Maximum madness.
QUEST LOG #29: FUMES (DEMO)
There must be something the the water this time around - another post apocalyptic wasteland to explore…
Cross Demolition Derby, Twisted Metal, the Mad Max films and game, blend them together and extract every ounce of fun and carnage, boil it down and refine with a PS1 aesthetic. Optimise it for PC, and bask in the unadulterated glory of FUME (developed by FUMES team).
At its heart, it’s a very simple game. Roam the world, blow up vehicles, collect upgrades, and repeat. There is some depth to the customisation and there are options regarding what kinds of missions you do, but other than that, there’s not a lot else to go on. It leans heavily on the Mad Max premise, referencing it a lot, but it by no means feels like a pale imitation. The thrill of the chase and the excitement of battle is firmly set in this game, and it already feels like a beloved classic, even after only a few hours. I can’t speak to how long the draw would last, but it’s clear to see that this is the kind of game you’d chip away at, constantly drawn back for quick bursts of action and to unlock a handful of upgrades and cosmetics.
As for the customisation of your vehicle, you can unlock different chassis, weapons, suspensions, paid jobs, decals, and a bunch of other bits and bobs. It’s surprisingly deep, and combined with the retro aesthetic, it’s really appealing. What’s a great touch too, is that your garage is mobile, coming in the form of a colossal truck that drives about independent of you. You must hunt it down and honk your horn for it to stop and then drive aboard - a lovely touch that keeps everything believably in-world.
The driving and combat are at the heart of the game, and what you’ll be spending the majority of your time doing. Luckily, both of these aspects feel great. Driving is responsive, but not without some getting used to. Different chassis and suspension options offer different experiences, and this only adds to the depth. The weapons too, at least from what I have seen in the demo are varied, and feel very weighty and impactful when firing at your swarming assailants. A bit like in Doom (the new ones) you are encouraged to hunt. In that game, in order to heal yourself, you have to go out into the level, be aggressive, and kill your enemies with a lust for carnage in your heart - the same is true with FUMES. In order to repair yourself while traversing the open landscape, you must destroy your opponents, and this encourages relentless action. Combined with the fun driving, effective weapons, a good variety of mission options, and some deeper mechanics (such as customisation and upgrades in the form of cargo delivery), beautiful landscapes, well crafted user interface, and a really great soundtrack and sound design - this game delivers on every aspect.
A simple yet refined experience is often lacking - people crave the most advanced graphics, the biggest open worlds, and the deepest stories, but sometimes, less is more. FUMES is a prime example of what a talented developer can create if their vision is focused and their aims are lightly more restrained. With it being of a lower visual quality (at least on paper), it can focus on other areas. The open word feels vast, with a sense of mystery, and the number of enemies on screen at any one time makes for excellent chaos, all while running incredibly smoothly. There might be improvements with the full release, but unlike several other demos I have tried, there is little I can think of in the way of technical faults with this game. It also features a very robust photo mode, with various filters, camera controls, and the ability to change the time of day - this is always very much appreciated, and works as an excellent tool to keep games relevant amongst fans, giving them an easy way to create and share imagery - if every game had such features I’d have had a much easier time of it when working on my various [VR]Ography projects. Even the files that are output by this feature include little bits of encouragement, like KeepItUp.png, or GoodJobSport.png. Well, good job sport and keep it up to you, FUMES!
It feels so fully featured already and I have a feeling it’s going to be one my favourite of the year, and that’s saying something for a demo… I can’t wait to buy the full version!
Have you played this? If not, why not! It’s not often that a game can elicit the kind of excitement that you had when you were eight and got to play something special on a demo disk.
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