Based in an abandoned weather torn wasteland, Fuel is a post apocalyptic open world racing game that delivers where it should. With its ever so varied regions, outstanding weather effects, vast vehicle selection, and amazing map size, Fuel gives players the chance to experience racing like in no other game. The amount of races and challenges combined with the ability to freely roam the wastelands makes Fuel a must have title for racing fans, and a good bet for other gamers out there.

Let me start off by saying that, although I don't hate the racing genre, it is definitely not one of my favorites. With that said, I think Fuel has broken some barriers, making racing more enjoyable in general. The vast environment in Fuel is the first mind blowing aspect a player will notice about the game. After driving for a good twenty minutes and checking the map, it appeared that I had only covered half of the region I was in, which was less than a tenth of the entire map size. Yes, the game is that huge, putting it on equal ground with the best of free roam games (Oblivion anyone?) when it comes to playable terrain distance. Not only is the landscape intriguing and intimidating, but it's beautiful and varied as well. With each region depicting a different ecosystem and environment, the players are able to experience everything from off-road motocross in the desert, to street racing in an abandoned city, to truck racing on a snowy mountain top. The fact that the environments were actually taken from real satellite images of major regions of the world makes the game more realistic. Better yet, the work that the development team put into it to make the regions seamlessly flow into each other adds to the realism even more to provide a full, lush environment, full of everything you would expect from a free roaming game. However, when dealing with a world as vast as Fuel's, one should expect a lot of repeating scenery. Little things like big rocks and boulders, downed trees, burned trees, and beaches seem to repeat themselves throughout the game, but aside fro that, the environment is amazing and intensely detailed. That isn't where the good things stop mind you.

Graphically, Fuel is more beautiful than not. The little things like the detail of mud splashing onto the screen and the player character while traversing certain terrain, and then having it wash off after traveling through water seem to effect the game a great deal. The multiple “Camps” all have a unique style to them, making every starting camp feel different from the last. Fields are detailed with random yet well positioned farm houses, adding to the post apocalyptic feel of the game. Water looks lovely in the game, and the 24-hour environmental clock does it much justice. Add the intentional “Vista Points” that play into the gameplay as well as offer the player a sight seeing interest, and you have one beautiful game on your hands. Vehicle wise, the game delivers as well, but on a lesser scale. Although there are many vehicles to chose from, there is not much selection when it comes to customization. Some vehicles have a very nice paint job and detail selection, while others are just bland and boring. The unlockable and obtainable paint details make the situation a little more enjoyable however, but never the less, some vehicles are just more boring than the others. With that said, Fuel is still a very good looking game, and while it has its graphical flaws and 720p restrictions, it is still extremely attractive overall.

Graphics aside, the game has a lot of other things to boast about, including sound. From startup, players can tell that the game boasts a unique custom soundtrack meant specifically for the Fuel franchise. The fitting instrumental soundtrack really fits in this open world racer, adding to the free feeling of it, and giving players a sense of relaxation. Not only does the soundtrack add to the game, but it gives Fuel a recognizable theme, adding to the personality and character of the game. However, that might as well be where the good things related to sound end, and the bad things begin. Even though the soundtrack is fitting and enjoyable, the sound effects are a little bit less than that. While the vehicle sounds are fairly varied and different for every vehicle class and somewhat different for every vehicle in a class, some of the sound effects in Fuel get really repetitive and annoying. Riding a motorcycle for instance, will have you trolling along when you hit a mall bump, causing your bike to bounce a bit. This in turn triggers the most annoying sound in the entire game, a bump sound that is way too loud for what it's used for. You will constantly be hearing the bumping bottoming out sound as you're riding along the terrain, including smooth roads and tarmac. This could be easily ignored, if it wasn't so loud. The sound doesn't only prove to be annoying, but somewhat distracting when you're in a race or trying to find an objective. However, if you can manage to get over it, the sounds are overall good, other than the odd sound of traveling through grass, the annoying unnecessary hi-revving sound of motors, the scraping of metal on rock, and the sound of squealing tired triggered by the softest stops imaginable. Luckily, the game does come with a sound effects volume channel. Turn that down, and we can get on with the gameplay.