FUEL - Openworld racer from Codemasters

[linkster]

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.

Let me know when you get to Drownington.

[mr_woo]

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.

There's apparently 75 vehicles or so to get. In the menu under vehicles there's only 25 or so and I've bought them all. Just wondering how to get the rest, as the game's given no hint in how to get them.

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.

I am really really enjoying it as well. It has its flaws no doubt but the racing is a blast and a lot of fun. Onto the fourth camp now and still enjoying it. Some of the races have been an utter bastard though, it's heartbreaking when you are beaten by a second or so at the finishing line.

There was one race which was exhilerating, where I was deperately trying to stay at the number one position whilst avoiding loads of different obstacles on the road, such as abandoned cars, lorries etc. Really tense and I just about made it, had a sigh of relief after that one.

[therev]

Is there a way to rename the races you create, by the way? I might be being thick, but I couldn't see one.

[linkster]

The extra vehicles come available in the garage as you win more career races, I think

[Sigourney Beaver]

I took the plunge and got Fuel this morning. Really glad I did coz I love it and I've been playing it all day!!! I've just been doing career races so far and I've been using the menu to get to them. I don't see the point of driving to a race when it's as quick or quicker to use the menu and wait. Once I finish career and challenge I'll use free-roam to Hoover up the liveries and stuff. I have done a bit of free-roaming though, and I find it incredibly relaxing to explore for a bit. I can't say the reported problems with the AI have bothered me that much at all either. Biggest problem for the PS3 version is the framerate, which when it's bad it's really quite bad. Great sections of the game run at about 20fps for no apparent reason.

Legend difficulty is quite a challenge and I can't win first time on a track I've never raced before, unlike the two lower difficulties. They're extremely easy. The handling is rock solid in virtually all of the vehicles I've bought so far. The only slightly odd one is a Harley type bike with a big fat tyre. That'll take some getting used to. The only glaring omission is a replay mode and a photo mode. Why these aren't present in a game that prides itself on stunning scenery is a bit of a mystery. I'm sure there's a technical reason to do with the openness of the game.

Overall I think I much prefer this to Motorstorm, which feels quite artificial after playing this. Everything's too perfect in it and too well placed. Fuel feels more organic and has more unpredictability.

In short, a fucking stunner.

[Hello Goaty ♥]

I dont believe you

glad you are at least happy with it!

.. I just find the wasteland style scenery total gash. Where are the lovely bits with birds and antelopes?

[mr_woo]

I dont believe you

glad you are at least happy with it!

.. I just find the wasteland style scenery total gash. Where are the lovely bits with birds and antelopes?

Well that's due to the story of global warming, everyone's moved to other cities blah blah etc etc. Basically an excuse to keep it barren

I meant to ask, for anyone that's got further than a few camps, what are the other environments like ? So far it's been sand, woodland and mountains. Is there much more variety later ?

[Vulgar Monkey]

Where are the lovely bits with birds and antelopes?

I think the idea is that we fucked all those bits up with our nuclear powerplants and consumer lifestyle.

[Dave White]

once my jet lag subsides I will be on this tomorrow.

I think its another Marmite game

Had a quick blast and loved the day and night cycle

[Sigourney Beaver]

I dont believe you

glad you are at least happy with it!

.. I just find the wasteland style scenery total gash. Where are the lovely bits with birds and antelopes?

I was undecided even as I was at the till buying it. The best way I can describe it for prospective purchasers is a cross between Motorstorm, DiRT and Pure set in an environment similar to Oblivion or Stalker.

I think what helped was spending half an hour (before the qualifying in Turkey) in offline free-roam before getting into the career. I was just dossing around driving up a stream, then to a vista and racing at top speed back down the side of a huge hill, weaving in and out of trees. One thing that did impress me and take me completely by surprise was as I was blatting down a fairly level piece of tarmac at full chat, when a truck pulls out from a sideroad and I had to do a proper evasive manouver like you see on a car advert when a tractor or caravan is in the way. I missed it by inches and I did a big grin

[Pioscene]

Hammered this last night and today. While I can see moments of greatness, and it appeals to the OCD lunatic inside me, overall it turns me into a rage-infected baboon.

