Fired Up

Vehicle-based combat. Yeah. We went "Meh" too. Then it turned out to be a kleptomaniacal free-roaming single-player effort with lots to do strapped to a surprisingly engaging mixture of multiplayer deathmatch and racing...

Order yours now from Simply Games.

'Fired Up' Screenshot 1

After Hardware Online Arena on the PS2, we weren't all that fired up about Fired Up, but this really surprised us; in fact it's an early favourite amongst the Euro PSP efforts we've tried. Between the single-player story mode (eight hours of collecting tokens, killing enemy vehicles, and scouring every nook and cranny of three two-kilometre-square free-roaming environments for bonuses) and the eight-player wireless multiplayer (a mixture of Hardware-style deathmatch and team-based vehicle combat modes and straight checkpoint racing affairs), it's a game that always has something to keep you occupied.

The single-player mode, first of all, is much more than just a training session for wireless deathmatching. Instead, you roam around city and countryside environments tackling a number of story missions (six serious ones per level) from the perspectives of three different characters - which involve collecting disparate items within a time limit, destroying convoys creeping around various bits of the environment and so on - and completing a plethora of smaller sub-missions and tasks that mean you can rarely turn down a street without finding something to do. The dev-team chaps at our disposal boasted that you could turn it on for 30 seconds between Tube stops, search out a couple of tokens hidden in alleyways or on hard-to-reach rooftops, switch off and have made genuine progress. It's that sort of GTA-style "chip away" approach that millions of us evidently find so appealing.

The bits we saw involved collecting tokens (10 of which unlock a particular weapon, Hidden Package-style), and getting involved in "Fired Up" sub-missions where you're given 60 seconds to kill five enemies, a bit like GTA's Rampage missions. The derivative approach doesn't seem to hurt the game's appeal though; the vehicle types all handled nicely with varying weaponry and the environments were detailed and evidently expansive, while the bland texturing was made up for by that sense of scope and some lovely vehicle detail. With rooftop jump networks to negotiate, loads of missions and various ratings to get in each mission it's the sort of thing we can imagine happily occupying our time between Tube stops - and as we lie in bed paying lip-service to the notion of an "early night".

'Fired Up' Screenshot 2

Even the multiplayer surprised us. We didn't think much of Hardware, with apologies to the dev-folks, but this revamped effort certainly worked nicely with eight players buzzing around trying to take control of a heli-pad in King of the Hill - thanks to some sensible level design and vicious weaponry. We're particularly fond of the "bounce missile", or whatever the proper name for it is, which sends your enemies flying into the air and tumbling back down with a few bounces along the way. Other game modes will include standard Deathmatch and Capture the Flag, Bomb The Base and Assimilation, which is said to be a bit like playground fave "It". There's also the possibility - although we should stress it's just that at the moment - of downloadable multiplayer maps later in the day.

At the end of our day, though, it was the multiplayer checkpoint racing that stuck out. With weapons at your disposal, some bumpy track design to negotiate and a variety of vehicles to tackle it all in, it was a surprise success with the assembled hacks - and overall the combination of modes and their uniform accessibility ought to see Fired Up do a darn sight better for the PSP than Hardware did for the PS2. It may even live up to the team's tongue-in-cheek proclamation that it's "the PSP's big action title". Don't mock it; you just might be singing its praises in a few months time.

[You're certainly Fired Up about it now. -Ed]

Yes. Good night.

Order yours now from Simply Games.

Comments (22) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • daku #1 7 years ago

    First!



    Edited by 2 at 14/02/05 @ 14:41
  • Daan #2 7 years ago

    Congratulations! Because of you making the first post, you have earned the exclusive right to suck my balls! :)

    It's still a meh game to me btw.
  • Thamuhacha #3 7 years ago

    >I then read "Sony Computer Entertainment" and then thought great, no doubt it will also have Carmageddon Graphics - circa 1997 seeing as i take its for the PS2.

    erm ... we are i the PSP section aren't we?
  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #4 7 years ago

    Funny things happen to people who post 'First!'

    I've even heard of their posts being changed!
  • spindizzy #5 7 years ago

    Not only is it in the PSP section, and not only is the PSP mentioned at the start but there's lots of references in the article which make it obvious that it isn't for the PS2 ("The dev-team chaps at our disposal boasted that you could turn it on for 30 seconds between Tube stops" being an obvious one).

    Ninjamagic = ninjamuppet

    ;-)
  • spindizzy #6 7 years ago

    deathgibbon: if I was a gaming journo getting these things for free then I'd be pretty excited about the PSP as well. As it is, as a mere mortal, I intend to wait a long while before (if ever) getting one. Too pricey right now... and I need to see how Advance Wars DS turns out.

    But back to the point - I don't think it's that surprising that EG et al. are excited by the PSP.

