American Fugitive

Like a spiritual successor to GTA2 American Fugitive will see you running afoul of the law with a touch of Dukes of Hazard thrown in.

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American Fugitive is a top-down sandbox action game inspired by classic GTA, developed by Fallen Tree Games. You play as Will Riley, accused of murdering your father, who breaks out of jail seeking revenge and the truth. This game features a 3D open-world set in a criminal-ridden American county, offering a single-player experience full of action and adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

62%

Audience ScoreBased on 600 reviews

story82 positive mentions

stability15 negative mentions

The game offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic Grand Theft Auto titles, particularly GTA 1 and 2.
The controls are generally smooth, and the driving mechanics are enjoyable, allowing for fun car chases and mayhem.
The burglary mechanics add a unique twist, allowing players to break into houses and steal items while managing a timer before the police arrive.

The story is predictable and lacks depth, with many missions feeling repetitive and uninspired.
The police AI can be inconsistent, often leading to frustrating encounters where players can easily evade or confuse law enforcement.
The game suffers from bugs and glitches, including issues with mission progression and character interactions.

story
487 mentions
17 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The story of "American Fugitive" is generally viewed as mediocre and predictable, often described as a collection of repetitive fetch quests that lack depth and engaging character development. While some players appreciate the nostalgic homage to classic GTA titles, many criticize the linear narrative and uninspired plot twists, leading to a sense of boredom as the game progresses. Overall, the story serves as a basic framework for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative experience.
- “American Fugitive is a nostalgic and enjoyable open-world crime game with intuitive gameplay and a captivating story.”
- “The story is engaging and well connected.”
- “The redneck county setting is fantastically realized and the overarching story-mission narrative is both amusing and engaging.”
- “The story is a blatant and generic attempt at revenge with no clever twist or interesting characters to liven it up.”
- “The story isn't too complex and powerful and the missions are not so unique but overall this is a very good game to enjoy.”
- “The story is quite basic and predictable.”
gameplay
179 mentions
36 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "American Fugitive" is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its nostalgic top-down mechanics reminiscent of classic GTA titles, particularly the engaging burglary and driving systems. However, criticisms arise regarding repetitive missions, clunky controls, and a lack of polish, which detracts from the overall experience. While some find the core gameplay loop enjoyable, others feel it becomes tedious and unvaried over time, suggesting that the game has potential but requires further refinement.
- “American Fugitive is a nostalgic and enjoyable open-world crime game with intuitive gameplay and a captivating story.”
- “Standouts here are the excellent vehicle handling and shooting mechanics, which both have nice physics and solid feedback, making for an enjoyable experience when driving or getting into combat.”
- “The core mechanics of driving and combat are solid enough that I'd probably have bought this game regardless, but breaking into houses and getting away (wearing someone else's clothes) adds a lot of fun scenarios to this game.”
- “I picked this game up for $2 on a sale, thinking I'd have fun with it over the weekend, but its lack of polish, mediocre driving and combat mechanics, and the tedious errand-like missions killed the fun for me.”
- “American Fugitive is a mix of 2D era GTA games and Just Cause, but it replaces the chaotic fun of those games with its tediously poor mechanics.”
- “The driving is my main gripe about the gameplay; none of the cars handle well, so you're always sliding around when going at speed, which doesn't give the awesome 2D GTA feel.”
graphics
98 mentions
49 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players praising the modern visuals, detailed textures, and effective lighting effects. While some noted a cartoonish art style that contrasts with the game's darker themes, others appreciated the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic GTA titles. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, enhancing the gameplay experience despite some criticisms regarding repetitiveness and lack of innovation.
- “The graphics are excellent; I like the physics, and the house/store robbing was the best feature in the entire game.”
- “Graphics are pretty nice for this type of game with convincing lighting effects and texture details; the game also has a lot of nice small touches on the building exteriors.”
- “Overall, it's a great throwback with a new take on the genre and lovely graphics and physics.”
- “No innovation you can speak of, not refined in existing elements of this genre, just a GTA-lite with cartoonish artwork and poor presentation.”
- “The art style is colorful and cartoonish, not a bad thing at all on its own or in an appropriate setting but paired with the rather dark storyline and how ruthlessly criminal and murderous the main character is, it seems rather dissonant.”
- “Nothing really original about this game, ok graphics, boring mechanics, boring missions definitely not worth £15.”
music
56 mentions
46 % positive mentions
45 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its catchy and atmospheric qualities, particularly in enhancing the game's setting and gameplay experience. However, some criticize it for being repetitive or reminiscent of royalty-free tracks, suggesting a lack of variety and depth. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as enjoyable and fitting, there are calls for more diverse and compelling music to elevate the experience further.
- “I don't regret buying this game; the soundtrack is very mellowing and the game is very much to my liking.”
- “The music's fantastic: police chase songs, relaxing songs at night or during the day when you're out strolling...”
- “Overall, I'd say this game is a solid 8/10; music is one of the best I've heard in any game.”
- “The music isn't offensively bad but isn't really worth mentioning.”
- “The problem here is with the gameplay and audio design, besides the nice voice acting the soundtrack in the game comes off as annoying or forgettable with many royalty-free tracks you probably heard already on some YouTube video which ruins the mood.”
- “The music in this game is so bad it takes you out of the experience; best to just mute it and play your own tunes.”
stability
16 mentions