Cheating AI.

95% offroad but most of the vehicles can't handle offroad at all and struggle to get up the slightest incline.

Rubbish bikes and road cars.

Loading times sent straight from hell (e.g. Want to restart and change your vehicle in an event? You can't. You have to quit back to free run mode, then load the event up again).

The worst re-spawn in anything ever.

Nobody at Codemasters could have thought the night mode was a good thing.

Splurgy reward system. It unlocked three zones, about a quarter of the game, in one go.

When you're liqoured up and playing your own tunes it's alright though.

[Sigourney Beaver]

Hammered this last night and today. While I can see moments of greatness, and it appeals to the OCD lunatic inside me, overall it turns me into a rage-infected baboon.

Cheating AI. - I'll give you that one. When it's a drag to the line and you have a lead, how can you be overtaken by the same vehicle on the same surface?

95% offroad but most of the vehicles can't handle offroad at all and struggle to get up the slightest incline. - Stop being lazy. Go around it!

Rubbish bikes and road cars. - Purely personal opinion. I like them.

Loading times sent straight from hell (e.g. Want to restart and change your vehicle in an event? You can't. You have to quit back to free run mode, then load the event up again). - Use your best vehicle at all times.

The worst re-spawn in anything ever. - Eh? You hold triangle and it puts you back. If you're referring to the screen that interjects then it's really quick. You'r epicking holes now IMO.

Nobody at Codemasters could have thought the night mode was a good thing. - The headlights are good. No problems for me.

Splurgy reward system. It unlocked three zones, about a quarter of the game, in one go. - Not seen this yet. How far in?

When you're liqoured up and playing your own tunes it's alright though.

[Pioscene]

Cheating AI. - I'll give you that one. When it's a drag to the line and you have a lead, how can you be overtaken by the same vehicle on the same surface?

100 meters from the finish, then someone darts out from behind you and takes first place. It wouldn't be so bad if most of the races weren't 5-10 minutes long.

95% offroad but most of the vehicles can't handle offroad at all and struggle to get up the slightest incline. - Stop being lazy. Go around it!

I'm talking about general off-road though. You'll see your speed drop from 100 to 30 as soon as you touch something that isn't road. Make off-road the norm and then expand from there. Don't make me struggle with 10 hours worth of vehicles that can't go over 60 miles an hour through some shrubbery.

I mean, I've got MONSTER TRUCKS with wheels the size of MARS and they only have one star in off-road.

Rubbish bikes and road cars. - Purely personal opinion. I like them.

Fair enough. I like the other bouncy dirty off-road vehicles though. Compare the bikes in this to the bikes in Motorstorm. Miles apart.

Loading times sent straight from hell (e.g. Want to restart and change your vehicle in an event? You can't. You have to quit back to free run mode, then load the event up again). - Use your best vehicle at all times.

What is your best vehicle though? I like to experiment. And this doesn't change the fact the loading times are awful. 30 seconds each one, pretty much. Installing haves them or so, but you should have to do that to make them bearable.

The worst re-spawn in anything ever. - Eh? You hold triangle and it puts you back. If you're referring to the screen that interjects then it's really quick. You'r epicking holes now IMO.

I mean the method used in respawning you. You can miss a checkpoint and slide down a slope, and press respawn, but it respawns you at the bottom of the slope, not up before the checkpoint. Sounds simple and most racing games this gen do it okay, but not this. The loading time as well, really can't be ignored. Three seconds to respawn you? If I have to respawn the race is pretty much over.

Nobody at Codemasters could have thought the night mode was a good thing. - The headlights are good. No problems for me.

