February 20, 2009 - The idea of driving a crazy souped-up vehicle at breakneck speeds across hundreds of square miles of open landscape is instantly appealing to gamers. And France-based developer Asobo Studio and Codemasters are working hard to deliver just that experience this summer in the form of Fuel, an over-the-top multiplatform racing title that promises some of the largest open-world environments on consoles to date.
At its recent Gamer's Day event in San Francisco, Codemasters rolled out some big numbers in support of Fuel, which is set in a world that's been ravaged by the results of climate change. There are more than 70 different races in the game, and they'll take place in 19 separate areas, all of which feature unique landscapes, weather systems and landmarks. In all, there are more than 100,000 square miles of landscape to explore in Fuel. I'm no geographer, but that sounds pretty big.
Luckily, you'll have access to a wide variety of vehicles to help you tame that vast wilderness. There are six vehicle classes in Fuel, including motorcycles, buggies, ATVs, SUVs, monster trucks and muscle cars. Each is suited to different the types of terrain in the game, and you'll want to tap into each class's strengths as you move from race to race.
But wait, there are more numbers. Codemasters says there are at least 100 separate challenges in Fuel, from raids and straight circuit races to helicopter chases. And those huge environments? Codies and Asobo claim that you'll be able to see the equivalent of 2,500 square miles into the distance, which is pretty impressive if true.
But draw distances and pretty vistas will only take you so far if there's nothing exciting to do on the ground, so Asobo has focused on adding some specific objectives into the open-world environment. And while many races will allow you to find your own path from start to finish, others are tightly controlled circuit races or checkpoint-based point-to-point events. It's a good mix of events that looks like it will keep things interesting.
But navigating your way through the backwoods of Central Oregon or the vast plateaus of the Grand Canyon is no easy task. But you'll have a handy Global Positioning System that updates your position every frame as you race. It's a pretty cool system that adapts to your environment and vehicle on the fly. So if you're racing across the desert in a muscle car, your GPS knows you're better off sticking to the asphalt than the dirt. If you're in a buggy, however, it won't hesitate to direct you off the beaten path.
GPS or not, tearing around the planet at top speeds is not an easy proposition, so it's a good thing the vehicles in Fuel have more of an arcade feel than a strict off-road simulation vibe. Despite that, I still had trouble controlling my vehicle in a checkpoint-based race on a wooded mountainside. I spent a bit more time picking bark out of my teeth than I did feeling the wind in my hair. But it takes some time to get used to the handling in any racing game, so I'll reserve judgment until I get the chance to experience the full Fuel experience.
If you want a break from racing and just want to go for a Sunday drive, there's a free ride option that'll be right up your alley. Just hop in your ride, hit the throttle and head for the horizon. But you might want to cancel your dinner plans, because it will take you four hours to drive from one end of the map to the other. But you weren't doing anything anyway, right?
Multiplayer will likely be one of Fuel's main draws, and up to 16 players can hop online to face off against one another. As an added multiplayer feature, Asobo plans to offer cross-platform online play between the Xbox 360 and Windows-based PCs.
Fuel has made progress since the last time we laid our hands on it, but there are still a lot of questions that can only be answered once we spend more time with this expansive and ambitious racer. Currently, Fuel is set for release in May 2009, which is fast approaching.
