Enhancing
last year's car combat title in a number of ways, Full Auto 2: Battlelines
is a solid sequel. It adds increased realism, better physics and handling
along with several new modes of play. The basic premise emphasizing racing
and shooting remains intact, as does the signature rewind mode and
destructible environments. It adds a new arena combat mode where you face
off against foes in a large open arena, while the game's career mode is
deeper with an elaborate storyline and more missions. Look inside and find
out how Full Auto 2 improves on the first game and why it's one of the
more entertaining PS3 titles to date.
Not content to rest on their laurels,
developers Pseudo Interactive have pumped up their combat series for its
PlayStation 3-exclusive sequel. While it stays true to the basic premise
of the first title, Full Auto 2 expands and refines the formula that made
the first game so successful. The new game features some of the same areas
as the original game, but they've been made larger with more detailed
graphics and a smoother appearance overall. From an aesthetic standpoint,
the game's visuals look much better than the first game. The levels
display a greater level of detail with improved light sourcing, more
realistic environments and a more realistic appearance. Full Auto 2's car
models have also been upgraded and look much better than the original's
vehicles which seemed to look like toys. The levels are larger with more
elaborate layouts and include additional hidden areas and alternate routes
which adds to the variety of the gameplay. This makes the game more
challenging while not really making things overly complicated. The tracks
are larger and include more destructible objects, which players can target
to collapse on opposing vehicles to cause chaos and damage on unsuspecting
rivals. This not only creates some really spectacular effects, its also a
key strategy that's essential to winning races. The targeting controls
have been improved and allow for more accurate shots at opponents,
allowing you to destroy them much easier. Likewise, the number of cars,
types and classes has also been expanded so there are now more than 20
available in the game. You begin with a limited number of vehicles but can
unlock additional cars and trucks by playing through the extensive career
mode, which also allows you to earn additional vehicle upgrades.
One
of the coolest features that made Full Auto stand out from the pack was
its innovative Unwreck feature. This is basically a rewind button that
allows you go back a few seconds in a race if you crash, allowing you to
replay a turn crashed or get out of the way of mines. Knowing when to use
this is one of the key strategies in Full Auto 2, often making the
difference between winning and losing. Unwrecking feels a bit more refined
this time around with better integration in the gameplay. The controls are
better which allows for better precision in the timing, and doesn't seem
as gimmicky as it did the first time around. Since the main game is more
robust and challenging, you don't need to rely on it so much, and it
doesn't feel like a crutch to mask exaggerated controls. Full Auto 2
includes some cool weapons in its garage, and these can be mounted in
either the front or rear of the car and mapped to the primary or secondary
fire buttons. You can select which weapons and their position before each
race on the configuration screen, and there's quite a variety to choose
from. Weapons include machine guns, shotguns, missiles, mines, oil slicks
and smoke screens that can destroy opponents. Each weapon has a limited
amount of stock and will overheat for a time, so you can't waste your
shots unless you want to be left without any defenses. Full Auto 2 is a
bit deeper and expands the selection with over two dozens weapons in all.
The controls have also undergone substantial improvement and tweaking,
which shows up immediately in the easier maneuverability of the vehicles.
Turning around corners and drifting feels more precise and timing jumps is
also more intuitive. While the gameplay retains the arcade-esque
exaggerated feel that made the first game so popular, things feel more
grounded in reality which makes the driving more realistic and satisfying.
Full Auto 2 includes many different
gameplay modes, which adds to the title's longevity and depth. You can
start off with a few fun rounds in the arcade mode, where you can race a
single level against foes. This is fun, but ultimately doesn't offer the
depth and challenge to keep the game in your PS3 for long. Once you delve
a little bit deeper into the game, you can play the Career mode, which is
deeper and much improved from last year's installment. In this mode, you
are a lone driver looking to free the city from a gang of thugs that have
taken it over. An on-board assistant gives you a brief rundown on the
objectives and goals for each race. There are different tasks you need to
complete and new types of races with more challenging objectives. Some
races require you to take out a targeted opponent before the time runs
out, or reach a certain number of eliminations during the race. As you win
these rounds, you'll unlock bonus packs which contain additional weapons,
skins and vehicles. This mode is quite intense and adds a focus and
coherence to the gameplay that gives you a strong motivation to keep
playing. In addition, Full Auto 2's online modes have been expanded as
well with additional modes of play. There are five online modes that offer
a variety of challenges, along with better player matching and smoother
play to make this a more robust and intense part of the experience.
One
of the key additions to the game this time around are the new Gladiator
Arenas, where you face off against other racers in an all-out battle
destruction and mayhem. The arenas are fairly large and the expansive
areas feature hidden sections, destructible objects that you can use and
numerous power-ups. You can choose to let the other racers battle it out
or jump right into the fray and shoot them to smithereens. These modes
have a time limit, and players are ranked on both the number of kills and
the how often they've been fragged. At the end of each level, the player
with the most points wins. While the arena battles feel very different
from the standard racing modes, one of the coolest aspects is that you can
use the Unwreck feature here as well, which gives Full Auto 2's arena
battles a distinct approach and strategy. These arena battles are quite
intense and enjoyable, which makes them a very welcome upgrade from the
last game. It definitely adds to the variety in the mission modes, and
feels like a natural extension of the series' approach to combat racing.
Full Auto 2 fixes the more glaring
problems from the first game and adds some new elements that make the
action more exciting and intense. The vehicles' controls are much better
this time around, and the cars feel more solid and steer more
realistically. While the game retains an arcade feel, you won't find
yourself swerving out of control this time around and shooting feels more
precise. This makes the action slightly less exaggerated, but more
satisfying. From an aesthetic standpoint, the graphics have undergone an
impressive facelift and feel more detailed and robust this time around.
The game's new open-ended arena battles mark a welcome change of pace and
allow you to concentrate on blowing things up. Add to this, a deeper
career mode with a better back story and you can credit the developers for
adding depth, but Full Auto is still an arcade racer at heart. The bottom
line is that Full Auto 2: Battlelines is a much improved version of last
year's game, offering improved controls, better graphics and exciting
modes.
Grade: B
