Auto Assault

I personally played the game for about two weeks, and I have to say, I was impressed. When I first logged into the game, I really had absolutely no idea what to expect. I mean.. a vehicle MMO? Come on! Once you are finally in though, you don’t even care that it’s a vehicle MMO. It’s an MMO, plain and simple. It just has a huge twist, that’s all ;)

One problem with many MMO’s, is that they require a -lot- of time in order to get anything done. As GFaust mentioned in the interview though, this game is designed to not give you any sense of a ‘grind’. Missions streamline into each other quite well, and are actually quite fun to do. Even with the repetitiveness. The loot system is an aspect of the game that keeps things interesting also. You never know what you will find out there. Though you find a lot of useless junk, your pack will get full very quickly.

The graphics in AA are extremely well done. If you have played City of Heroes or Villains, you will know what to expect here really. They are not the same, per se, but they have their similarities. Each town and environment you enter is far different than the last, and really keeps things fresh. It also encourages you to go out and purposely explore just for the sake of finding new areas.

The crafting system, while creative, could have been better implemented. It get’s boring after a while, especially when all you seem to find is useless broken products that are virtually worthless. It’s not a required system to learn by any means, but if it’s there, it should be fun, not boring and tedious.

There are many monsters out in the battlefield waiting your challenge. Not all the monsters are the same either. There are mutants walking around crying to be run over, deformed plants, massive insects, and of course other vehicles. Not vehicles just on the ground either, because it won’t be long before you encounter helicopters in your travels. Each area has varying monsters, and that helps keep the game fresh. For instance, while there are regular army trucks in one area, in Thug Town, you will find low-riders and other gangsta ve-hickles.

In addition, you may occasionally enter an area that will warn you about a powerful opponent nearby. These are like mini-bosses, that usually require a small group to kill. Usually, the only way you will kill them solo, is it you are much higher level than them, where they can barely touch you. You can also bash them a few times then die and go back, but often their health will have regenerated.

I have actively played many MMO’s in the past, but due to other things in life, I can’t play them as much as I’d like. With so much MMO goodness on the market, it’s hard to choose which game to stick to. When each MMO costs you $15US a month, it makes you want to choose wisely.

Is Auto Assault worth a purchase? Yes, even though it won’t get an incredible score. While I actively enjoyed the game for two weeks, the game still has a lot of bugs and problems that need to be addressed. Despite these issues, this is a great MMO, especially given that you don’t need to devote 8 hours a day in order to accomplish a lot. You can literally jump in for an hour and log out satisfied.

Even though there are a lot of missions available, I’d like to see more added, to decrease the chances of a player having to grind in order to reach the next level. Granted, many MMO’s out there require grinding to level, but it just doesn’t seem to really suit a game like this. Because you can die rather quickly without some looted rations, grinding does become a chore. Each time you die, you will respawn at the last health station. So, if you die quick, you will be driving to the same hunting spot each time you die. It’s a loop, really.

If you have not tasted MMO culture before, then this is a great game to get you started. Though the longevity of the game is currently unknown, NetDevil is diligently adding new content and stomping bugs as they see them. Since the game only costs around $30 on average, it’s hard to really go wrong here. If you still can’t fathom the idea of a vehicle MMO, I can assure you… you will likely be surprised. I am awarding Auto Assault a 77%.

BMW’s and Pinto’s

+ Unique idea for an MMO
+ Superb graphics
+ Large world to explore
+ Leveling is rather quick
+ You get to blow stuff up!

– Missions can get repetitive
– Some bugs still not ironed out since beta
– Crafting system could be more ‘fun’

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