Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

AutoDuel’s core gameplay blends driving, vehicular combat, and light role-playing elements into a cohesive whole. From the moment you start, you’re thrust into a post-apocalyptic America where every highway is a battleground. Missions come in many forms: courier runs that require careful navigation of highways and byways, arena bouts pitting you against AI-controlled combatants, and random wilderness skirmishes that test your reflexes. This variety ensures that the game never feels repetitive, as you constantly switch between high-speed chases, strategic shootouts, and resource-gathering excursions.

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One of the game’s standout features is its open-ended progression. You’re free to choose your own path—whether that’s roaming from city to city in search of lucrative courier contracts, scavenging parts from wrecked cars on the highway, or grinding arena fights for prize money. There’s no hard rail leading you from point A to point B; instead, you carve out your own reputation as a vigilante, courier, or street fighter. Several mandatory missions guide the overarching narrative forward, but you’ll often find yourself abandoning them in favor of more immediately rewarding activities.

Vehicle customization is where AutoDuel truly shines. You start with nothing more than a rusty chassis and a few dollars, but as you earn cash, you can kit out your car with machine guns, missile launchers, oil slicks, smoke screens, and more. Each weapon and gadget changes the way you approach combat, whether you prefer hit-and-run tactics on the open road or head-to-head brawls in the arena. Chassis choices—ranging from lightweight sports frames to heavily armored trucks—add another layer of strategy, forcing you to balance speed, armor, and firepower.

The top-down perspective gives you a clear view of your surroundings and the flow of battle, but it also means that spatial awareness is key. Tight highway stretches and narrow desert passes can become lethal gauntlets if you’re not constantly scanning for ambushes. Controls are generally responsive, though getting used to maneuvers like drifting around obstacles or dodging incoming fire can take some practice. Once you’ve mastered the basics, however, there’s an undeniable thrill in weaving through traffic at breakneck speeds, guns blazing.

Graphics

Released in the late 1980s, AutoDuel’s graphics are decidedly retro, but they still hold a certain charm. The game uses a top-down, pixel-art style that captures the gritty aesthetic of a dystopian America. Cities are represented by clusters of simple building sprites, highways stretch out as endless ribbons down the screen, and desert canyons appear as ochre-tinted expanses peppered with rock formations. It’s a minimalistic approach, but it conveys the barren, lawless world effectively.

Vehicle sprites are clear and varied; you’ll recognize the difference between a lightweight coupe and a hulking armored truck at a glance. Combat effects—such as muzzle flashes, explosions, and smoke screens—are chunky but expressive, giving combat a visceral punch despite the primitive visuals. When you’re in the arena, the little flashes of projectile fire and debris bits flying off damaged cars never get old, even after dozens of battles.

The UI leans more toward utility than flash. Status bars for armor, fuel, and ammunition occupy fixed spots on the screen, and pop-up menus handle everything from weapon selection to part purchases. It can feel a bit clunky compared to modern standards, but it rarely gets in the way of the action. Loading screens are sparse, and transitions between cities, highways, and arenas happen quickly enough to keep you immersed in the experience.

While you won’t mistake AutoDuel for a modern triple-A title, its graphics serve the gameplay and atmosphere well. The art style emphasizes functionality and clarity, ensuring you always know what’s happening on-screen. The faded color palette reinforces the desolate, near-future setting, making cities feel grim and highways feel dangerous, which perfectly aligns with the game’s tone.

Story

AutoDuel doesn’t bombard you with cutscenes or lengthy exposition; instead, its narrative unfolds through a series of courier assignments and episodic encounters. You begin as an underdog with nothing more than ambition and a beat-up chassis, and you slowly climb the ranks by delivering critical packages, rescuing stranded drivers, and winning arena championships. Along the way, you cross paths with charismatic NPCs—gang lords, fellow vigilantes, and shady merchants—each offering their own slice of the world’s lore.

The story structure is loose and player-driven. While a handful of critical missions advance a central plot—often involving a powerful faction threatening to dominate the highways—the majority of your playtime is spent weaving your own narrative. Did you form a tentative alliance with a local militia to clear out a highway gang? Did you double-cross a contact in Tucson for extra cash? These emergent stories make your journey feel personal, even if the main plot points are straightforward.

Dialogue and written mission briefings ground the experience in the Car Wars universe created by Steve Jackson Games. The tone is equal parts dark satire and pulpy heroism, capturing the spirit of “cars-as-weapons” combat with witty one-liners and dire warnings. While there’s not much in the way of branching dialogue trees, the flavor text you encounter—whether it’s a radio broadcast about highway pirates or a smuggler’s tip on a hidden shortcut—adds color to a world otherwise defined by steel and gunfire.

Despite its minimalist approach, AutoDuel’s story is compelling enough to keep you invested. The sense of progression—from a penniless rookie to a feared road warrior—is satisfying, and each new region you unlock feels like another chapter in your cross-country saga. By the time you complete the final courier run or arena gauntlet, you’ll have a solid understanding of the game’s factions, motivations, and the fragile state of society on the open road.

Overall Experience

AutoDuel delivers a unique blend of genres that still holds up as an intriguing curiosity today. Its open-world structure encourages exploration and experimentation, while its combat mechanics offer a gratifying challenge for players willing to learn the nuances of driving and gunning at the same time. The ability to customize your ride—both aesthetically and functionally—adds depth and replayability to an already ambitious package.

That said, the game’s age shows in certain rough edges. The user interface can feel dated, and the learning curve is steeper than modern action titles. Quicksave becomes your best friend in the more punishing wilderness segments, where one stray missile can end your run. However, these frustrations are part of the charm for retro enthusiasts who appreciate the sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming early obstacles.

For newcomers, AutoDuel may require some patience, especially if you’ve spent your gaming life in fully 3D environments with modern quality-of-life features. Yet if you’re intrigued by vehicular combat, deep customization, and an open-ended approach to missions, you’ll find plenty to love. The game offers hours of content across its sprawling highway network, and the emergent stories you create for yourself will stick with you long after you’ve parked your car in the final garage.

In the end, AutoDuel is a testament to the creative vision of Steve Jackson Games and early developer Brian Kelly. It may not boast photorealistic visuals or fully voiced performances, but it captures the spirit of Car Wars in a way that tabletop players and action gamers can both appreciate. For anyone seeking an offbeat, retro vehicular-combat RPG with a generous helping of freedom, AutoDuel remains a worthwhile journey down America’s dangerous highways.

Retro Replay Score

6.6/10