PC games these days come in enough shapes and sizes that virtually anyone can find at least one that fits. A space marine, an 18th century pirate, a World War II combat pilot, a mad scientist — if it's even remotely entertaining, someone's probably designed a PC game around it.

Not so for the multiplayer online game genre. MMO games are set predominantly in fantasy worlds. If you don't want to spend hours on end swinging a broadsword at dragons, your options are few.

Kudos to Auto Assault, then, for bringing something wholly original to the PC screen. Auto Assault is a game of vehicular combat, set in a post-apocalyptic landscape.

The game play is relatively straightforward on paper: drive fast, kill stuff.

But in practice, it's a frenzy. Smash through a squad of enemies with flamethrowers, send a rocket up the tailpipe of a van spewing radioactive goo.

This isn't the whole of the game, but it's easily the best part.

On other points, Auto Assault could have used a little more time in the garage. MMO games trade in part on their robust character-creation tools that enhance role-playing and help the player identify with the character.

This is where Auto Assault comes up short. The player can customize the driver's appearance, but there are only a few options available for clothing, hairstyle and other features.

To be fair, the only time the driver is ever visible is when he or she is in a major town. But in town, it gets worse. On foot, the characters are totally graceless. Their running animation is awkward, and jumping is totally unnatural.

There are only a few extra-vehicular things to do, most of which could have easily been done from within the car.

The game's core, however, is solid entertainment that's both exhilarating and unique. And given the uniformity of most multiplayer online games, it's nice to see at least one taking the road less traveled.