FUEL

Asobo go turbo-charged with this new racer

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It is fair to say that Codemasters have quite a pedigree when it comes to top-notch racing games, so when the British publisher chooses to back an ambitious crew of previously low-key game makers, you know they must have something fairly special on their hands. That is the lay of the land with FUEL (which I shall now write as 'Fuel', if only because I HATE the caps-lock), the new racing title from developer Asobo.

Dave Brickley, the game's producer is here to talk to us, and he's joined by Asobo's CTO and designer. We won't be able to play Fuel during this Games Convention briefing, sadly, but the creators talk such a good game it hardly seems to matter at this stage, given that Fuel won't be released until next year.

For the second time on Codemasters' booth, I'm told that the developers "have had to wait for technology to catch up with their vision", the producer admitting that this game marks a departure from Codies' racing heritage, given the open-world, procedurally generated nature of the game's content.

But what is Fuel? At its heart, Fuel is a vast open-world, set across a large chunk of America's west, from the Californian coast through mountain and desert interior to the central plains of the country, Nevada, Arizona, et al. All in all, the landscape will take in some 15,000 square kilometres, making Fuel one of the biggest gaming worlds ever conceived in any genre. This huge map is to be powered by a game engine which Asobo clearly feel is something a bit special.

Draw distances will reach up to 40 kilometres ahead given appropriate line-of-sight, and the vast game map will take in lakes, mountains, valleys and more - featuring both extreme off-road and fast-paced tarmac racing. While the landscapes are 70% computer-generated (were it not, the data would fill a whopping seven Blu-ray discs, we're told), key features like a crater lake and the Grand Canyon will be included, and have been finished-off by Asobo's artists to ensure they look just right.

Despite the so-called automated nature of the content, then, we're promised a wide variety of terrain types and scenery: forests, prairie, deserts and snow-covered mountains all designed to mix up the racing experience - even over relatively short distances. A road network of major and minor roads will also cris-cross the whole map, making some races briefer and faster-paced than others. As you explore this world - a now barren landscape taken over by extreme sports drivers at a time in the future where "the oil is running out and a new age is dawing" - you'll encounter various kinds of race to compete in.

Given beginning and end points on the map, your job will then be to navigate the game's diverse terrain in your custom-built vehicle, attempting to ensure you cross the finish line in first place. You can go literally anywhere you want, although if you're entering a race some distance away a helicopter will be available to help you reach the start more rapidly. Yes, the map is that big.

In addition to this roaming-racing approach, Asobo tell us they're working hard on a rather special weather system, that will make a big difference to your experience in-game - especially the terrain you choose to use for your path across the map. Conditions will range from blue-skied perfection to raging storms, with rain making surfaces slippery and driving more troublesome. Altitude will also effect weather, so as you move between land of differing heights conditions may change, further impacting your racing. Asobo are even plotting some killer sand-storms, which should really making some races interesting.

So, how big is this world? Well, Codies' representatives tell us that crossing the entire map via the 'country' route will take in excess of two hours, while the west-east freeway (tackled in a fast car at over 200 miles-per-hour) will still take the best part of 45 minutes. There will be no load times, Fuel instead streaming-in landscape data on the fly - which is quite a technical feat, if it can be pulled off. This will add to the new 'extreme sports' feel the developers are hoping to foster around this futuristic-world-gone-wrong premise, which sees this slice of America taken over by wild racers. It all sounds just a tad Mad Max, in fact.

Scenery destruction will also add further intrigue to races, with weather and cars ripping up trees and generally making a mess. Asobo hope this will enhance the drama of races, while a computer will offer suggested routes through the landscape based on your actions, in order to ensure things don't get too confusing.

There will be many vehicles to choose from in Fuel, we're told, including bikes, cars, quads, et al, and the career mode will see you growing in stature from a narrative perspective, as you win events - more choices opening up as you progress through the game. Accessibility is key, while the developers will also include a mission editor to allow players to craft their own experience on top of what is clearly going to be quite a sizable frame-work.

Still, given that we couldn't actually play the game, we're still unsure quite how the studio's obvious ambition will be borne out in reality; that said, if Fuel plays as good as it sounds then the racing genre could be set for quite a shake-up, and that's no bad thing.

By Luke Guttridge