Honestly, if you missed the early PS3 era, you missed a weirdly specific vibe of "everything must explode in 1080p." Full Auto 2: Battlelines was basically the poster child for that movement. Developed by Pseudo Interactive and published by Sega, it hit shelves in late 2006 as a Sony exclusive after the first game flopped on the Xbox 360. It was a ballsy move. They took the "Burnout with guns" concept and dialed the environmental destruction up to an eleven.
You’re driving through Meridian City—which is basically a giant tinderbox—and your only job is to turn skyscrapers into speed bumps.
Most people remember the "Unwreck" feature. It was a total game-changer at the time. You mess up a turn or catch a missile with your windshield? Just hit a button and rewind time. It felt like cheating, but considering how brutal the AI was, you needed it.
What Full Auto 2: Battlelines Actually Got Right
The game wasn't just about racing; it was about the strategic use of rubble. You didn't just shoot the car in front of you. You shot the supports of a bridge so it collapsed onto the car in front of you. That kind of physics-based chaos was what the Cell processor was supposed to be all about.
The sequel added an Arena Mode that felt like a love letter to Twisted Metal. It shifted the focus from track-based racing to pure vehicular gladiatorial combat.
The Car List Was Low-key Legendary
The cars in this game weren't licensed Ferraris or Lambos. They were these beefy, fictional steel beasts that looked like they could survive a nuclear winter.
- The Inferno: This was the poster car. Think of a classic muscle car but with more "heavy metal" energy. It was angry, fast, and handled like a dream if you liked sliding through corners.
- The HSK-75: Based on the Ford GT40, this was the speed demon. It had gull-wing doors and could hit 200 mph, but it was fragile. One wrong hit and you were a burning pile of scrap.
- The Vulcan: A returning favorite from the first game, built for soaking up damage while you laid down suppressive fire.
Then you had the weapons. You could mount front and rear guns, ranging from basic machine guns to some pretty wild tech. The Laser (which you unlocked after beating the HSK-75 boss) was high-damage but overheated if you just held the trigger. The Ram Plate was basically a chainsaw for your front bumper. If you had a Ram Plate and the other guy didn't, you won that collision 100% of the time.
Why the Critics Were Split
Look, the game wasn't perfect. Reviewers back then, like the crew at GameSpot and IGN, were a bit torn. Jeff Gerstmann famously gave it a lukewarm reception because the handling felt "floaty" and "weightless." He wasn't entirely wrong. If you were coming from Gran Turismo, the physics in Full Auto 2: Battlelines felt like driving a cardboard box on ice.
But that was sort of the point? It was an arcade racer.
The rubber-banding was another point of contention. You could be driving a flawless race, and the AI would still be glued to your rear bumper. It created a constant state of tension, but it also felt a bit cheap when you got nuked fifty feet from the finish line.
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PS3 vs. PSP: Two Very Different Beasts
Most people don't realize the PSP version wasn't just a port. Deep Fried Entertainment handled the handheld version, and it was actually quite different.
- Focus on Combat: While the PS3 version balanced racing and fighting, the PSP version went full Twisted Metal. Winning the race was often secondary to just blowing up a specific number of targets.
- Simplified Destruction: You couldn't bring down entire buildings on the PSP. The hardware just couldn't handle it. Instead, you'd trigger specific "events," like a lead pipe falling on a chaser.
- Multiplayer: The PSP version supported 4-player Ad Hoc, which was a blast if you actually had three friends with the game. The PS3 version, weirdly, only supported 2-player split-screen.
The Story Most People Skipped
There’s actually a plot here. You’re working for an AI named S.A.G.E. (voiced with a very "neutral" tone) to take down gangs in Meridian City. It’s some near-future post-apocalyptic "twaddle," as The Guardian called it back in 2007.
The police have given up, so you’re the one-man army in a custom-built death machine. It gave the career mode some structure, but let's be real: we were all there for the explosions. Each district you conquered gave you more cars and more ways to make things go boom.
Is It Still Playable?
If you want to play it today, you're looking at tracking down a physical disc for the PS3 or PSP. It never got a proper remaster, and Pseudo Interactive actually closed its doors shortly after the game launched.
It’s a bit of a relic. The 1080p resolution on PS3 still looks surprisingly sharp, though the frame rate can get a bit chuggy when the entire screen is filled with fire and falling concrete.
Tips for Ranking Up in Meridian City
If you’re dusting off an old console to play this, keep these things in mind.
First, don't hoard your boost. Since the "Unwreck" meter and the Boost meter share the same bar, you have to choose. In races, use the boost early to get ahead of the pack and avoid the initial cluster-fudge of missiles. In the Arena, save it for the "Unwreck" because the AI will pin you against a wall and shred you.
Second, target the environment, not just the cars. See a gas station? Shoot it. See a giant neon sign? Shoot it. The debris stays on the track and creates obstacles for the AI.
Third, use the cheats if you just want to mess around. Typing IMFEDUPWITHTHIS into the cheat menu unlocks every mission. If you want all the cars immediately, use 47GIV3MECARS. Life is too short to grind for a virtual minivan with a rocket launcher if you don't want to.
Full Auto 2: Battlelines represents a time when games were just loud, dumb, and incredibly fun. It didn't need to be a "sim." It just needed to let you drop a bridge on your rival.
Actionable Next Steps:
Check your local used game store for a PS3 copy; it’s usually under $20. If you’re playing on an emulator, make sure to enable the "v-sync" settings to help with the frame rate dips during heavy destruction scenes. Focus on unlocking the Laser weapon early in the campaign, as it makes the later boss fights significantly easier to manage.