It's kind of an odd incident in the game industry when you see a sequel to a new brand launched within a year's time. What's even more far out is when the sequel is launched on a completely different platform than where the first game originated. But Pseudo Interactive's Full Auto, licensed and released by Sega earlier this year for the Xbox 360, seems to fit this bill. The sequel, Full Auto 2: Battlelines, is already in the full swing of production, and will be coming exclusively to the PlayStation 3 when the system launches later this year. This might irk some hardcore Xbox 360 owners (and believe me, I hear ya), but those who are investing in a PS3 should be pleased to know that the game's being handled with just as much care as the original saw.

The plot is simple.. really- there is no plot. You jump behind the wheel of one of many different battle-equipped street vehicles, armed to the teeth with such weapons as mines, machine guns, shotguns, or rocket launchers, and simply set out to trash your competition in any way you see fit. Like the first game, you have an unlimited amount of ammunition, but it all expenses out and then takes a moment to reload, leaving you possibly vulnerable for incoming attacks from other racers. You are the hunter and the prey, all in one shot, and your goal is simply either to survive or score first place in the limited time provided to you. It's all done very intensely, and the second game looks to have the same amount of energy as the first.

There are a few changes to signify the sequel, however. First off, a career mode is being added, and while there's not really a fleshed-out story to speak of, the game does give you the opportunity to battle against opponents throughout the districts of Staunton City. There's six in all, each with a ringleader that has to be throttled out of the competition, and then you gain control of that specific district. Snag all six and you'll find yourself having heavy competition breathing down your neck, in which you simply have to defend by trashing everyone with superiority in speed and weapons. This new career mode probably won't redefine career modes as we know it, but it'll add the extra boost to the series that some fans are looking for.

The real treat here, however, is the addition of some new battle modes. The first game was all about straight-out combatant racing, but Battlelines makes use of adding new Base Assault and Team Deathmatch modes. These modes take place in enclosed areas throughout Staunton City, pitting you against opponents Twisted Metal-style in an all-out fight for last man standing. We had a chance to check these modes out at E3 in Sega's display, where they had a full eight-person game up and running. So far, it looks like it has great potential, with very little drop in frame rate and smooth controls throughout. Sure, we got blown away a few times, but we blame that on the people that were playing at the booth, not the attendees. You can probably expect this kind of heated competition once the game goes online upon release, with eight-player battles aplenty just waiting to get lined up.

The arena that we took part in for the battle was actually kind of a tie-in to a park with an underground parking area thrown in for good measure. This allowed us to dish out a huge amount of destruction not only above ground, but below. Closed-off areas are marked by large neon walls which can be seen from a mile away, so only the most unfocused of drivers will ever put themselves into a position of crashing and leaving themselves wide open for attacks. The weapons system is once again two-fold, with the right trigger activating one weapon (in this case, machine guns) and the left trigger activating a stronger, slower weapon (like a rocket launcher). It's this weapons combo that keeps things appealing, as gamers can easily switch out these weapons for better effect. For instance, mines may work better for some people, leaving an attack from behind on close followers, while others may prefer the rockets just for the sake of nailing opponents from afar or just having them on hand where needed. It's possible you may not run into the same kind of opponents online with Full Auto 2, although most look to be equally aggressive.

And what's Full Auto without the usual features? Your weapons not only have impact on the enemies you're shooting at (with better explosions that seem a little speedier this time around, mind you), but also your environments. Strike a building and watch the front of it get impacted as you whizz by, with shattering windows and tumbling foundations. Hit an all-glass wall and, you guessed it, it falls to pieces faster than Mr. Benyamine on payday. The PlayStation 3 looks to take full advantage of Pseudo's graphical prowess, and the game seems to be a slight bit faster as a result. There were still a few bugs present in the build we were playing, but it's still months away from release, so you can bet that the development team should clean those up. The Unwreck feature also makes a return in the normal street races, so if you screw up, you don't have to live with the mistake. You know, I could've used that Unwreck feature when I got pulled over for a traffic ticket, gang.

So the gameplay's in check, there's new weapons aplenty, the presentation looks to be on par, the online play appears to be backed up and running, and the new modes should be promising additions. While it would've been nice to see this title go multi-platform and give everyone a taste of the new destructiveness, Full Auto 2: Battlelines looks to be drawing out plenty of appeal, even in its early state. Next-gen can always use more vehicle manslaughter, and Pseudo's handing it to us on a platter. With silverware, even. Look for more hands-on time with the other game modes as we near the game's late 2006 release date, followed by a full review. These Battlelines seem to be drawing great potential.