''Fuel'' (stylized in all uppercase as ''FUEL'') is an
open world racing video game
Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic rac ...
developed by
Asobo Studio
Asobo Studio SAS is a French video game developer based in Bordeaux and founded in 2002. The studio is most known for developing video game adaptations of several Pixar movies, ''A Plague Tale: Innocence'', and the 2020 version of ''Microsoft Fli ...
and published by
Codemasters
The Codemasters Software Company Limited (trade name: Codemasters) is a British video game developer based in Southam, England, which is a subsidiary of American corporation Electronic Arts. Founded by brothers Richard and David Darling in Oct ...
. The game was released in 2009 in North America on June 2 and Europe on June 5 for
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November ...
and
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
,
and July 5 for
Microsoft Windows. It is set in a post-apocalyptic United States after the Sun scorched the Earth, with a completely free-to-roam open world approximately in size, which is roughly the size of the U.S. state of
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
.
In the free roaming mode, the game features the ability to drive anywhere in the game world without incurring loading times; however, crashing a vehicle – or invoking the reset function to return to the road – does invoke a loading screen.
Gameplay
''Fuel'' is an
open world racing game
Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more realistic ra ...
set in a ''
Mad Max
''Mad Max'' is an Australian post-apocalyptic action film series and media franchise created by George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It began in 1979 with '' Mad Max'', and was followed by three sequels: ''Mad Max 2'' (1981, released in the Unite ...
''-like post-apocalyptic world ravaged by extreme weather fueled by global warming, with players experiencing varying weather effects such as occasional
tornado
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...
es and
sandstorms
A dust storm, also called a sandstorm, is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Fine particles are transporte ...
, as well as an accelerated day-night cycle.
The map in which the game takes place is over 14,400 square kilometers large.
Development
''Fuel'' evolved from a game Asobo Studio announced in 2005, called ''Grand Raid Offroad''.
The award for largest playable area in a console game was awarded to ''Fuel'' developer Asobo Studios. ''
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' presented the developer with a certificate to commemorate the achievement.
Reception
''Fuel'' has been met with mixed reviews, praising the graphics and the world design. Many of the rewards available to be unlocked were seen as not worth the effort and the racing mechanics have been noted as sloppy, with the AI opponents leading for most of the race only to slow down towards the end to allow the player to win.
IGN: Fuel Playstation 3 Review
/ref>
References
External links
*{{official, http://www.codemasters.com/game/fuel/
''Fuel''
at MobyGames
2009 video games
Asobo Studio games
Codemasters games
Games for Windows certified games
Guinness World Records
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Off-road racing video games
Open-world video games
PlayStation 3 games
Post-apocalyptic video games
Racing video games
Racing video games set in the United States
Video games developed in France
Windows games
Xbox 360 games