"Something Different!"

Auto Assault may come across as an odd title to most, and it is. No other MMO game offers quite this blend of action and simple gameplay. Whether that is a good thing truly depends on the player. This is intended as an idea of what the game is like, not so much a cry of 'PLAY THIS GAME!' (Which I would love to say) or 'KEEP AWAY!'.

At the basic level, AA can be likened to a mix of Twisted Metal, Burnout, a dash of Carmageddon, a touch of Guild Wars (Or your MMORPG of choice) all served up in a unique, shiny and fast package. I will immediately point out: If your idea of fun is NOT driving around shooting stuff and making things go splat as you run them over, then this game is not for you. However, if you can draw endless hours of amusement from machinegunning giant acid spitting bugs while driving backwards through a ruined city, cloaking your car for the sole purpose of driving up to an infantryman and splattering him with your melee weapon, and of course car-sex (You'll figure it out), then this might just be the game of your dreams.

While the core gameplay is simple, there are some distinct overtones offered by the RPG side of the game, namely the character classes/races, each offering a neat variation on the 'how to make this die' approach. AA sticks with the staple offering of the usual RPG: The warrior/brawler type character, the healer/monk type, the summoner/party buffer, and the stealthy assassin character. Each of the three races has its own unique perks and downsides, and the four basic classes remain generally the same. Of course, there are advantages offered by some, almost a rock-paper-scissors setup as far as racial traits are concerned. Tactics do play a much larger role once the character develops and levels up, and especially when a convoy (party) is formed with other players. As far as blowing stuff up is concerned, you probably will too, and unless you're careful and very lucky, you will wreck often enough. The penalty is almost non existent, which is an absolutely wonderful feature. The only punishment for death is the time it takes you to heal up and drive back to where you were. None of that 'resurrection sickness' type stuff. To top things off you can even pay some clink (in game money) and get repaired on the spot of your demise, right back into the action!

I will repeat again: drive alongside/behind/towards something, shoot it till it dies, rinse and repeat. That is in the end what AA comes down to.

On that note the driving is quite fun. It's never felt quite that good to come burning down the road into town, zeroing in on your quest-giving npc, gunning it down the sidestreet, and screeching to a spinning 180 degree brake slide next to the sidewalk. The cars, bikes and tanks all have a distinct feel, and while its generally hard to flip yourself over or otherwise lose control, the pentalty is simply that of waiting for your car to flip itself back up after a second or two. There is a good amount of skill involved in high-speed driving, with careful use of the braking and light-turns rewarded well. On that note, while some might find the keyboard to be a bit clunky, the game works with a pad or even a steering wheel, but be warned this does limit your access to quick-use icons for skills. I personaly like the keyboard. Of course, driving denotes large amounts of travel, and while the levels areas are quite enormous, I have yet to find myself bored while trudging across a map for two reasons: theres always something fun to do while 'traveling', and you can instantly get yourself flown to your destination once you've visited there. So get out, explore the radioactive wasteland, blow up some giant spider things, run over some scavengers, and drop by the multitude of towns along the way to... wherever.

That being said: driving is good, shooting is fun, mix them together, and you have a sweet time.

If you must question the depth of the game, there is alot to be found on the car and equipment side of things. The loot generator is incredibly varied and the crafting system is almost too detailed. While it isn't necessary to even bother with crafting, the rewards are great, and with the obscene amount of variety, players can truly gain a sense of success once they start creating items that others want and pay for, knowing that chances are minuscule that any other player would make the same item themselves. If ever there was a game where the crafting trade was appreciated, this is it. That being said, there are limits to even the master tradesman, and for that same reason, the trade looks to be very fun, with almost no undercutting of sales, seeing as the highest level items are generally unique to the player making them.

Now for the technical side of things: graphics being the first on most gamer's minds. AA looks good. With high details and resolution, the game is very pretty. Nothing spectacular, no 'omg that looks amazing', but very solid, clean, and just enough spice (glowy things, sparkles... etc) to make it shine. The weather and atmospherics are great, as are the pyrotechnic displays and other particles. Overall, nothing spectacular by todays standards, but nice nonetheless.

Sound is a mixed bag, with most notably certain weapon noises becoming slightly repetitive and annoying, but when you top that with explosions, roaring engines, crumbling buildings and spattering infantry, it sounds better than most games. For those with headphones or surround audio, it works very well. The music is another very high point of the game, featuring good variety and I have yet to find myself getting tired of the tracks throughout. Overall good sound and music quality.

Gameplay, for those that didnt quite get what I spewed about: Simplistic at the core, but enough depth on the crafting and equipment side to keep one interested for a long while. The character classes definitely take some time to really pick up and feel distinct, but once they do, its a great experience. Drive (in various ways), shoot (with various weapons and skills), and make things go boom/splat. Done and done.

If you don't own a copy, give it a test drive if possible. This probably isn't a game that just anyone will love. Pity one can't rent PC titles... Try before you buy is recommended for most on this title. If you do own a copy, great! Now just get all your friends playing it too!!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/18/06