Full Auto (Xbox 360)

Graphics

Full Auto looks nice and there’s that much graphical detail and there are tonnes of special effects as the weapons go off, sparks fly and explosions rain down debris all around, from other road users to the opponent cars and the very buildings around you. It’s a frenetic game and sometimes it is hard to see what’s going on as the bullets and rockets start screaming around. The sepia-tone touch when the Unwreck feature is activated is a nice little gimmick and I personally thought it added a touch of class to the game to boot.

The game looks gorgeous and the backgrounds are suitably detailed, the sky is also likewise excellent and the way it rolls back as time reverses is another thing to watch. The textures are shiny and there’s a nice level of detail on the cars, both the opponent game cars and the other road using traffic.

The explosions and pyrotechnics in the game are some of the best eye candy effects in a racing game, barring the legendary Burnout series, the game is a feast for the eyes if you like things that explode. It caused several oohs and ahhs from the spectators as we decimated our way through some of the cars in the mighty Warlord.

FA has several camera presets, the usual front, hood and near/far chase camera views are present.

Physics and Models

Tied into the graphics are the models and the backgrounds are not static, the buildings are often left with huge chunks of masonry broken off, blown out windows and pock-marks as a race goes on. The later weapons are capable of tearing rock apart, blowing buildings up and leaving ruins, all in the name of pyrotechnical insanity and we love it.

The physics system is at play all throughout the game, from the little touches as the bits of the car’s body are blown off, usually denoted by the loss of your armour gauge to the interaction with the game’s environment as the weapons take their toll on the surroundings, and for a no-brainer like this game this actually elevates it into a game worth taking note of.

For example as I tore around a corner my rear end clipped a propane tank, which ignited and rocketed into a larger fuel storage tank that was just in front of it. I managed to get the car back under control and pulled back into the lead, just as the tank exploded and destroyed three opponent cars. Through the magic of the one-touch replay the drivers were spotted flying through the air and landing in a twisted mass onto the road.

A second example to cite the depth the physics engine goes to, involves another player and his car leaving a ramp. The car flew through the air and hit a small over-head walkway/bridge, as we examined this via slow motion in the one-touch replay we spotted that the car had a fully working suspension and as it impacted the front of the bridge’s guard rail, the front wheel went up into the wheel arch, the back wheel caught the edge of the guard rail and tore the flimsy metal off.

Full Auto certainly gets bonus points for details, especially when you watch the driver react to the physics of a jump and bounce around slightly in the seat of the car, take his hands off the wheel for a moment and then settle down.

Debris is another danger in the game, again thanks to the physics system and they can be used as traps to cause major damage to your opponents. A well timed rocket or shot can ignite a petrol station and cause it to explode, throwing bits across the track or engulfing an opponent stuck on your six, in a ball of superheated flame.

If you smash into a wall, pieces of it can come flying off and as you race you’ll leave a trail of wanton destruction in your wake that slowly worsens the more laps you do. It is an excellent use of physics and way over the top, if only these guys were given the Spyhunter game – I would be in heaven.

AI

There doesn’t seem to be any rubber-band AI in this game, the cars don’t often catch up unless they earn their own boost (which of course they actually tend to do at an alarming rate on the harder difficulty levels) they will use short cuts and brawl amongst themselves and of course, some of them seem a little too good at blasting you off the track with a sneaky mine or a well placed shotgun to the rear. On the whole though the AI makes the odd mistake, doesn’t drive as though it is on rails and offers a great challenge to the player when playing offline.

Sound

The roar of the engines and the satisfying boom of the explosions are all captured nicely in Full Auto, the sound work is top notch and it supports the OTT action perfectly. There’s something special about listening to the audio as your machine guns tear the side off an enemy vehicle and the ricocheting bullets bounce around making a crackling sound as metal sparks fly.

Music

Full Auto has a fairly good soundtrack. There’s a nice mix of tunes and they are of good quality, with the custom soundtrack feature of the 360 you might find yourself ripping your various Bond CDs and using that however – yes – James Bond fans take note, there is an Aston Martin a-like in the game and it can be equipped with missiles and a smoke screen.

Final Blast

Full Auto delivers auto-motive mayhem with a scale of environmental destruction unmatched for a driving game. It isn’t meant to be a thinker, it’s a fast and furious fuel-induced weapons fest and doesn’t claim to be the next PGR3 and it does this perfectly. There are a few slowdowns and we experienced some big frame rate drops that puzzled us, but we can forgive the game for that since it is a fun game and we had fun playing it, so much fun that I’m going to go back to playing it now.