Full Auto 2: Battlelines Review
Full Auto 2 will rock your face off.
Posted by John Benyamine on Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Ever since Mad Max hit the silver screen -- that's before Mel Gibson went insane -- it has been the dream of millions of testosterone-fueled males to roam through post-apocalyptic landscapes leaving wonton destruction in their wake. Some go so far as to say it's the American dream. Thankfully, the patriots over at Sega recognize this inalienable right with the release of Full Auto 2.
The game starts with two vehicles to choose from, and the garage expands the longer story mode is played. Over twenty-five cars, trucks and even limousines set the stage for the ridiculous action. Players can also unlock skins to customize their vehicles, in addition to multiple color choices for each.
After selecting a car, players add primary and secondary weapons. The weapon list starts off with a light machine gun and a rear-deployed smoke screen, but it quickly grows to include shotguns, mines, bombs, rockets and one-shot-kill pistols. The combinations are staggering and keeps players busy for quite awhile, as they must figure out the most effective combination to take to the streets.
Full Auto 2's story mode tries its best to liven up the single-player experience. Narrated by SAGE, a sentient computer, Meridian City is the backdrop for all the action. Law and order are nowhere to be found, and the sinister Ascendants have created their own little playground, leaving a path of destruction that must be stopped. How to stop it? Join in on the fun, of course.
Full Auto 2 drops players right in the middle of the action with events that are split between street races and coliseum-style destruction derbies. Street races have players hitting top speed against the Ascendants on tracks in one of six primary locations of Meridian City. Gladiator mode just throws everyone going at it in a highly destructible free-for-all.
Both modes contain weapons and turbo boosts, but the game's Unwreck feature is worth mentioning. For example, if the vehicle takes a wide turn and runs headfirst into a gas station (as they tend to do), hit the Unwreck button and rewind back several seconds for a second chance at that turn. This definitely adds strategy to the races, though players need to use it quickly in order for it to be of any use.
The game plays like a standard racer with the left analog stick controlling the steering and the face and shoulder buttons assigned to drifting, breaking and the aforementioned Unwreck. One thing to keep in mind is using the right analog stick to try and aim at other cars. In the heat of the action it's tough to get a bead on the opponents, but the reticule turns red to assist in aiming. Clicking down on the right analog stick also fires primary weapons, allowing those willing to put in the time to find very accurate methods of destroying the competition.
All of this makes for a very frantic experience. One eye must be kept on the car's position in the race, another eye on the competition while trying to take advantage of any opportunity to shoot them, and yet another eye on any surprises that pop up during the race.
What kinds of surprises? How about that huge tanker that was standing on top of a set of beams that just gave out? Or those five cars that busted out of that alley on a quest to ambush? These surprises are introduced with in game cut scenes that steal a few seconds of gameplay, but they're used effectively to showcase all the action.
The destruction really is the star of the show, and these cut scenes show off some of more exciting moments. Unfortunately, those looking for Full Auto 2 to take advantage of the computing power of the PlayStation 3 may be disappointed, especially after playing the Motorstorm demo. In that game, crashes look real, with parts flying all over just the way they should in real life. In Full Auto 2, it just looks like a jumble of debris, and while it looks good, it's nothing jaw dropping.
Things do get a bit monotonous, as the formula of race-shoot-race-shoot wears thin after the first fifteen matches. Still, the story keeps things moving along, and the consistent introduction of boss vehicles and new tracks keep things fresh. Thankfully, street races and gladiator modes can be taken online in ranked and unranked matches, and local split-screen versus rounds out the multiplayer action.
Full Auto 2 is all about the destruction of futuristic cars with a bunch of explosive weapons. Fans of the original will be pleased to see there's more of the same in this sequel, while those looking for some mindless action need to look no further. While it doesn't show off all the PlayStation 3's power, it's a solid action/racing game with a decent Mad Max-style story. Just keep in mind that Mad Max was never about the story. It was about the American pursuit of the right to go boom with a car, and Full Auto 2 delivers that right with fiery aplomb.
Final Score: 7/10
