American Fugitive
A top-down sandbox adventure set in 1980s Redrock County.
American Fugitive is a 2019 action-adventure game from Fallen Tree Games, published by Curve Games. It borrows heavily from the early Grand Theft Auto titles, adopting their top-down viewpoint. The story takes place during the 1980s in the fictional Southern town of Redrock County. Players control Will Riley, a man who escapes prison after being wrongly convicted of murdering his father, and sets out to uncover the truth behind the crime.
Outside of missions, players can explore the open world on foot, by swimming, by driving vehicles, or by riding trains. In the main story, Riley takes jobs from underworld crime bosses to gather clues about his father’s death, or he can commit crimes in the sandbox environment. Criminal acts raise Riley’s infamy, drawing more police attention. Breaking into houses and businesses yields useful items like weapons, but also alerts law enforcement to his location. A home invasion system lets players peek through windows to check if a residence is empty before entering, then search for valuables under time pressure. If someone is home, the player can either flee or restrain them, which again alerts the police.
Vehicles range from tow trucks to tanks. Scattered across the map are time trials and ramps that reward money and points, which feed into a skill tree. Dying during a story mission sends the player back to the last checkpoint. Dying or being arrested in the open world respawns the character with all story progress intact, and players can choose whether to keep their inventory after such a death. The game is described as a modern take on sandbox games.
The developers said they wanted to make a game about a protagonist on the run because they hadn’t seen many recent examples. They drew inspiration from 1980s and 1990s films and TV shows such as *A Perfect World*, *The Fugitive*, *The A-Team*, and *The Dukes of Hazzard*. American Fugitive launched on PC and PlayStation 4 on May 21, 2019; on Nintendo Switch on May 23; and on Xbox One on May 24.
Reviews on Metacritic were mixed or average across all platforms. *The Guardian* criticized the writing and atmosphere but noted it “successfully pays homage to a fondly remembered old game while adding something meaningful.” *Push Square* and *Nintendo Life* praised the open-world elements but faulted other aspects.
Quick Facts
- Title
- American Fugitive
- Developer
- Fallen Tree Games
- Publisher
- Curve Games
- Platforms
- PlayStation 4 / Windows / Nintendo Switch / Xbox One
- Released
- WW · May 21, 2019 (PS4, PC) · WW · May 23, 2019 (NS) · WW · May 24, 2019 (XB1)
- Genre
- Action-adventure
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
American Fugitive is a modern take on sandbox games, drawing inspiration from 1980s and 1990s films and television shows such as A Perfect World, The Fugitive, The A-Team, and The Dukes of Hazzard. The developers created a video game where the protagonist is on the run because they had not seen many such games recently. The single-player story follows Will Riley, who escapes from jail after being falsely convicted for his father's murder, and seeks answers in the fictional Southern town of Redrock County.
Outside of game missions, players can freely navigate the world on foot, by swimming, by vehicle, or by train. Players can complete jobs for underworld crime bosses to learn more about the murder, or engage in crimes in the open world environment. Committing crimes raises Riley's infamy and draws more police attention. The game features a home invasion system where players can look through windows to determine if anyone is home before breaking in and searching for valuables under time pressure. If a person is encountered inside, the player can flee or restrain them, which alerts the police.
A number of vehicles are available, including tow trucks and tanks. Time trials and ramps across the map reward the player with money and points that can be used on the game's skill tree. Dying during a story mission returns the character to the last checkpoint; dying or being arrested in the open world results in respawning with all story progress retained, and players can choose whether their inventory is retained after open-world death.
Reader's Guide
American Fugitive received 'mixed or average' reviews on Metacritic across all platforms. The Guardian criticized the writing and atmosphere but noted that the game 'successfully pays homage to a fondly remembered old game while adding something meaningful'. Push Square and Nintendo Life praised the open world elements while criticizing other aspects of the gameplay. Push Square described the mission design as consisting of tedious and repetitive fetch quests, while Nintendo Life likened the gameplay to 'death by a thousand cuts' due to a multitude of small, questionable design decisions.
The game's significance lies in its deliberate revival of the top-down Grand Theft Auto clone formula, updating it with modern mechanics such as a home invasion system and skill tree progression. Its setting and inspirations from 1980s and 1990s media give it a distinct nostalgic flavor. The game also serves as a precursor to The Precinct, another game by Fallen Tree Games featuring a police protagonist. While not critically acclaimed, American Fugitive stands as a notable attempt to revisit and modernize a classic sandbox gameplay style.
Did You Know?
- American Fugitive was released for PC and PlayStation 4 on May 21, 2019, for Nintendo Switch on May 23, and for Xbox One on May 24.
- The game's home invasion system allows players to look through windows to check if anyone is home before breaking in.
- Vehicles available in the game include tow trucks and tanks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is American Fugitive?
American Fugitive is a 2019 top-down action-adventure game built by Fallen Tree Games and released by Curve Games. The story unfolds in Redrock County, a made-up Southern American town during the 1980s, where you follow Will Riley as he breaks out of prison after being falsely blamed for his father's murder.
What can the player actually do in American Fugitive?
Beyond completing story missions, you are free to roam the open world on foot, swim, drive a variety of vehicles, or hop aboard trains. In the main narrative, Riley also takes on odd jobs to fund his search for the real person responsible for his father's death.
What inspired American Fugitive's design and style?
The game leans heavily on the top-down camera and sandbox structure of the early Grand Theft Auto titles. It transplants that formula into a distinctly 1980s Southern setting, giving the open-world driving and crime themes a small-town feel instead of a sprawling metropolis.
When and on which platforms was American Fugitive released?
The game launched on PC and PlayStation 4 on May 21, 2019, with Nintendo Switch following on May 23 and Xbox One on May 24. It was developed by Fallen Tree Games and published by Curve Games.
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