When Sega introduced the
original Full Auto for the Xbox 360, it was received with lukewarm reviews but
one thing that could be said about this game – that it mixed a healthy dose of
EA’s Burnout series with a dash of Sony’s Twisted Metal – is that it showed a
lot of promise. Now, with the release of the PlayStation 3, Full Auto comes to
Sony’s next-generation console with Full Auto 2: Battlelines. Once again, road
warriors, it’s time to jump into one explosively fun racing game.
Much like the Xbox 360
original, Full Auto 2 for the PS3 sports the same number of game modes. You can
pick from the game’s Career Mode, Arcade, Head-To-Head Mode (split-screen
multiplayer) and Online (using a Broadband connection you can take on up to
eight players). Career Mode puts you behind the wheel of a number of cars and
has you going up against a number of opponents in a series of destructive racing
game modes.
The barely there story
sounds interesting on paper (read: the instruction manual) but you won’t find
much of a story during your career. It seems that you have become a competitor
in a dangerous tournament to save Meridian City from an evil group known as the
Ascendants. You find yourself sliding into the driver’s seat of a number of
vehicles with weapon attachments like machineguns and rocket launchers. The good
news is that you aren’t forced on a linear path but rather you can pick the next
series of races you’d like to take on. Each race has secondary and primary
objectives to complete, giving you plenty to do during a race. For example, one
race might have you escorting a specific racer while a secondary objective has
you keeping a rival from reaching the finish line. You’ll be rewarded with
plenty of juicy extras for completing objectives such as new cars, a better
arsenal and other surprises.
Then there’s Arcade Mode,
a single-player game mode then essentially has you competing in the entire usual
race modes found in the Career Mode. In fact, everything you unlock in Career
Mode (including cars, weapons and tracks. In this mode you can compete in either
a Race, Gladiator (arena-based deathmatch) and Team Gladiator (team up with
other racers to take out the opposing team). This leads us to Head-To-Head Mode,
a split-screen multiplayer mode that has you going up against a friend. Where
the game really shines is the Online Mode where you can compete in a series of
ranked or unranked modes with up to eight players. Online the game runs just
perfectly and without any of the hiccups found in the Xbox 360 version.
As far as the gameplay is
concerned, the controls are perfect for this style of racing game. There’s the
primary and secondary fire and clicking the L3 button will fire the Mortar
weapon so combat is fairly easy and thus making it seriously entertaining. The
action is also fast, even more so thanks to Boost, but imagine barreling down a
track while you’re blowing your opponent into pieces. While you’ll be able to do
a lot of damage to your enemies, your enemies can certainly do the same to you.
Thankfully, there’s the Unwreck feature that – like Prince of Persia: The Sands
of Time – will allow you to rewind back to the point before you made a fatal
mistake or were killed by an enemy. Everything in the game is destructible and
believe me when I say that this makes the game all the more thrilling to play.
Visually, the game looks
just as amazing as the Xbox 360 game. Watching cars explode in fiery debris and
environmental objects like bridges and buildings blow up in chunks of concrete
and glass will not fail to amaze. The vehicles look wonderfully shiny and
watching them become twisted wrecks during a race is particularly pleasing to
the eye. It never gets old watching a car smash through the open window of a
store to use as a shortcut or speed boost your way past traffic. It’s great
stuff, indeed.
As far as the game’s sound
is concerned, Full Auto 2 brings some rocking tunes from the likes of Megadeth,
The Used as well as artists like SUM 41. While the songs, both original and
licensed tunes, might not be to everyone’s liking, it somehow fits the game’s
theme perfectly. Still, it’s the sound effects that really stand out here in
this game and they are actually quite spectacular. You’ll seriously want to play
this game with the volume up.
Full Auto 2: Battlelines
for the PlayStation 3 is a fast and fun vehicular action game that is a far
superior sequel than the Xbox 360 original. What a great way to break in a new
console with a fresh new driving game that is big on explosions and destructible
environments. While the Career Mode could have been better, the multiplayer mode
wins points for being one seriously fun game mode that will have you playing
this game for a long time.
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Gameplay: 8.0
The game doesn’t push the motion
sensor technology of the SIXAXIS controller but that’s Ok since the controls are
perfect for this game. The action is fast and furious and things never slow down
(unless you’re using Unwreck to “rewind” a spectacular fatal mistake). With
enough cars, weapons, and arenas, you can’t go wrong. If only Career Mode had an
actual story attached to it, this would have been a great mode.
Graphics: 8.5
Full Auto 2 looks
good and while it does outshine the Xbox 360 original, there is much the game
could have done to make the rocket and gun fire look better. Still, it’s hard
not to like a game that makes automotive destruction look so good and watching
buildings explode into a thousand pieces look so great.
Sound: 8.0
The rocking tunes found in this game
might not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you like music by artists like The
Used or Methods of Mayhem you will be in luck. Otherwise, the sounds effects are
wonderfully detailed and the sounds of cars exploding will certainly put a smile
on your face.
Difficulty: Medium
The computer-controlled opponents
will certainly give gamers quite a challenge and there are many moments
throughout the game where you will take advantage of the Unwreck feature. You
will also be glad there are plenty of Power-Up items to use throughout the game.
Concept: 8.5
There are enough weapons and extra
additions you can add on to your road warrior and the havoc you’ll cause on the
road will have you enjoying the way you bulldoze through the environments as
well as vehicles. There are even a good number of cars for you to use. There’s
even a great multiplayer mode that makes for great online play.
Multiplayer: 8.5
This is where the game really shines
and is one of the many reasons you will still be playing this game long after
you finish the single-player mode. Online, up to eight players can join in on
the destructive action and Team Deathmatch will haunt your dreams at nights in
the best way possible.
Overall: 8.0
Battlelines for the PS3 is actually
far more superior to the original Full Auto game introduced on the Xbox 360 and
is one fun ride well worth your money. While the story will not captivate gamers
or is interesting in any way, the game is filled with all the things we love in
a unique destructively violent driving game.
