Did no one try the FUEL demo? This game is great!

I think the game is a lot of fun. Physics aren't that bad and definitely good enough for an arcade racer. Cruising across the landscape is a blast and done really well. Reminds me very much of MotoCross Madness or Test Drive Unlimited. The variety of cars is great too with every one handling and behaving differently.

Despite the bad to average reviews, this game still interests me. So I'm glad that there is a demo now so I can decide for myself.

I think the game is a lot of fun. Physics aren't that bad and definitely good enough for an arcade racer. Cruising across the landscape is a blast and done really well. Reminds me very much of MotoCross Madness or Test Drive Unlimited. The variety of cars is great too with every one handling and behaving differently.

VeryBumpy

A fantastic waste of a good open world.

Played the first race of the demo and drove around for another 6 minutes, horrible game. I love Codemasters and I like all their games, thank god this isn't developed by them.

A fantastic waste of a good open world.

Baranga

yea its kind of average, huge world is impressive, but theres not much more to it.

Played the first race of the demo and drove around for another 6 minutes, horrible game. I love Codemasters and I like all their games, thank god this isn't developed by them.

DanielDust

Horrible? Come on, it's not that bad. Only huge downfall is the lack of things to do in this huge world area. This game needs side missions for some free roam action.

[QUOTE="DanielDust"]

Played the first race of the demo and drove around for another 6 minutes, horrible game. I love Codemasters and I like all their games, thank god this isn't developed by them.

VeryBumpy

Horrible? Come on, it's not that bad. Only huge downfall is the lack of things to do in this huge world area. This game needs side missions for some free roam action.

[QUOTE="VeryBumpy"]

[QUOTE="DanielDust"]

Played the first race of the demo and drove around for another 6 minutes, horrible game. I love Codemasters and I like all their games, thank god this isn't developed by them.

DanielDust

Horrible? Come on, it's not that bad. Only huge downfall is the lack of things to do in this huge world area. This game needs side missions for some free roam action.

My friend rented the game, I played it for a about an hour or so and I fully agree with the opinion of it being horrible. The world is large and empty (In the entire hour I played, only ran into 4 other vehicles on the roads outside of races, all were the same truck...), vehicles didn't handle very well and felt pretty slow, graphics were good but not great and the world was really TOO big. I don't know if you can fast travel later on but I'm pretty sure you can't at the start, so it can take ages to get to race starts. Overall, it wasn't a good game. The races themselves were fun though. If they decided to split the game up into just the races with the open-world element completely removed it would be a much better game.kieranb2000

You played the game for an hour and didn't realize you don't have to drive to all the races?! lol I have yet to drive to a single race. You are able to fast travel at all times but you need to first unlock, by winning races, new regions to travel to those.

[QUOTE="DanielDust"][QUOTE="VeryBumpy"]

Horrible? Come on, it's not that bad. Only huge downfall is the lack of things to do in this huge world area. This game needs side missions for some free roam action.

kieranb2000

I bought this title.

The best races are the short ones, with multiple laps, in which you have to get to know the track and the vehicle you're driving. Honestly, these short races, at the highest difficulty level, are extremely engaging - with one of my lawn-mower type vehicles (the carts are insanely fun to ride), I can win the short, circular track races, only if I drive a perfect race in which I've already completely mastered the track.

The lengthy races, in which you follow the read arrows above your head, aren't fun at all. In my opinion, the people who are commenting on this game, based on the demo only, are doing a disservice to a truly innovative title.

I have to agree with the O.P. on this one - it's a pretty great game. One reviewer gave Fuel a 50 out of 100. LOL at that. Completely stupid.

[QUOTE="neo8888"]

[QUOTE="kieranb2000"] My friend rented the game, I played it for a about an hour or so and I fully agree with the opinion of it being horrible. The world is large and empty (In the entire hour I played, only ran into 4 other vehicles on the roads outside of races, all were the same truck...), vehicles didn't handle very well and felt pretty slow, graphics were good but not great and the world was really TOO big. I don't know if you can fast travel later on but I'm pretty sure you can't at the start, so it can take ages to get to race starts. Overall, it wasn't a good game. The races themselves were fun though. If they decided to split the game up into just the races with the open-world element completely removed it would be a much better game.DanielDust

I know you're ignorant, because your other posts clearly show that, but try to keep your "get a life"s for yourself and learn to respect opinions.

I just played again tonight, after having played just the once last night.

