No Richard Kimble in sight…
A modern take on classic sandbox action. Framed for your father’s murder, you’ll need to do whatever it takes to unveil the real culprit. Tackle thrilling missions for the criminal underworld — just don’t let the cops track you down! Set in the deep south of the 80s, American Fugitive is a love-letter to the classic movies and games of old.
American Fugitive is a throwback to the original GTA games with it’s camera perspective and the way it plays as a result. It has improvements to the original formula of course, such as better handling, the camera can move with you if you wish it to and it obviously looks a lot better than the PS1 originals that it takes inspiration from.
The missions are varied from shootouts, races, robberies and standard police chases and while it doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to sandbox games, it’s still just as fun. I will say that driving is a little tricky though and reminds me a bit of the likes of Micro Machines in terms of controls, so prepare yourself for that.
In terms of replay value, the game should take a while to do with the missions and events like time trials, which are incredibly challenging. After that, it’s just a case of mopping up trophies for that platinum. Visually, American Fugitive is an interesting one with it’s cel-shaded style and comic-book style cutscenes, but the lack of voice-acting is noticeable and makes them look a bit awkward overall.
The Verdict
American Fugitive is a nice surprise and a decent attempt at paying homage to the original GTA games. It has a steep learning curve when it comes to driving, but other than that…it’s great fun from start to finish.