You can't tell the difference between the sea and the land, for one thing. I think it looks pretty good during daylight hours, but night-time, it does look like a PS2 game, because all the textures have vanished.

Splurgy reward system. It unlocked three zones, about a quarter of the game, in one go. - Not seen this yet. How far in?

About 9 hours in or so. There's three zones at the bottom that all need the same amount of stars to unlock. It's nitpicky, but it's pretty badly paced. Was it really that hard to spread a dozen or so zones out properly? I don't want a quarter of the game to unlock in one go. It's daunting enough as it is.

I'll also add -

The 3D GPS is rubbish, but the beacons of light are good. You can't turn one of without the other though.

There's no sorting of your vehicles, so you just have loads of vehicles in a line and no idea what class they're in, or any way to compare them (in free run, mostly).

[Sigourney Beaver]

If I have to respawn the race is pretty much over.

There's no sorting of your vehicles, so you just have loads of vehicles in a line and no idea what class they're in, or any way to compare them (in free run, mostly).

These I've noticed too but it's odd coz it just doesn't bother me. I think that if I found the handling crap or something else about the game REALLY bad then these things would make it much worse.

I think it deserves a sequel to iron out these little things.

[Hello Goaty ♥]

"Zen-like" someone said earlier. Quite bloody right too.

I found an Island mountain like this:

and driving up to it, was quite scary. Extremely quiet, no a soul anywhere. - Found a vista point at the top!

But what to dooooooo?!

The gaming part of FUEL is complete dirge.

But just driving around and around for hours on end seems much , much better but also very pointless.

[mr_woo]

The one thing I absolutely love is when you unlock more powerful vehicles and can then go back and demolish your opponents in earlier races. So much fun.

Really loving this game the more I play it.

[Hello Goaty ♥]

The one thing I absolutely love is when you unlock more powerful vehicles and can then go back and demolish your opponents in earlier races. So much fun.

Really loving this game the more I play it.

oh?

that sounds better!

[mr_woo]

oh?

that sounds better!

Yeah, from what I can see opponents tend to use a certain class of vehicle (or lower). I just unlocked my first batch of new vehicles and then used the new bike I bought to go back to a race or two I was having a bit of trouble (cheating fucking AI at times, I swear). Had something like a 400 distance to the number 2 by the time I had finished and won very comfortable. I can't say for certain of course and it's only a theory at the minute, going to go back and try a few other races to get more stars, but so far so good!

[scissorkicks]

One thing puzzles me. There are fairly early races where it only lets you use one vehicle, yet your opponents have different (faster) vehicles which aren't available to buy. In these instances will I be able to unlock a better vehicle later that I can use in this race?

[therev]

Buggy challenges are the best. There's an excellent timed checkpoint run (Blitz, I think it's called) to the west of the lake in the starting area, which I ordered, and there's a buggy challenge race near the top middle of the second area that's just amazing.

Along with the downhill bike race in the first area, near where you start, those are easily my favourite events so far.

[mr_woo]

One thing puzzles me. There are fairly early races where it only lets you use one vehicle, yet your opponents have different (faster) vehicles which aren't available to buy. In these instances will I be able to unlock a better vehicle later that I can use in this race?

Are you talking about the challenges or the career races ? You can use a number of vehicles (if you've bought them) for any race in career but in challenges you have to use the vehicle they give you.

Buggy challenges are the best. There's an excellent timed checkpoint run (Blitz, I think it's called) to the west of the lake in the starting area, which I ordered, and there's a buggy challenge race near the top middle of the second area that's just amazing.

Along with the downhill bike race in the first area, near where you start, those are easily my favourite events so far.

The Blitz races are often the ones that send me into a rage I still haven't finished a few of them for always fucking crashing. My own fault I know but I still dislike em!

My favourite challenges are usually the 'just get to the finish line any way you want but within time limit' challenges. I have so much fun with them, never know where the hell I'm going but usually manage to do it just on time.

