First Impressions

[Art Blade]

I wish I had it already. Hopefully they hand it out soon for PC... then again, it will get cramped here on my desk. Fixing the wheel and the gearstick to the desk... :) Will interfere with FC2...

[PZ]

The free roam is a great way to get a feel for a track without having to fight other drivers - you casually make your way through the turns, memorizing them so that when the race starts, you're in front of the pack.

[Art Blade]

I'm in free moan mode  ::)

[DKM2]

I'm in free moan mode  ::)

Not to worry, let'm play with their toys, the PC version will be worth the wait.
:)

[Art Blade]

you are right... probably better graphics, and free saves maybe... thanks, now I'm in drooling mode  ;D :-X

[spaceboy]

it'll be worth the wait.  You guys will love it.  I don't know of any diffs between versions.  As for saving, you can save at any time.  Not sure if PC will have multiple save games, but I don't think it matters since you can either drive or heli to any of the camps or heli drops whenever you want. (although I suggest driving if you've got the time)

[RedRaven]

well i'm just gonna add to the puddle and drool along with ArtB :P

going to be a cracking solstice gromit ! erm sorry guys !!!
ARMA2, solstice, dads day then FUEL. ;D ;D

i'll be giddy as a kid at christmas :-X
  what a fantastic 5 - day spread.

(sods law says pc will blow up too!!!) :(

[Art Blade]

Alright... I've installed the PC version now and tried a speedrun offshore, took me 5 attempts to win and gained 2000 points. The race was smooth, no stutters, everything maxed out 1920x1200 res. Takes a little to get used to the keys (I use keyboard defaults for now) but I managed. I think a wheel would be too much, recommended is a gamecontroller.

The downside... the game does NOT save your game progress.

Unless.

You register with MS "Live!"

AAAAAAArgh  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

[Art Blade]

Now. Created an offline profile, to get started. Now I can save :) Sorry for the rambling, but I hate it if you're forced to register anywhere despite of the fact the game was legally purchased and is in your very hands!

[Art Blade]

[smg id=960 align=center width=400]

doesn't look half bad, does it :)

[spaceboy]

beautiful screeny Art.  I was going to say of course you save without registering online...that would have been crazy.

Can't wait to hear more of how you like it.

[Art Blade]

I'm not sure that would have worked offline (had my PC online when creating that account). In any case I had to install that live! crap software first and then create an account, I was happy to see there was an "offline profile" option which indeed worked.

Anyhow, one more screenie

[smg id=961 align=center width=400]

[Art Blade]

Ok then, more first impressions. Actually, there isn't much to say for me right now. Once you installed the game and created a live!-account, you get started.

On a side note, I bought the German version (can't help it lol) but as before with GRID, CodeMaster luckily stuck to the same principle: The language you choose for your game installation wizard will be the language for the game. So I now have the English version up and running.

Well, installed. Can't do much now, except skim the menus, that are 100% console - forget your mouse - and find out you can't buy or upgrade or anything yet because you don't have points/fuel to purchase any. I noticed I only have 4 vehicles to choose from, three of which grayed out (need purchase). I assume I'll get a bigger choice once I've seen a bit of the world.

I decided to do a "challenge" which apparently is some off-career race but you can get FUEL from those. I did the same race that didn't get saved before, and was more familiar with that track, so I managed to win on my second run.

Now I've got 2000 FUEL (ah, that sounds stupid. let's call it credits) and could buy a quad called "Mosquito". Didn't do it, who knows what I might need those credits for, later. Did some free roam and messages popped up like "you have discovered a vista point" and such. Found a white barrel sitting in the prairie, smashed it, and voilà, 100 credits. Easy to get, hard to find. Found a livery (unfortunately that's nothing like liver pies or stuff you could ask your butcher about) by crashing into a wrecked car.

I changed the keyboard layout a little so I can thrust with w and brake/reverse with s. Much better now. Well, a game that's easy to get started, and fun. Your car can crash into everything and doesn't break in free roam and rookie setup. And man... want to visit a place? Mark a spot that is right next to you on the map, and then try get there... omg. It's as if "next to you" translates to "drive to the horizon and beyond that you might find it" LOL bloody VAST  :-X

[spaceboy]

And man... want to visit a place? Mark a spot that is right next to you on the map, and then try get there... omg. It's as if "next to you" translates to "drive to the horizon and beyond that you might find it" LOL bloody VAST  :-X

I know isn't it almost surrel especially when you realize your still in one part of your region!

FUEL barrels are actually pretty easy to find if you go offroad.  Stacks of 3 gives you 400 credits - they start to rack up quick.  Just race a few times and smash some barrels and you'll get enough credits - don't worry about saving them - spend them, you'll get more trust me. Liverys are different paintings and decals for your vehicles. 

Also what menu option allowed for remapping controls?  A host of folks on codemasters are complaining about not being able to remap the keyboard.  Thanks.

