Price: £44.99

Players: 1-2

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
OVERALL

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2002.