I'm almost speechless about this game. I spent most of my time tonight (like, about two hours of it) just circling that small track in the starter camp. The handling of the motor bike, and the way that the rider moves his body, is just absolutely superb. The experience actually made me feel bike-sick, since I haven't ridden on a real motor bike in almost 15 years.

The way that, after an hour or more of riding, you begin to get a feel for the bike is just sublime. I can now aim straight for a corner flag, and at the very last possible moment kick the back end of the bike out and have the rear wheel bite into the sand and push me forward, out of the corner - how amazingly fluid it all is.Honestly, if all you're doing is becoming involved in those long races in which you're chasing arrows, then you're really, really, really, really missing out on what this game has to offer. It's not about going straight. It's about going in circles. And the A.I. is really fantastic. It's very, very tough to beat. One of the reviewers is dead wrong about what he said of the A.I. having a 'rubber band' effect. With the shorter races the A.I. is definitely not cheating. I've kept a steady eye on that, and there's no cheating going on there. (Again, short races, with multiple laps, that's the key to this game.)

Just before quitting for the night I returned to that four wheel lawn-mower thing, and was shocked at how different it felt from the bike. That up-close camera view is just insanely great. You almost feel as though you're on an actual vehicle, whipping across the land. I'm not joking when I say that just for that one small starter track the $40 price tag was easily worth the price of admission for me. I haven't even begun to see what else is out there yet.

And holy smokes did the developer ever do a great job with the engine. I can't believe how many frames I'm pulling in considering what's happening onscreen. I must be around 60 or 70 FPS.

I'll admit that if a game is great then I can sometimes be a little too enthusiastic during my first week with it - but Fuel might end up being one of my sleeper hits of the year. A beautiful, beautiful game. I'm so glad I bought this title. I actually felt bad when I bought it, because it was an impulse buy, and foolishly I actually paid attention to a few of the reviews, which were highly critical in nature.

Just goes to show that the only person who matters is yourself.

[QUOTE="kieranb2000"]

My friend rented the game, I played it for a about an hour or so and I fully agree with the opinion of it being horrible. The world is large and empty (In the entire hour I played, only ran into 4 other vehicles on the roads outside of races, all were the same truck...), vehicles didn't handle very well and felt pretty slow, graphics were good but not great and the world was really TOO big. I don't know if you can fast travel later on but I'm pretty sure you can't at the start, so it can take ages to get to race starts. Overall, it wasn't a good game. The races themselves were fun though. If they decided to split the game up into just the races with the open-world element completely removed it would be a much better game.VeryBumpy

You played the game for an hour and didn't realize you don't have to drive to all the races?! lol I have yet to drive to a single race. You are able to fast travel at all times but you need to first unlock, by winning races, new regions to travel to those.

So in that case, the open world aspect is completely pointless? Since when you actually race you have little to no choice in how you reach your destination. Hell, Burnout Paradise had more choice.kieranb2000

I'm really starting to wonder what you did in that hour of play.

This game is totally open. You can fast travel to races or drive there, your choice.

[QUOTE="kieranb2000"]

So in that case, the open world aspect is completely pointless? Since when you actually race you have little to no choice in how you reach your destination. Hell, Burnout Paradise had more choice.VeryBumpy

I'm really starting to wonder what you did in that hour of play.

This game is totally open. You can fast travel to races or drive there, your choice.

kieranb2000

Absolutely you can and I often do. Taking short cuts or a different route to get to a check point or finish line is one of the great freedoms about this game. No you can't go 2km off course and expect to win but cutting the course or alternate paths are all over this game within the races.

I skipped the demo and bought the game, which I happen to love.

But could somebody please tell me what the demo is all about? Specifically, I'm wondering which vehicles they provided, how much of the world they're allowing you to explore, and which races they included?

Those three things.

I skipped the demo and bought the game, which I happen to love.

But could somebody please tell me what the demo is all about? Specifically, I'm wondering which vehicles they provided, how much of the world they're allowing you to explore, and which races they included?

Those three things.

Charles_Dickens

From what I could tell, they only offered one kind of motorcycle, a short race and one free ride in the open world. It didn't leave me a good impression of the game.

[QUOTE="Charles_Dickens"]

I skipped the demo and bought the game, which I happen to love.

But could somebody please tell me what the demo is all about? Specifically, I'm wondering which vehicles they provided, how much of the world they're allowing you to explore, and which races they included?

Those three things.

