Full Auto

Full Auto Updated Hands-On

LOS ANGELES--Earlier today, at the G-Phoria event in Los Angeles, we had the opportunity to check out the latest work-in-progress version of Full Auto. Currently slated for release alongside the Xbox 360 console in November, Full Auto is an over-the-top racing game that bears more than a passing resemblance to Criterion's Burnout games, but with weapons.

The version of Full Auto on display at G-Phoria featured the same two circuit and point-to-point tracks that were earlier this year, as well as an all-new circuit that was being used to show off the previously unseen "rampage" gameplay mode. It's also worth noting that the game was being shown on a beta version of the Xbox 360 hardware rather than one of the alpha development kits seen at E3, and we're pleased to report that the improvement in its performance was quite noticeable. With that said, there were still occasions when the frame rate couldn't keep up with all of the on-screen carnage, but Sega and Pseudo Interactive still have plenty of time to address that.

The rampage gameplay mode tasked us with reaching the end of a lengthy point-to-point course while awarding us points for causing as much damage to traffic and scenery as possible. The other vehicles in Full Auto aren't nearly as quick to blow up as those in the upcoming Burnout Revenge, though, so you'll need to put your chosen car's weapons to good use rather than just smash into them. There were a handful of different vehicles for us to choose from at the start of the demo, and each of them was available with one of two or three different weapon configurations. The first time we played, for example, we opted for a muscle car armed with front-firing machine guns and rockets, but for our second attempt we chose an off-road vehicle, which we equipped with a front-mounted shotgun, and grenades that we could drop behind us.

The damage we caused with said toys was pretty spectacular at times, especially when there were explosions involved. During the course of a normal Full Auto race, of course, you'll rarely have time to take in the scenery as it blows up, which is why Sega and Pseudo Interactive have decided to implement a "one-touch replay" feature. By hitting down on the D pad during a race, you'll be able to pause the action, and then watch back the last 12-15 seconds of mayhem from just about any camera angle you wish, and with the ability to manually control the speed that it plays back at. We gave the feature a try after one of our less accurate rockets strayed into a gas station--the explosion was spectacular, to say the least, and watching all of the debris fly through the air in slow-motion was quite satisfying.

Even in normal, non-rampage races, you'll be encouraged to cause carnage in Full Auto. Any damage you cause contributes energy to your "unwreck meter" to the right of the screen. Any time you wreck your car, or even just do a poor job of negotiating a corner or something, you'll be able to use that energy to unwreck--by rewinding time for up to 15 seconds. The accompanying black-and-white visual effects are easy on the eyes, but we found that unwrecking wasn't always very helpful because making the same mistakes (or falling victim to the same attacks) over and over again sometimes seemed unavoidable.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Full Auto, and although its frame rate and sense of speed are a little erratic at times, things are sure to improve by the time the game (and the Xbox 360 hardware) is finalized. We'll bring you more information on Full Auto as soon as it becomes available.