Quite successful off-road racing game

Game publisher Codemasters has given us in recent years with really good racing games such as Race Griver Grid and Colin McRae Dirt, pleased. Now the British start by using the open-world racing game Fuel. A success of these titles could einheimsen before his release: It is in the Guinness Book of World Records, currently the largest video game. 14,000 square miles (about 120 by 120 km) and reportedly 160,000 km road network speak for themselves.

The scenario is not without interest in Fuel for racing game Friends with security: The game takes place in a fictional America, in the near future. By climatic disasters and economic crises money and resources are scarce. Many lands have been destroyed and devastated. Wastelands and dead forests dominate much of the landscape. You play a nameless racer who races goes to fuel. Fuel is in fact the same currency in the game. From the recovered fuel you can watch but only buy new cars to compete in subsequent races so. Upgrading not let the cars unfortunately.

The vast world is divided into 15 different landscapes (Camps). Starting with forests, on deserts, coastal areas, canyons, mountains, to deserted cities a very cool doomsday scenario is presented here. Mad Max says hello! This country stitches you can gradually unlock by winning star. These stars you gain for race wins. For each race three star waving. One star per level of difficulty. Overall, you can get hold of 216 stars. You see, there are a lot of races, which you can drive. For race victories you gain, in addition to clothing, also a predetermined amount of fuel, which can invest your in new vehicles or even need. For the numerous races, vehicles are required and you come to a purchase not around, even if you should have a vehicle of given type.

In addition to the race you can also participate in various challenges. Starting with time trials to race under the most adverse weather conditions has much to offer here. As a reward for winning challenges you will receive in turn a predetermined amount of fuel. Pro Camp you expect several different races and challenges.

The races are divided into three levels of difficulty. Races in light and normal difficulty are fairly easy to handle. It often happens that your race, the z. T. are more than 10 km long, will lead to more than one kilometer, on the runner, win. Only the highest difficulty level is a challenge. For this, you should the routes, with, with their abbreviations, know by heart, because quite intelligent AI drivers driving a very aggressive line, jostling and cut himself off. Depending on the vehicle type you must then decide for themselves whether it makes sense to boards on the paved roads or cross country.

What so far is a novelty in racing games but in Fuel on the agenda, weather conditions are: your driving not in sun, rain, fog or snow, but with frequently in hurricanes, blizzards and tornadoes. Since there are daytime exchange, since you now and then even at night or at dawn on the road.

Playful is Fuel, a mix of MotorStorm and Test Drive Unlimited. Where Test Drive Umlimited is better implemented, as it offers more possibilities. More on that later some more.

The more than 70 vehicles with which you dispute the races are divided into different classes. There are motorcycles, quads, buggies, muscle cars, SUVs or trucks, with which you can swish through the expansive game world. The control of the vehicles is, on the whole, really succeeded. Only the muscle cars go very hecklastig and spongy. With the off-road vehicles driving on the other hand is a true delight. The control of the vehicles is very arcade-heavy. Simulation friends grab better Colin McRae Dirt, Race Driver Grid, or wait for Forza Motorsport 3 or Gran Turismo. 5

Technically Fuel quite convincing. When you consider how big is the virtual world, the graphics are really very good. The car models look very good and dirty during the race. MotorStorm says hello.

Technically sound comes the game twoedged therefore. The engine sounds are in most vehicles really good and powerful, but the background music is not as the bearer. The mix of instrumental rock music varies from good to annoying. In addition, the soundtrack is quite abwechslungsarm so that repeat the songs quickly.

The charging pauses are extremely laaaaang. Whether your a race starts from Camp out, want to repeat a race / or have to go into the freeride mode, here a lot of patience is required from the player.

Another point of criticism is the desolation of the game world. In single player mode the freeride mode quickly loses its appeal because no enemies are on the roads, which can be challenging and there, except fuel barrels, loners (Bonus vehicles) and Doppler trucks (for vehicle design and viewpoints), not too much waiting to be discovered. Even if you can reach everything quasi what the eye sees, a bit more variety would not have hurt. Here the developers of Eden Studios in Test Drive Unlimited have done a much better job. The races and challenge a lot of fun and also know how to motivate, unfortunately explorers natures do not really get their money. Who should not have it, is better off with TestDrive Unlimtited or Midnight Club Los Angeles.

What in Freeride mode entirely, even if only temporarily, however, can motivate the search for white fuel barrels. It distributed a large number of barrels in the vast areas. When one travels around this, you get credited up to 400 units Fuel. As some barrels are difficult to reach, it makes perfect fun trying these ran well to come.

Somewhere under the dash is a quite successful Fuel offroad racing game that much is real but some could do better. However, since there is a lack on the next-gen consoles in off-road racing games, I can every offroad fan of this game thoroughly recommended.

Positive
- Gigantic game world
- Excellent graphics
- Motivating career mode, with some challenging race
- About 70 vehicles
- Strong Engine Sounds
- Very cool weather effects

Negative
- Tristesse on the streets
- Not really a lot to discover
- Very long load times
- Fluctuating quality of music
- No races outside of career mode

Graphics: 8/10
Sound: 9/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Control: 8/10
Circumference 10/10

Fun: 78%