.

The classic mistake. - Look at Bi-Chronic Commando for proof.

[mr_woo]

Be honest, Codemasters had nothing to do with this game, right?

apart from publish it.

The classic mistake. - Look at Bi-Chronic Commando for proof.

Yeah they just published it, Asobo developed it.

And leave Bionic Commando alone, it was great

[Rudderless]

If you were to simply go through the game via the menus then you'd be doing it wrong. Very, very wrong. Not only would you have to sit through a million loading screens in short succession, but you'd missing out on the all-important context. I've been driving from challenge to vista point to new livery, sometimes just picking a direction and driving randomly. Leaping over streams, screaming through the woods at night, watching the sun set over a lake, speeding through a still-burning forest fire... that's what it's about. Seeing a building off the distance, racing to it, then driving slowly around looking for any left-over fuel barrels.

It's... I'm not sure. It's not slow, but it's relaxing. It's not pointless, but there's not pressure or hurry to get anywhere. It's just what I wanted. I wanted just to be able to drive, bouncing my way through America. It's what I got.

Totally agree.

[Rudderless]

I was hoping for an open world Pure/Motorstorm.

I said this...

It might look to some like an open-world Motorstorm, but going into it with that mentality is only going to bring disappointment.

... a few days ago. Looks like I was right.

[Hello Goaty ♥]

Ahhh.. but is it all wasteland in a Grand Canyon Style? or are there settlements / villages about?

would have been nice to find a Garage and re-fuel at it, for example, or come across a J+S Accessories store

[Dimahoo]

I've not bought this yet as i'm waiting on the PC version but by-god, reading this, its seriously marmite.

[mr_woo]

Played another hour or so and I went from a bit meh to really starting to enjoy it. It started to click when I decided to actually do the drive from the first Shack to the second camp/area. I had just unlocked the Tsunami Reef camp and decided to do the drive over to it, found it actually pretty relaxing. Also by buying better, faster vehicles it's become a lot more fun (for me). The first area you start in, the Offshore Shack is a bit bleh but I'm loving the new area I'm raking around in. With faster vehicles the races are starting to feel a lot better as well.

I've seriously never really been this schizophrenic over a game before!

Just a quick question, how do you unlock more vehicles ? Looks like there's 74 in total or so and there's only around 10 - 15 to choose from. I assume just by unlocking more camps etc ?

[DJ KNIGHT XIII]

Just a quick question, how do you unlock more vehicles ? Looks like there's 74 in total or so and there's only around 10 - 15 to choose from. I assume just by unlocking more camps etc ?

You go your garage under options I think and select the car you wish to purchase, depending on how much Fuel you have, the currency of the game.

[Bobby Digihill]

Loving the scale and ambition of the game so far but the loading times are crushingly offensive at times.

I've spent a lot of time free roaming and have enjoyed this side of things, love the day/night cycle and epic journeys possible. You also avoid the asinine loading issues if you're in free roam.

For this reason I think it makes a better Easy Rider/Long Way Round sim than it does a racing game.

It's either the best awful game or worst good game I've played, just can't work out which yet.

[scissorkicks]

I just want a fun racer that will hold my attention for a bit.

GRID. All the ones you list are good games, but I think GRID is the most immediate in terms of fun factor. Gorgeous looking game as well.

[Vulgar Monkey]

It can also be rock hard with assists off an ai ramped up.

A serious stone cold bastard if you choose it to be.

[Hello Goaty ♥]

Going back to this game then FUEL .... played it now for around 20 hours ...

I want to rename it TURD, as its definately being swapped on Monday afternoon at Gamestation.

very tempted to smash the game up on Youtube and call the programmers rude names. But this sucka should have a 25 quid trade in value.

Any less, and yes I will fucking destroy this disc.

Can people stop bigging up games that turn out rubbish please

[therev]

I've played it for seven hours now and think it's absolutely bloody great. There's not really anything that annoys me about it, which surprises me. I just love it. Got to the second zone an hour or so back and am enjoying the change of terrain.

[therev]

I've not bought this yet as i'm waiting on the PC version but by-god, reading this, its seriously marmite.

It does seem that way. I really don't know where the hate it coming from. If you want a game that lets you drive for miles cross country, there's nothing better. If you don't, then why buy it in the first place? It's the game I wanted since I wasted hours driving round the countryside in San Andreas with the country station on. But now the countryside is infinitely bigger and the country music is being streamed from my iPod.

[Twyford]

Spent a few more hours on this today and it doesn't get any better. Online is shite, singleplayer is boring, and I know it's a big old gameworld but the graphics look like a PS2 or Xbox game.

It's going back on Monday. Quick question on that though, will Gamestation swap it for another game, refund or just accept it as a trade in?

[Fondue]

Spent a few more hours on this today and it doesn't get any better. Online is shite, singleplayer is boring, and I know it's a big old gameworld but the graphics look like a PS2 or Xbox game.

It's going back on Monday. Quick question on that though, will Gamestation swap it for another game, refund or just accept it as a trade in?

Yeah, I'd be keen to know how much I can get for it too.

[linkster]

I love playing edited races. Stuck it on this morning and drove from one zone to another, saw some people on online free ride then went to quick game. Ended up driving across the salt flats highway on choppers in the middle of the night so you only see the truck obstacles very late. I love that someone made that and I think that will keep me coming back to this in spite of being bored stiff of the career as I know it so well and the dull ones wind me up.

In spite of everything - it is rough as a badger's arse in places, and the engine audio makes me want to cry - I am genuinely entertained by this, and that makes me happy a little.