 Review By: Jared Black |
Developer: | Pseudo Interactive |
| Publisher: | SEGA | |
| Genre: | Racing | |
| ESRB: | Teen | |
| # Of Players: | 1-2 (8 online) | |
| Online Play: | Yes | |
| Accessories: | HDTV 720p, PlayStation Network (online play) | |
| Buy Now: |   |
No doubt about it, the original Full Auto for Xbox 360 was marketed more for its eye candy than anything else. In fact, the amusing set of pseudo-science videos used to promote the game (still found at segalabs.com at the time of this writing) focused on how the developers had tried to perfect the art of blowing things up into a million pieces more than anything else. However, the game itself was criticized for being a bit too shallow, and having an unsteady framerate to go along with a general lack of speed needed to make it stand out as anything other than another combat racer.
With this sequel, I think Pseudo Interactive took the latter criticism to heart a little too much. In this game, the racing is incredibly fast, and the framerate rarely dips. While normally I’m all for racing around as quickly as possible, the problem here is that the courses don’t properly account for it. If other reviewers are correct and most of these courses have been recycled from the original game (which I didn’t play aside from a demo), then it’s not surprising that the sudden burst in speed takes things a little too far. For example, turns are often a little too tight, making things far more difficult than they should be and hampering the player’s ability to simply enjoy blowing stuff up. That’s not to say that it kills the game, because it doesn’t, but it’s unbalanced for sure.
Of course, that’s where the series’ other hallmark comes into play – destructible environments. Things blow up prettier than ever in this sequel, and blowing up the correct things can open up new paths to travel while hindering others around you. I really appreciate how the series doesn’t simply go for canned reactions when something is destroyed, as it makes for a truly unique race in almost every instance. That being said, there is a bit of inconsistency at times in what can and can’t be blown to smithereens, as the environments aren’t truly fully destructible.
Blistering speed notwithstanding, Full Auto 2: Battlelines appears to be a solid upgrade over the original title. For starters, after the original inexplicably left it out (although it did still allow 8 players to race and destroy each other online), arena combat has been added in this installment. For a game that’s mostly about destroying as much stuff as possible, this is obviously a welcome and logical addition to the franchise. The arenas themselves are large enough to accommodate 8 players, and full of jumps and alternate routes to keep things frantic while adding a little bit of strategy at the same time.
The career mode is pretty deep, and finds the player working as an operative for SAGE in an attempt to recapture Meridian City from the Ascendants. To do so, the player must compete in a variety of events, proving his or her worth to them while completing various objectives. Each mission has one or more primary objectives that must be completed before advancing, but there are also secondary objectives (such as completing the mission in a certain amount of time) that award reward packs which include vehicle upgrades, weapons, etc. Sure, the storyline is beyond silly, but it at least gives the player a reason to keep playing the game.
I’ve already touched on the graphics, but aside from the pretty destruction Full Auto 2 is only slightly above average for a PS3 title. Environments lack a bit of detail in comparison to other racers on the market, but that’s somewhat understandable in a game that attempts to push as much physics variability as this game does.
Bottom Line:
Full Auto 2: Battlelines seems to be an improvement over the first installment, but it’s still basically in the class of the last generation’s Vigilante 8. That’s to say, a worthy entry in the genre, but hardly the classic something like Twisted Metal is. If you dig mass destruction at high speeds though, and don’t mind a little frustration derived from that same speed, then Full Auto 2: Battlelines is a solid purchase.
| Pros: | Cons: | Final Score: |
|---|---|---|
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| 7.5 |
Posted: 2007-08-01 12:07:40 PST