StrawberryHill

From what I could tell, they only offered one kind of motorcycle, a short race and one free ride in the open world. It didn't leave me a good impression of the game.

If you ignore the fact that this game wastes a huge open world environment, what is wrong with this game? The arcade controls feel great, the graphics are nothing to complain about, and the races are varied and fun. Not every game can be as good as Burnout Paradise. This game is still fun.

I think it might depend on what you're looking for in the game?

I don't feel that the open world is wasted at all - this is the type of game I see myself playing after getting home from work to relieve stress. You just hop on one of the quads, set down a route marker, and drive.

It's a gas.

[QUOTE="StrawberryHill"]

[QUOTE="Charles_Dickens"]

I skipped the demo and bought the game, which I happen to love.

But could somebody please tell me what the demo is all about? Specifically, I'm wondering which vehicles they provided, how much of the world they're allowing you to explore, and which races they included?

Those three things.

Charles_Dickens

From what I could tell, they only offered one kind of motorcycle, a short race and one free ride in the open world. It didn't leave me a good impression of the game.

I loved Grid and Dirt. I've actually played most racing games out there.

Merely based on the demo of Fuel, I just found it to be boring. I own and played Test Drive Unlimited and grew bored of that quickly as well...so, I would probably grow bored with Fuel quickly as they are similar conceptually. I love the idea of there being an open world, but it's kind of pointless to have an open world where there is nothing to do aside from race. Like I said in another thread, the post-nuclear world of Fuel would be more fun and interesting if there were gangs of enemy camps that tried to knock you off your vehicle, or shoot at you. That's why I'm looking forward to Rage, if and when it's released.

It's cool that some people are enjoying Fuel. I like the idea of the game, I just didn't find the demo to be that enjoyable. Perhaps the full game is different.

I suppose that what I really like about Fuel is that it has managed to provide me with the same thrill I got from riding a real dirt bike when I was a kid - that first time you hop on a bike, and ride straight down a gravel road, is an unforgettable experience. Fuel is kind of like that.

I've tried motor-bike racers in the past, but they didn't work for me, chiefly because I wasn't given an open world in which to ride. Nor did the bikes ever feel right. Microsoft produced a bike game about ten years ago (I can't remember the name of it) but my computer, at the time, wouldn't run it. Some people said it was a good game though.

I like the dirt bike racing a lot in Fuel. But I have to admit that the so-called 'Quad' vehicles, which remind me of souped-up lawn-mowers, are pretty outrageous. If the demo didn't provide at least one quad for the player to try out then the demo is garbage.

Briefly played the demo, it felt very much like an average game. The visuals in general are very nice, however, in some areas such as the water/waves lapping shoreline and foliage close-up aren't very well done. Those types of details aren't typically important in a racing game but in Fuel's case the open-world aspect and free-ride ability is perhaps it's most prominent feature --- you have to expect that some gamers will not always be going full throttle and will spend some time simply exploring the landscape.

Based on some comments I've read, I expected the vehicles to feel less attached to the terrain and more floaty than how I found them to be. Instead they are tolerable, though not nearly as well-done as GRID where I absolutely love the effect of careening around a corner too fast and the car "skips" as the tires find traction as an example. In Fuel's case, some solid sound effects are probably helping the believability of actually racing on the terrain and indeed most of the terrain is off-road anyway.

There's no damage modeling that I noticed, no major jackassery stunts that can be performed in the open-world, other traffic lacks believability --- I followed trucks a couple of times just to see where they were going and in both times they eventually simply vanished in front of my eyes. The racing itself seemed moderately fun.

I don't feel that the open world is wasted at all - this is the type of game I see myself playing after getting home from work to relieve stress. You just hop on one of the quads, set down a route marker, and drive.
Charles_Dickens

Yep, I can definitely believe and understand that, that's the kind of gaming I do sometimes as well. Though for me personally, other than the visuals I'm not sure why I'd choose this game over something like 1nsane for "messing around".

That's why I'm looking forward to Rage, if and when it's released
StrawberryHill

Same here, I was kind of thinking along the lines of Rage while playing this...it would be awesome to be able to do more in this environment!

I loved Grid and Dirt. I've actually played most racing games out there.

Merely based on the demo of Fuel, I just found it to be boring. I own and played Test Drive Unlimited and grew bored of that quickly as well...so, I would probably grow bored with Fuel quickly as they are similar conceptually. I love the idea of there being an open world, but it's kind of pointless to have an open world where there is nothing to do aside from race. Like I said in another thread, the post-nuclear world of Fuel would be more fun and interesting if there were gangs of enemy camps that tried to knock you off your vehicle, or shoot at you. That's why I'm looking forward to Rage, if and when it's released.

