For gamers looking for a MMOPGMMORPG with a new twist, Auto Assault has arrived and it is as fully loaded as the vehicles that traverse the games post apocalypse highways.
From Net Devil and NC Soft, Auto Assault allows gamers to get behind the wheel of some of the most lethal machines ever created and unleash untold amounts of carnage upon the highways and open spaces off a world that has seen better days.
Players can select from Mutant, Human, and Bio-Mech classes, and each race has their own sub classes which differ in terms of abilities and strengths.
For my character I selected a Human Commando and soon had to name my character and design their look, gender, and vehicle name and look from the in game character creator. While this feature is not as detailed as say the ones in City of Heroes and City of Villains, it does allow players to customize their look and design a basic vehicle which can be customized many times in the main game.
After a series of tutorials, I was off on the path to adventure. Most of the missions are assigned by people, terminals, or drones in town, and in a nice twist, a shaft of light illuminates key contacts so players can see which of the many contacts has something for them.
This is key, as a town can be very hectic and it keeps players from wasting time going to contacts that do not have anything for them. Missions range from exploration, to courier and the old search and destroy favorites and often involve traveling outside protected cities and bases to complete.
When out on the road, players can get into frenzy akin to the “Mad Max” film series as there are plenty of mutated creatures, bad guys and enemy vehicles to destroy. While the game does support controllers, players can operate the vehicle and player with the keyboard while using the mouse to aim and fire your weapons.
The main weapon is a turret which can be armed with weapons obtained via trading, purchase, salvage, or crafting. Crafting is a big part of the game as players can refine and craft salvaged materials in towns once they learn the skills which allow them to create items ranging from weapons, engines, and more for their own use or to sell.
In time, players will be able to arm a fixed front and rear mounted weapon to their car as well as a melee weapon which makes ramming the bad guys a nice tactic for close quarter encounters.
If you think customization is the name of the game in Auto Assault you are right, as not only do you upgrade your vehicle, you will be upgrading yourself by means of new skills and abilities which will come into play when you leave the safety of your vehicle to walk around a town or outpost to trade and complete/earn missions.
If you are defeated in battle, you are able to get a ride to the last repair base you visited and will be on your way in no time. One of the nice features of the game is that there is no XP Penalty for death, so players are able to be as aggressive as they want and have fun, without being forced to play it safe.
The designers of Auto Assault wisely put the focus on fun as the grind of leveling that hinders other MMOPGMMORPG games has been reduced as much as possible for the player leaving them free to play, and increase their skill levels in a manner faster than other games in the genre, which in turn allows them new skills, new abilities and even more options.
Should players wish to take on other real players, then combat arenas exist for them to blast away on something trickier than the local Scavs, (who make a nice scrunch when you flatten them with your car).
Graphically the game delivers as the open landscapes and the fully destructible environments make it a true delight for players. The in game sound is effective especially when taking down a dwelling and earning the satisfying sound of bricks falling down.
Some may say the missions do not offer as much of a challenge, but for pedal to the floor fun, Auto Assault delivers the goods and keeps your attention.
As the game will be updated over time, it was nice to see a very stable launch for the game, and a delight for gamers everywhere. Kudos for the designers for taking the time to delay the launch of the game to add features that were suggested during the Beta rather than cashing in on a fast release and patching in items later.
4.5 stars out of 5