[Art Blade]

yeah, easy to change the few controls you have for the car, but you can't change the keys that navigate the menu, ie "T<>Y" but the only important keys in a racing game are those keys you need to steer your vehicle with, anyway. Now, going for a little free roam in FUEL, and hope to pick up some credits on the fly. Erm. More likely, off the ground.  ;)

[Art Blade]

I tried some more. Meanwhile I purchased the other vehicles, and boy, do I like that Mosquito Quad  ;D Managed to easily win a challenge which was fun big time, kind of an obstacle course with quad (The High Octane Inn, location Offshore Shack) - a circuit race, 8 drivers, all on Mosquitos. Before that I dramatically failed, some checkpoint race with a crap car for that race, it's called "The Bullet" (like 90% asphalt 10% offroad abilities). It's slowing down offroads, and on gravel tracks it's like ice skating LOL

Having fun, though :) Good console game, converted for PC users ;D

[spaceboy]

yeah the Bullet stinks.  Actually it is frustrating when muscle cars or other "road" cars perform so SLOW offroad.  I think they overdid it on that.  They should drive faster than they do in the grass.  My only real complaint.  But it helps you drive better knowing you have to stay on the road for those races.

The mosquito is fun but there are even better quads to unlock.  There are even some that are meant for paved racing and they are awesome to drive but again not great for offroad.  My favorite bike is called the Sturgien or something like that I don't remember - good on both surfaces.

[Art Blade]

I'm currently more into reading and typing, rather than racing, and I think I'm going to change that now  ;D

[Art Blade]

back :)

Did that funny Mosquito race in all 3 stages, rookie, expert, legend. Pure fun :) Then a little sight-seeing and found a livery for that stink car  ;) At least I can try to make it look good  ;D

[smg id=969 align=center width=400]

[spaceboy]

great shot - I like the arm up in triumph.  Yeah I wasn't too into liveries but at least some look cool I guess, something to head towards while you explore (and vistas of course).

The Maverick cars are fun.  It comes up as purple triangle on your map and is actually a vehicle driving around you have to find and smash into.  Easy enough but I make it more of a challenge by starting from far away instead of heliporting in close by.

[Art Blade]

Right now I try to get all the spots and races in my current area. I had a heli chase which was fun, on my mosquito :)

I'm so new to it, I never heard of that car you mentioned. So it shows up on your map, randomly? can you own it? :) How can I get better or different cars, anyway? Oh and what do vista points do except offering a view?

[spaceboy]

There is a heli chase in one of the regions I just can't crack.

I think there is maverick for each region, and at some point after unlocking enough races or whatever it'll say "a maverick has been spotted" and then you can see the purple triangle driving around your map.  Then yes, smash into it and you own it. I've only done one actually but it was fun to chase down.

Buy better cars at the beginning of most races and challenges.  Or maybe even from your menu when you choose vehicles...Just keep racing and finding FUEL barrels in free roam, you'll have enough credits.

Vistas are just a view.  Collect them for the sheer love of it.

[Art Blade]

thanks :) right now I try to meet with a green arrow (dobler truck?), ba$t@rd of a cross-country ride lol

[Art Blade]

what's that, then? lol just chasing that arrow and now this popped up :)

edit - found out something, you need to ram it.

[smg id=970 align=left]
[smg id=971 align=left width=400]
[smg id=972 align=left]

[Art Blade]

Having progressed in the game it is now easier to say something about FUEL.

Due to the incredible vast map the landscape changes from region to region and the details are in a good balance not to distract from racing, yet allowing a stop here and there for sight-seeing. Details means, you see farms, houses, occasionally a truck driving around, car wrecks, industrial sites, trees, fences, dunes, mountains, lakes (so big you'd need a plane to cross it) valleys, canyons... great.

The overall graphical impression is very good, but typical for that genre - just... very colourful :) wich goes for the environment as well as for fantasy cars and bikes, customisable driver outfits and optical tuning. The level of detail in the landscape and environment is remarkable because of the dimensions. While other racing games struggle (SegaRallye, Need4Speed) or almost overdo it (RaceDriver:Grid), here you find a decent mixture of everything.

Gameplay - simple, a few buttons only. Driving - easy enough to make you happy and not worry too much. Races - various types, believable AI (commits mistakes as do humans, and does a very good job regarding pathfinding). Bike and quad driver animations are enjoyable, and the stunts they do... they do it themselves. You don't need to worry which key to press so they do acrobatic stuff while jumping. And always: Stunning landscape combined with all kinds of weather won't allow you to bore yourself to death. Luckily I haven't seen a tornado yet ;D In general it's a game that you can switch on and off, always a good time to play, and always easy to get out. Like that, you can have a quick race before breakfast, and a long session in the evening. And people... this game's map is so bloody VAST ;D

What I like very much is that you progress quickly (gather credits for cars by winning races or smashing fuel barrels scattered across the map), new cars unlock quickly, you gather credits so you can spend it on new vehicles. Rewards for races won are: new parts of the map unlock, new gear for your driver and cars, loads of stuff that keeps happening. This game is easier than I expected regarding driving and career, and does live up to my expectations I had when I first read about it. I'm only just beginning, of course, but by the racing gods, this game is pure fun  :-X

Currently I'm driving slightly bigger cars.

[smg id=973 align=center width=400]