It's cool that some people are enjoying Fuel. I like the idea of the game, I just didn't find the demo to be that enjoyable. Perhaps the full game is different.

StrawberryHill

You post confuses me.:? There is nothing to do in Grid and Dirt but race. Fuel does the exact same PLUS gives you the option to adventure drive around.

[QUOTE="StrawberryHill"]

I loved Grid and Dirt. I've actually played most racing games out there.

Merely based on the demo of Fuel, I just found it to be boring. I own and played Test Drive Unlimited and grew bored of that quickly as well...so, I would probably grow bored with Fuel quickly as they are similar conceptually. I love the idea of there being an open world, but it's kind of pointless to have an open world where there is nothing to do aside from race. Like I said in another thread, the post-nuclear world of Fuel would be more fun and interesting if there were gangs of enemy camps that tried to knock you off your vehicle, or shoot at you. That's why I'm looking forward to Rage, if and when it's released.

It's cool that some people are enjoying Fuel. I like the idea of the game, I just didn't find the demo to be that enjoyable. Perhaps the full game is different.

VeryBumpy

You post confuses me.:? There is nothing to do in Grid and Dirt but race. Fuel does the exact same PLUS gives you the option to adventure drive around.

What he meant was, Grid and Dirt don't pretend to have other things to do. Fuel does. Fuel creates a giant, pretty open world with absolutely nothing to do in it. And the driving mechanics aren't really good enough to make just driving around aimlessly fun.kieranb2000

What? I don't see how Fuel is pretending to do anything. Fuel has normal standard races to choose from PLUS the option to search lookout points, livery trucks and maverick vehicles or just roam around in the big open world solo or with friends. That is much more content and more things to do than Grid or Dirt.

If he liked strictly circuit racing then yeah, Grid or Dirt are the better game to get. Fuel offers decent circuit stuff and extras.

i was sure this could be awesome when i first heard about it, but it just doesn't feel right, isn't fun and doesn't offer a challenge. i already find it a major turn-off when the character i am supposed be controlling does silly tricks i have nothing to do with with whenever i am in the air too long (yet i can't even seem to do a wheelie..). other than that a real sense of speed is completely lacking, you can't crash or fall (it just looks absolutely silly when you bump into a tree in mid-air), i won the very first race in my first attempt, controls don't seem right (didn't even really notice a difference on different surfaces) and surely they could have thought of something better than these flashing arrows that do too much hand-holding and break immersion. overall the game just feels really bland and a waste of a good idea. definitely not a buy for me (in fact, i uninstalled the demo after two play sessions).

I've deleted my earlier posting on this Demo.The second time I went to play it ALL my original settings for steering wheel & pedals refused to work!

It is now IMPOSSIBLE to reset them. I have tried doing exactly what I originally did to remap the controls and this time nothing will work!

That, combined with average graphics and generally disappointing gameplay, has made me decide it's NOT worth getting.:(

I played the demo and I thought it was terrible. It was the 360 demo so idk if that makes any difference just seemed really bad to me :S.

[QUOTE="kieranb2000"] What he meant was, Grid and Dirt don't pretend to have other things to do. Fuel does. Fuel creates a giant, pretty open world with absolutely nothing to do in it. And the driving mechanics aren't really good enough to make just driving around aimlessly fun.VeryBumpy

What? I don't see how Fuel is pretending to do anything. Fuel has normal standard races to choose from PLUS the option to search lookout points, livery trucks and maverick vehicles or just roam around in the big open world solo or with friends. That is much more content and more things to do than Grid or Dirt.

If he liked strictly circuit racing then yeah, Grid or Dirt are the better game to get. Fuel offers decent circuit stuff and extras.

The point is this: There is nothing special to do in the open world but drive around. Why use "open world" as a major selling point of a game, if there is nothing special to do. If I am going to drive around, at least give me an interesting mission with some action to be involved in (ie, GTA IV). That's not to say the racing in the game isn't good...Codemasters puts out some really fun, high quality racing games and it's cool to be able to ride dirt bikes and buggy-type vehicles. From my point of view, though, this game has been marketed with it having a vast open world to explore.The Fuel demo felt vacuous and ultimately boring to me.