It’s a lot of fun and very tongue in cheek at times. It’s not a very deep “who dunnit”… more of a Dukes of Hazard framed by Boss Hogg type scenario… without the left over civil war racist visuals. It’s silly, over the top and… well… a lot of fun. Not a bad bit of fun for the price.

American Fugitive is good in spots. And those spots are fun. But on the whole, the game just barely keeps up with its own scope of ambition.

Those who enjoy sandbox “chaos simulators” will do well to check out American Fugitive. While the story is somewhat predictable and abrupt, it presents an overall enjoyable experience.

American Fugitive is what GTA would’ve looked like if it never went 3D. [Issue#239, p.59]

The game is fun and tells a somewhat engaging story. The shooting mechanics, which rely on aiming with the right thumbstick and firing with the right trigger, don’t quite feel right. They are a little too loose which sometimes makes it hard to aim accurately. I think the game as a whole could have benefitted from some sort of auto-targeting mechanic. However, the driving mechanics feel great. The funnest moments happen when you’re in a car. Steering is arcadey in the best way, and using that emergency brake has never felt more satisfying in a game like this.

American Fugitive stands as a decent homage to classic GTA titles, but its rough mechanics, annoying gameplay quirks, mediocre story, and lack of side content left me disappointed.

It successfully pays homage to a fondly remembered old game while adding something meaningful, making you think like a con, plan your crimes and improvise escapes when those plans go awry.

Ultimately, it’s clear that the design of American Fugitive has taken great inspiration from the likes of Grand Theft Auto, and this offers a nostalgic recreation, for those who want it, of a sandbox series that has had incredible influence on gaming as a whole. However, by focusing too much on the old-school installments, it misses out on the lessons learned in future iterations, and so comes up a little lacking when compared with what modern experiences have to offer.