Auto Assault seems to be quite an interesting mixture - ‘Mad Max’ with post apocalyptic mutants and ‘RC Pro-AM’ sensibility (but with updated graphics)… (and no overzealous Aussie).. (maybe)

Due out later this year AA should pump a breath of fresh air into the online gaming genre… and unlike other genre-bending MMORPGs this one seems to have a budget.

The game takes place in a map the size of North America, but the effective adventure areas are broken up into fully navigable 10km X 10km zones. Players work in groups - driving off to fulfil delivery missions, blowing stuff up, stealing goods, etc. Sometimes missions pit you in direct conflict to those playing the the two rival races ( Humans, Cyborgs and Mutants in all). Highway exit ramps deliver you to new zones, instances and towns where you can walk and talk with other gamers, outfit your car, etc.

New vehicles are unlocked as you level up, and your cars are can be fully customized (engines, armor, weapons, etc) using salvage from kills or items purchased from player crafters.

From GameSpy’s Interview:

GameSpy: Can you talk about the game’s weapons? What will the variety be like?

Ryan Seabury: There’s already a huge variety of weapons in the game — everything from low-tech to high-tech sci-fi stuff. Machineguns, flamethrowers, pulse lasers, electricity arcs, rocket launchers, contamination sprayers — even nuclear devices! Generally, if we come across a cool idea for a weapon, it’s in the game.

There’s a downloadable trailer that was shown at 2004’s E3. Right click and Save as… you know the deal.

Looks promising.