    1) it's a new handheld console from a new manufacturer. Competition is good!
    2) it's way more powerful than the current king, the GBA.
    3) it's wireless, which has the potential to revolutionise the portable gaming experience (IMHO)
  • Spanky #7 7 years ago

    I'd love carmageddon on a handheld, i'm still playing the original ;)
  • IronGiant #8 7 years ago

    "Is it just me or is EG being so pro-PSP it's sickening? Same goes for all games journalism at the moment."

    It's just you. I remember there being plenty of DS stuff on here when that was released a couple of months back. They've played some PSP games and they were impressed, what did you expect? Nout wrong with some enthusiasm for a new platform, just wait till XBox2 gets closer to release! I'm sure EG just like games no matter what platform like the rest of us.. well most.
  • IronGiant #9 7 years ago

    Have you actually read this article? They enjoyed actually playing the game. This is the only graphics related comment "while the bland texturing was made up for by that sense of scope and some lovely vehicle detail".
  • dadrester #10 7 years ago

    how does the level loading work? do they stream blocks or are levels loaded in for each mission? just curious
  • Blakester #11 7 years ago

    "Is it just me or is EG being so pro-PSP it's sickening? Same goes for all games journalism at the moment."

    I have no doubt that if you had one yourself, you'd be singing its praises like everyone else. You can't underestimate the effect THAT screen has on you, or indeed playing home quality games in the palm of your hand.

    I've bored everyone silly talking about how great the PSP is. I didn't when I got my DS, nor my Xbox, imported PS2 or imported Gamecube. Says it all really.
  • ElephantMonkey #12 7 years ago

    " disc
    14-Feb-05 14:29:31

    There hasnt been a good carmageddon type game since the first carmageddon so what's wrong with that ? "


    Come on! Carmageddon 2 was the best of the series. And still one of the best games I've ever played.
  • Whizzo #13 7 years ago

    Hmm ok so maybe carmageddon 2 was the best one. It had 3dacceleration and the first one didnt right?

    The peds looked like crap in C2 and it wasn't as good as the original if you ask me. The first Carma had 3D acceleration if you were sensible enough to have a 3dfx card, which all gamers with a bit of sense did.
  • perilikid #14 7 years ago

    Yay! Another article for PSPgamer!
  • Scimarad #15 7 years ago

    "but it just seems so... bland and boring. There's no real excitement about it"

    You are definately in minority there:-) Then again, who am I to talk; I'm the apparently the one person on the planet that isn't a huge fan of Metroid....
  • ElephantMonkey #16 7 years ago

    Scimarad
    14-Feb-05 19:44:30

    "I'm the apparently the one person on the planet that isn't a huge fan of Metroid.... "

    No you're not alone there. And I'm not just NOT a huge fan of metroid, I'm not interested at all at the series. A new metroid game announcment is like.... a new Gauntlet game announcment (sorry to all Gauntlet fans but it was the only other bland game series I could think).
  • ElephantMonkey #17 7 years ago

    Whizzo
    14-Feb-05 17:39:39

    "The first Carma had 3D acceleration if you were sensible enough to have a 3dfx card, which all gamers with a bit of sense did."


    I remember those old days. I was faced with the dilema to either buy a 3dfx voodoo card for my PC, or an N64. You can guess what I got.
    Edited by 1 at 14/02/05 @ 23:09
  • 3william56 #18 7 years ago

    Blimey. Sony console in decent launch range shocker.

    Even if EG's been hypnotised by subliminals on the shiny PSP screen, there's some seriously decent games in the pipe already. Credit card is trembling in anticipation... Hurrah for competition!

    If this is what competing with Ninty does for the handheld market, we are in for a treat when Sony and MS go toe to toe with the next gen consoles. Settle in - it's going to be a fun year.
  • tonynibbles #19 7 years ago

    I liked Hardware Online Arena. The 16 player deathmatches are great fun and there is a good little EU community for the game.

    Certainly a game that is easily overlooked, but perhaps worth a proper bash.
  • pjmaybe #20 7 years ago

    Was hoping a bit less Carmageddon (you just can't improve on the original) and more Interstate '76.

    Certainly one of the more intriguing titles I've seen for the PSP..

    Peej
  • SteVader #21 7 years ago

    I hate the constant 'looks down noses' that Hardware Online Arena constantly gets - seemingly because it didn't fly off the shelves.

    It's an ace game and Fired Up (in lack of a H:oA 2) is high on my list of reasons to get a PSP at the moment.

    Anyone who hates Hardware hasn't given it more than a passing glance as after a couple of decent sessions your hooked - it's the one PS2 online game that I constantly return to more than a year after it's release. Paired with the fact that Sony just gave it away for free to every registered CS user there's never been a better time to pick it up a nd give it a go!
  • louyfitz #22 6 years ago

    i'm not a huge fan of metroid either, the only part of any Metroid game I've enjoyed was survival mode on First Hunt.

    Anyway I'm still waiting to get a PSP and this game is defo on my list, can't wait for GTA though, hope the multiplayer is online, speaking of which is this game online???

    I heard it was then, but then don't think online was mentioned in the preview, maybe I didn't read it proper like.