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Wipeout Fusion must rank alongside
Gran Turismo 3
as the most eagerly-awaited PS2 game since the launch of the console in
November 2000.
Now in its fourth incarnation, it has to be said that the thing that strikes
you on first impressions are of the much-improved graphics. The first three
games were one of the few series that actually went to the trouble of
tweaking the PSX just that bit further - like the first Die Hard Trilogy
game - and making you think "WOW" a lot.
Due to the hype I couldn't help but feel a bit sceptical when approaching
this new release, initially because the game had already been released in
Australia in December 2001, while the UK release missed Christmas and was pushed
back to February 2002. Word has it Sony wanted to tweak the game a bit more,
but since Oz already have a perfectly playable PAL game, according to reports,
the cynic in me thinks it was delayed to bring it out closer to the UK release
date of the Xbox.
Let's look at the statistics. There's more of everything. More tracks, more
teams and more options.
There are 32 different ships you can pilot, gaining access to ones further
up the chain as you progress, eight different teams each with four ships and
each race handles up to 16 pilots all vying for pole position. There are
seven different courses with a total of 45 different tracks, including the
ability to reverse the course and try it the other way round.
Firing power is as many and varied as before. As a sample of what's on view
and in addition to the power-ups that speed you up and slow you down,
the photon cannon shoots single
shots directly ahead of you, to the cool sound akin to the firing in
Atari's Asteroid on the Atari VCS; grenades fire three abreast
making it fun to hold back a little, let someone get just ahead of you and
then let rip - and the same can be done with the explosive missiles; there's
the usual shield option here but my favourite is the Quake. Shoot this one
and the ground in front ripples like an earthquake disorientating everyone
ahead of you. This was in the previous games, but the effect used here is
doubly impressive and I first experienced it by someone else doing it to me.
If it doesn't get you exclaiming "fucking hell" the first few times
you see it then you must be brain-dead.
Graphically, it does look fantastic, but after all the time we've been waiting
and the delays surely someone could have removed the occasional jaggies on
display? I know it looks sharp, crisp and very colourful, but a little
anti-aliasing in that department would not have gone amiss. There are some
fantastic touches in it along the way, though, such as when an explosion
occurs and the whole screen shakes and at times when dust rises from the
ground and you pass through it.
However, when your craft has had enough and the energy shield goes critical, I
much preferred it before when you slowed down and simply exploded. Here you
explode not quite as spectacularly, turn into something from an 80s arcade game
and get swallowed up by a rescue capsule. Eh?
Soundwise, things aren't much further forward than before. Explosions and
gunfire are fine and there are musical contributions with Papau New Guinea
(Future Sound of London) and Stakker Humanoid 2001 (Humanoid) but after
reading a Dolby press release not so long ago I'm sure we were promised Dolby
Digital 5.1 in this game? or was that just for the eventual Xbox release?
The playability's the same as before too. Controlling your craft takes a little
getting used to, but you eventually work out how to twist and turn in the
air so as to take advantage of the individual tracks and bounce of some of
the enemies.
My first foray into the world of Wipeout was with the second game, Wipeout
2097. It was the absolute dogs bollocks and like nothing I'd played in a
long time for sheer speed and captivation. There's no doubting that Wipeout
Fusion is anything less than a must-buy, but the "WOW" factor has definitely
gone for those of us who've been there before. Those who haven't will be
just as bowled over as I was from day one.
Disappointments? Well, the music's okay but while being quite a fan of Future
Sound of London I'd like to see plenty of their tunes here and I only liked
the "Humanoid" track because it came from the 80s arcade game Berserk.
The other tracks are rather dull and tuneless.
I can't think why a Dolby Digital or DTS soundtrack wasn't used for the music
and game sounds. It revolutionises a game like
SSX Tricky, but
even games like
James Bond: Agent Under Fire
and
Extreme G3
sound effervescent without it, so why doesn't Wipeout Fusion sound as
meaty? Once "Dolby Digital Intro" is selected from the preferences
menu, there is such a logo upon loading up, but it's for their much-trumpted
"Dolby Pro-Logic II", which is just meant to make normal stereo or Pro-Logic
material sound a bit more juicy, but if you're used to DTS or DD5.1 soundtracks,
the latter only used in the opening FMV sequence, then it does pale a bit
by comparison.
If you think you had your fill of the previous games in the series and aren't
too sure then I'd definitely advise a rental. For anyone else who definitely
wants more but isn't expecting the earth, or anyone who loves racing games and
has never experienced the Wipeout phenomenon before, then you must make that
purchase.
GRAPHICS SOUND EFFECTS AND MUSIC PLAYABILITY ORIGINALITY ENJOYMENT
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Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.