Also up on the Gaming-Age frontpage, with more pictures, if you're so inclined.
Of all the Xbox 360 games at E3, Full Auto was perhaps the most promising 360 title on the show floor. The framerate was solid, the control fluid, the graphical effects impressive and, most importantly, the gameplay fun. But given developer Pseudo Interactive's history with the XNA toolset, this doesn't come as much of a shock. After all, they're the same folks behind the XNA Crash demos shown at GDC and E3 last year.
At heart, Full Auto and the Crash demos share the similar design philosophy of wanton destruction. But whereas the Crash demos were focused on two cars crashing into each other, and though the primary goal is to place first in the various races Full Auto is more focused on the destruction of not just your enemies, but the surrounding landscape, by way of the guns and missiles mounted on your car. Each car is equipped with armor that determines how much they're able to take before they explode, an on-screen alert flashing when and what section of your armor is destroyed.
The best way to describe Full Auto would be to dissect its parts, the basic gameplay formula boiling down to Burnout 3's fast-paced racing and destruction plus Twisted Metal's weapons plus Prince of Persia's time rewind system, the end result equaling awesome. The right trigger controls your acceleration, the face buttons handling your weaponry, the right analog stick used to aim missiles. Replacing the black and white buttons on the 360 controller are the left and right shoulder buttons, similar to L1/R1 on Sony's Dual Shock.
As you race, both the boost and rewind meter fill. Tapping the left shoulder button triggers boost, which is rather self-explanatory, meanwhile, the right shoulder button rewinds time. This is an extremely useful ability, fixing a botched jump or turn among the chief examples.
An important note to make is that nearly everything in Full Auto is destructible. Firing a missile into the street, I was amazed as the shockwave not only threw my opponent's car to the side, but shattered windows, brought down the neon signs hanging on a nearby building and knocked out a fire hydrant, spewing water into the air. Various parts of the landscape are combustible, so if they're hit by weapon fire, they trigger a satisfying explosion, complete with an equally destructive shockwave. The effects here are quite impressive, especially since the framerate only stuttered once during our hands-on.
Much like Burnout 3, the core gameplay of Full Auto is just plain fun. It's an extremely satisfying experience and definitely one of the best Xbox 360 games at the show.
Of all the Xbox 360 games at E3, Full Auto was perhaps the most promising 360 title on the show floor. The framerate was solid, the control fluid, the graphical effects impressive and, most importantly, the gameplay fun. But given developer Pseudo Interactive's history with the XNA toolset, this doesn't come as much of a shock. After all, they're the same folks behind the XNA Crash demos shown at GDC and E3 last year.
At heart, Full Auto and the Crash demos share the similar design philosophy of wanton destruction. But whereas the Crash demos were focused on two cars crashing into each other, and though the primary goal is to place first in the various races Full Auto is more focused on the destruction of not just your enemies, but the surrounding landscape, by way of the guns and missiles mounted on your car. Each car is equipped with armor that determines how much they're able to take before they explode, an on-screen alert flashing when and what section of your armor is destroyed.
The best way to describe Full Auto would be to dissect its parts, the basic gameplay formula boiling down to Burnout 3's fast-paced racing and destruction plus Twisted Metal's weapons plus Prince of Persia's time rewind system, the end result equaling awesome. The right trigger controls your acceleration, the face buttons handling your weaponry, the right analog stick used to aim missiles. Replacing the black and white buttons on the 360 controller are the left and right shoulder buttons, similar to L1/R1 on Sony's Dual Shock.
As you race, both the boost and rewind meter fill. Tapping the left shoulder button triggers boost, which is rather self-explanatory, meanwhile, the right shoulder button rewinds time. This is an extremely useful ability, fixing a botched jump or turn among the chief examples.
An important note to make is that nearly everything in Full Auto is destructible. Firing a missile into the street, I was amazed as the shockwave not only threw my opponent's car to the side, but shattered windows, brought down the neon signs hanging on a nearby building and knocked out a fire hydrant, spewing water into the air. Various parts of the landscape are combustible, so if they're hit by weapon fire, they trigger a satisfying explosion, complete with an equally destructive shockwave. The effects here are quite impressive, especially since the framerate only stuttered once during our hands-on.
Much like Burnout 3, the core gameplay of Full Auto is just plain fun. It's an extremely satisfying experience and definitely one of the best Xbox 360 games at the show.