19 % positive mentions
-12 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
The game is reported to have numerous bugs and glitches, which can be both amusing and frustrating, with issues such as freezing on startup and problematic physics. While some players experienced minor glitches without major game-breaking issues, the overall consensus suggests that the game is too unstable at the moment, prompting recommendations to wait for patches before purchasing.
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches, making for a stable experience.”
- “I've played for hours without encountering any bugs, which really enhances the overall enjoyment.”
- “The stability of the game is impressive; I can always rely on it to perform consistently.”
- “The only downside is there are a lot of glitches and the story mode is pretty boring!”
- “However, it freezes a lot on startup and suddenly after it froze this last time.”
- “Too buggy at the moment; I would wait for some patches before buying.”
grinding
16 mentions
6 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
81 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often feeling like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. Many reviews highlight the lack of polish in driving and combat mechanics, as well as the grindy nature of achievements and missions, which can lead to burnout. While some elements of the gameplay are appreciated, the overwhelming sentiment is that the grind detracts significantly from the overall enjoyment.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “There's only so many times you can drive from point A to point B and back again before it becomes tedious.”
- “Unfortunately, they had to throw all of that into the bin by creating the most generic and predictable story, awful physics, a trashy driving system, an absurd wanted system, and worst of all, grindy achievements, some of which rely on the horrendous physics of this unpolished pile of garbage.”
- “Trying to 100% it is just awful and tedious.”
humor
14 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is described as a mix of unintentional hilarity from bugs and chaotic AI behavior, alongside amusing dialogues and a quirky storyline. While some players find the humor reminiscent of classic titles like GTA, others feel it lacks consistent comedic elements and a coherent narrative. Overall, the humor is seen as a highlight for those who appreciate absurdity and chaotic gameplay, despite some criticisms regarding the story's depth.
- “I still find it hilarious that the original goal of the protagonist was simply to find who set him up and keep a low profile.”
- “It's fun to go on a rampage and hilarious stuff happens constantly.”
- “Honestly, I'm kind of hooked on it right now; the humor somewhat reminds me of GTA 2 and a bit of 3.”
optimization
8 mentions
25 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, optimization feedback is mixed; while some players report smooth performance on decent rigs at high resolutions, others experience significant performance issues, including stuttering and clunky animations. The game is still new and has some bugs, but many users believe it is generally well-optimized for a variety of setups, with suggestions to adjust graphics settings for better performance. However, the lack of ultrawide support has been noted as a disappointment.
- “The controls are decent; I've been using an Xbox One controller. The UI and inventory setup are well-designed. The game runs well on a decent gaming rig maxed out at 2560x1440 resolution, so it's pretty optimized as it is currently, and it features nice atmospherics like animals and weather.”
- “Yeah, it's a little rough around the edges, but I've encountered nothing by way of bugs, and generally, the performance has been very smooth.”
- “Awful up-and-down performance (on a 2018 Alienware R13 at least) to the point of being unplayable.”
- “Cons: 1) Game is still new, still has bugs and performance issues.”
- “[strike] My only disappointment is there is no ultrawide support; I sincerely hope this is addressed in an update. Furthermore, there is micro-stuttering and the character's running animation looks clunky.”
replayability
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is generally rated low, with some users giving it a score of 0/10 due to a lack of engaging after-campaign content, while others rate it slightly higher at 4.5/10. Overall, players suggest that the game is enjoyable but recommend purchasing it on sale due to its limited replay value.
- “For now, the replay value is zero to none simply because of this issue.”
- “Overall a good game, but I would recommend getting it on sale as there is little replay value.”
- “Replayability = 4.5/10”
atmosphere
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its engaging music and the nostalgic feel of an "80's southern town," effectively capturing a unique vibe. However, some reviewers feel that the lack of deeper character development detracts from the overall authenticity. Despite this, the game is noted for its decent optimization and atmospheric elements like wildlife and weather effects.
- “It started interesting; the atmosphere and music are great. They really captured that '80s southern town GTA moment.”
- “The controls are decent; I've been using an Xbox One controller. The UI and inventory setup are well designed. The game runs well on a decent gaming rig at maxed out 2560x1440 resolution, so it's pretty optimized. It also features nice atmospheric elements like animals and weather.”
- “It may be a good idea to pick up the Switch version, since this right here is exactly what I like playing on the go (without being afraid of ruining things like the story or atmosphere for myself), but all in all, it's a no from me.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of joy and tension in their emotional experiences, highlighting moments that evoke a sense of exhilaration and vulnerability, such as the thrill of driving through water and the subsequent panic of evading police. The game's mechanics create intense emotional reactions, blending feelings of excitement with the fear of consequences.
- “It made me feel good.”
- “Oh, and touching water with a car, even the tiniest bit of water, like the wheel feeling the moisture, has you immediately bail out of the car and get run over by the cops chasing you. Even if you cross the corner of a lake at a speed high enough to easily clear it, you will bail because, yes.”
character development
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has been criticized for its wasted potential, with many players feeling that the campaign lacks depth and effort, resulting in underwhelming character arcs and designs.
- “Wasted potential, low-effort campaign and character design.”
- “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the story.”
- “There is little to no backstory provided for the characters, making it hard to connect with them.”