What's everyone favourite location been so far ? I've only unlocked a few but my favourite so far has been the Tsunami camp, I love the races around the wreckage and over the sand dunes, so much fun.

[Hello Goaty ♥]

I wont be getting rid of this on Monday, will I?

One thing they deffo should have included, is Melee as in HAND TO HAND COMBAT! to the Motorcycles and Quads.

not the cars, but just the bikes.

[Sigourney Beaver]

I wont be getting rid of this on Monday, will I?

No. It WILL click.

[mr_woo]

I wont be getting rid of this on Monday, will I?

One thing they deffo should have included, is Melee as in HAND TO HAND COMBAT! to the Motorcycles and Quads.

not the cars, but just the bikes.

There's been a few occasions where I've gone past someone or they've gone past me and my driver has made a few gestures

Anyone fancy an online session later/tomorrow ? There's plenty of us here who either like it/dislike it

[Hello Goaty ♥]

Anyone fancy an online session later/tomorrow ? There's plenty of us here who either like it/dislike it

May I suggest about 6pm Tomorrow night?

PM away!

[mr_woo]

May I suggest about 6pm Tomorrow night?

PM away!

Sounds good to me, just add me - my GT is Al Benicio

If the weather is somehow fantastic there might be a family/friends barbeque but should be fine

[linkster]

Are you talking about the challenges or the career races ? You can use a number of vehicles (if you've bought them) for any race in career but in challenges you have to use the vehicle they give you.

The Blitz races are often the ones that send me into a rage I still haven't finished a few of them for always fucking crashing. My own fault I know but I still dislike em!

My favourite challenges are usually the 'just get to the finish line any way you want but within time limit' challenges. I have so much fun with them, never know where the hell I'm going but usually manage to do it just on time.

What's everyone favourite location been so far ? I've only unlocked a few but my favourite so far has been the Tsunami camp, I love the races around the wreckage and over the sand dunes, so much fun.

Fave camp? Drownington. There is a race there called Reservoir Hogs which during development was the first race that made me think 'yeah, this might actualy work'

[linkster]

Buggy challenges are the best. There's an excellent timed checkpoint run (Blitz, I think it's called) to the west of the lake in the starting area, which I ordered, and there's a buggy challenge race near the top middle of the second area that's just amazing.

Along with the downhill bike race in the first area, near where you start, those are easily my favourite events so far.

There are MUCH better bike races later. Stargazer Peak I think has my favourite.

[linkster]

Hammered this last night and today. While I can see moments of greatness, and it appeals to the OCD lunatic inside me, overall it turns me into a rage-infected baboon.

Cheating AI.

95% offroad but most of the vehicles can't handle offroad at all and struggle to get up the slightest incline.

Rubbish bikes and road cars.

Loading times sent straight from hell (e.g. Want to restart and change your vehicle in an event? You can't. You have to quit back to free run mode, then load the event up again).

The worst re-spawn in anything ever.

Nobody at Codemasters could have thought the night mode was a good thing.

Splurgy reward system. It unlocked three zones, about a quarter of the game, in one go.

When you're liqoured up and playing your own tunes it's alright though.

Re. Night mode, are you on 360?

Re. Unlocking 3 hubs at once - you see this as a bad thing? Fair enough: like I've said before though the main design goal with this game was never to force you to do any one thing, hence unlockig many zones was a way of giving you races to do in many locations if you find others boring or too hard. It was to try and remove all the blockers that usual make you stop playing a game.

[Sigourney Beaver]

It was to try and remove all the blockers that usual make you stop playing a game.

This is the main reason I like the game. If I were forced to drive everywhere to complete the main goals I don't think I'd find it as appealing. When I'm done with career and challenge via the menus I'll combine getting the liveries with the "aimless" wandering that everyone else is enjoying.

Then there's the little info messages on the loading screens, like longest jump time, highest top speed and furthest jump. Stuff that I'll definitely try and improve on when I get faster cars.