Full Auto 2: Battlelines

When Sega introduced the original Full Auto for the Xbox 360, it was received with lukewarm reviews but one thing that could be said about this game - that it mixed a healthy dose of EA’s Burnout series with a dash of Sony’s Twisted Metal - is that it showed a lot of promise. Now, with the release of the PlayStation 3, Full Auto comes to Sony’s next-generation console with Full Auto 2: Battlelines. Once again, road warriors, it’s time to jump into one explosively fun racing game. 

Much like the Xbox 360 original, Full Auto 2 for the PS3 sports the same number of game modes. You can pick from the game’s Career Mode, Arcade, Head-To-Head Mode (split-screen multiplayer) and Online (using a Broadband connection you can take on up to eight players). Career Mode puts you behind the wheel of a number of cars and has you going up against a number of opponents in a series of destructive racing game modes.  

The barely there story sounds interesting on paper (read: the instruction manual) but you won’t find much of a story during your career. It seems that you have become a competitor in a dangerous tournament to save Meridian City from an evil group known as the Ascendants. You find yourself sliding into the driver’s seat of a number of vehicles with weapon attachments like machineguns and rocket launchers. The good news is that you aren’t forced on a linear path but rather you can pick the next series of races you’d like to take on. Each race has secondary and primary objectives to complete, giving you plenty to do during a race. For example, one race might have you escorting a specific racer while a secondary objective has you keeping a rival from reaching the finish line. You’ll be rewarded with plenty of juicy extras for completing objectives such as new cars, a better arsenal and other surprises. 

Then there’s Arcade Mode, a single-player game mode then essentially has you competing in the entire usual race modes found in the Career Mode. In fact, everything you unlock in Career Mode (including cars, weapons and tracks. In this mode you can compete in either a Race, Gladiator (arena-based deathmatch) and Team Gladiator (team up with other racers to take out the opposing team). This leads us to Head-To-Head Mode, a split-screen multiplayer mode that has you going up against a friend. Where the game really shines is the Online Mode where you can compete in a series of ranked or unranked modes with up to eight players. Online the game runs just perfectly and without any of the hiccups found in the Xbox 360 version. 

As far as the gameplay is concerned, the controls are perfect for this style of racing game. There’s the primary and secondary fire and clicking the L3 button will fire the Mortar weapon so combat is fairly easy and thus making it seriously entertaining. The action is also fast, even more so thanks to Boost, but imagine barreling down a track while you’re blowing your opponent into pieces. While you’ll be able to do a lot of damage to your enemies, your enemies can certainly do the same to you. Thankfully, there’s the Unwreck feature that - like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - will allow you to rewind back to the point before you made a fatal mistake or were killed by an enemy. Everything in the game is destructible and believe me when I say that this makes the game all the more thrilling to play.  

Visually, the game looks just as amazing as the Xbox 360 game. Watching cars explode in fiery debris and environmental objects like bridges and buildings blow up in chunks of concrete and glass will not fail to amaze. The vehicles look wonderfully shiny and watching them become twisted wrecks during a race is particularly pleasing to the eye. It never gets old watching a car smash through the open window of a store to use as a shortcut or speed boost your way past traffic. It’s great stuff, indeed. 

As far as the game’s sound is concerned, Full Auto 2 brings some rocking tunes from the likes of Megadeth, The Used as well as artists like SUM 41. While the songs, both original and licensed tunes, might not be to everyone’s liking, it somehow fits the game’s theme perfectly. Still, it’s the sound effects that really stand out here in this game and they are actually quite spectacular. You’ll seriously want to play this game with the volume up. 

Full Auto 2: Battlelines for the PlayStation 3 is a fast and fun vehicular action game that is a far superior sequel than the Xbox 360 original. What a great way to break in a new console with a fresh new driving game that is big on explosions and destructible environments. While the Career Mode could have been better, the multiplayer mode wins points for being one seriously fun game mode that will have you playing this game for a long time.  

Gameplay: 8.0
The game doesn’t push the motion sensor technology of the SIXAXIS controller but that’s Ok since the controls are perfect for this game. The action is fast and furious and things never slow down (unless you’re using Unwreck to “rewind” a spectacular fatal mistake). With enough cars, weapons, and arenas, you can’t go wrong. If only Career Mode had an actual story attached to it, this would have been a great mode.

Graphics: 8.5
Full Auto 2 looks good and while it does outshine the Xbox 360 original, there is much the game could have done to make the rocket and gun fire look better. Still, it’s hard not to like a game that makes automotive destruction look so good and watching buildings explode into a thousand pieces look so great. 

Sound: 8.0
The rocking tunes found in this game might not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you like music by artists like The Used or Methods of Mayhem you will be in luck. Otherwise, the sounds effects are wonderfully detailed and the sounds of cars exploding will certainly put a smile on your face. 

Difficulty: Medium
The computer-controlled opponents will certainly give gamers quite a challenge and there are many moments throughout the game where you will take advantage of the Unwreck feature. You will also be glad there are plenty of Power-Up items to use throughout the game. 

Concept: 8.5
There are enough weapons and extra additions you can add on to your road warrior and the havoc you’ll cause on the road will have you enjoying the way you bulldoze through the environments as well as vehicles. There are even a good number of cars for you to use. There’s even a great multiplayer mode that makes for great online play. 

Multiplayer: 8.5
This is where the game really shines and is one of the many reasons you will still be playing this game long after you finish the single-player mode. Online, up to eight players can join in on the destructive action and Team Deathmatch will haunt your dreams at nights in the best way possible. 

Overall: 8.0
Battlelines for the PS3 is actually far more superior to the original Full Auto game introduced on the Xbox 360 and is one fun ride well worth your money. While the story will not captivate gamers or is interesting in any way, the game is filled with all the things we love in a unique destructively violent driving game.