Codemasters unveils FUEL

[Flawless]

Eurogamer

Codemasters has unveiled FUEL, a brand new openworld racing game promising the "largest racing environment to appear in gaming - ever".

Developed by French outfit Asobo Studios, the game's due out on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in 2009.

Set in an "alternate present" where the world's been wrecked by the effects of climate change, FUEL claims a 5,000 square-mile playing area with "no boundaries" and 16-player racing.

Players race in "grungy home-tuned vehicles" across the "tsunami-wrecked pacific coast through the Nevada wastelands, including the Grand Canyon, up treacherous snow-capped mountains, thick forests, arid deserts, abandoned lakeside resorts and much more".

Along the way racers will encounter tornados, sandstorms, thunderstorms, lightning strikes and blizzards thanks to a dynamic weather system, and experience a full day-and-night cycle.

The ambitious-sounding game is going to be shown off for the first time at Games Convention in Leipzig this week, and we will be there to check it out - hoping that it's another racing success from Codemasters following on from the excellent Race Driver: GRID earlier this year.

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[Flawless]

Re: Codemasters unveils FUEL

Gamespot: First Look

Fuel is still in the early stages of development, but we were lucky enough to see some of the first-ever footage of in-game action. Races will be multivehicle and multiroute affairs, with bikes, quads, trucks, muscle cars, SUVs, and "specials" all tearing up the track at the same time. We were shown images of a tornado ripping through a building, with the resulting debris forcing drivers to take a different route. The best path through each race will depend on your vehicle, but a dynamic global positioning system will show you the optimum routes based on the vehicle you've selected. And with 70 unique vehicles in total, there will be plenty of opportunity for tactical driving.

Thankfully, you won't have to physically travel the entire breadth of the country just to move between races, because there will be a helicopter to take you between events in an instant.

Fuel's single-player game will be career-based, though at this stage we know only that there will be circuit races. You'll also be able to customise your character with tattoos when you win certain races, as well as create your own races on the fly to challenge friends online. The online mode will offer support for up to 16 players in total, and thankfully the two modes will integrate seamlessly so you'll be able to move back and forth without any interruption.

[lnin0]

Re: Codemasters unveils FUEL

codemasters is dead to me. F1 is their only chance now.

[mercalnd]

Re: Codemasters unveils FUEL

codemasters is dead to me. F1 is their only chance now.

I feel the same way. Perhaps they'll be more inclined to go the sim route with F1 since they will actually be reproducing an actual racing series, something they did very well in their Indycar Series days and with the V8 Supercars and DTM in the TOCA series.

[W Patrick]

Re: Codemasters unveils FUEL

Wow, seriously who wants this game? It is amazing to me that a group of people got together and decided this is the type of game that the racing community wants. Codemasters has gone off the deep end and I predict this game will fail miserably.

[pk500]

Re: Codemasters unveils FUEL

This can't be the same company that brought us the TOCA and Colin McRae series. Talk about jumping the shark.

Take care,
PK