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"Wipeout Fusion - first impressions."

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Fri 08/02/02 at 22:26
Regular
Posts: 787
Do I buy it? Do I not? A question I asked myself a million times (mostly during lectures) before actually going and buying Wipeout Fusion today. I had heard many positive things about the game, after all, having been delayed by over a year, you`d have thought Studio Liverpool would do a good job. However, a review in PSM2 had cast a shadow of doubt over my initial enthusiasm for this game. How could this potentially amazing game get only 73%??

1 - Inability to manoeuvre past crippled ships and ships underfire.

Well, having played the game now, I can honestly say that I think PSM2 should stick to trick games like THPS3 and SSX. Enemy ships do present a challenge to get past, but not one that beyond the average gamer`s capabilities.

2 - Tracks that would make Anakin Skywalker think twice.

To be honest, I haven`t got far enough into the game to see if this is true, but I actually hope this is true. If you really do need jedi reflexes, then perhaps this is the ultimate racing game challenge, and I look forward to it immensely!

3 - Bad clipping.

Erm? This is when you can do things like view your ship through a supposedly solid wall yeh? Well... I haven`t noticed it yet, but to be honest, I can`t see it happening later unless you spend all your time with your ship planted in a wall. I believe the idea is to stay on the course, not experiment with its boundaries. Fair point if it is true... but I have no evidence of it yet.

4 - Night levels.

Whats wrong with that? Again, its all about adding a challenge. I don`t want a wipeout game where you just follow the course, go ahead of your opponents, and win with ease, I want a game which will make you work in every corner, every straight even, and actually make you sweat despite just sitting down.

5 - Old music.

Maybe, but thats hardly a reason for criticism. In fact the music, especially in the menus was rather good I thought. As with all previous wipeout games the sound track is important, and I believe its done the job (though living up to 2097 was an impossible task).

Anyway, so there you have it, a few hours into the game, and I was confident that all the criticism I had heard (which was fair enough for the reviewer, and his opinion) was not going to be a problem for me, and I could continue my game knowing that it was quite special.

So... what do I actually think of the game? The intro set the scene, fast paced, adrenaline pumping, speedy camera changes... all the stuff that goes together in great action movies, and top action games. Then its onto the main menu, and things get even better due to the cracking music played during your selections - which by the way include the ever important two player mode!

Pick a ship, any ship, it didn`t matter to me on my firtst go, then a course... just get racing I thought to myself, don`t worry about where! A few moments later, I`m onto some course in somewhere, with no clue what the controls are or what the competition is like. Using my old 2097 controls I began the race, and picked up a weapon... fiddled with controls for a while until I found fire, and it was away, and brilliant missile heading directly for the nearest wall - might have to wait for a target lock next time. Anyway, with the controls now sorted, it was down to business, racing, and blowing ships off the face of the planet.

The handling... how can I describe it? Think Gran Turismo combined pure water. A strange combo, as it would surely ruin your PS2, but in this case I mean solid handling as never seen before, with a kind of fluid feel that gives a more pure feeling of control than any other futuristic racer before it. Rather than Extreme-G3`s nervous twitching, this was real racing, and the control was simply "just right".

Its got the looks, its got the sound, its got the handling, its got the gameplay, and it certainly has style - by the bucket load. After only a short time with this game, I can see that this will be one of my favourites for many months or even years to come, its really something quite special. It makes Dante look about as cool as the insides of an erupting volcano.
Mon 11/02/02 at 16:39
Posts: 0
Yea, i know...
I also saw Monkey Island for £13..
I loved the first 2, anyone played the newest?
Mon 11/02/02 at 16:37
Regular
Posts: 6,702
I`m the other way round :-) It feels more realistic to me, but again, its an opinion thing.
Mon 11/02/02 at 16:37
Posts: 0
You can also get XG3 for £20 brand new.
Mon 11/02/02 at 16:36
Posts: 0
Yea, i know what you mean, I just dont like the way the vehicles glide so much in Fusion, I always bang into everything I see...
Mon 11/02/02 at 16:35
Regular
Posts: 6,702
At that price, its excellent. However, with Fusion around, I don`t think it stands a chance. The main difference in the game (other than the vehicles and weapons) is the fact that G3 feels like you move the course to turn, where as Fusion makes you move the vehicle.
Mon 11/02/02 at 16:32
Posts: 0
True Story, any idea what XG3 is like?
I just saw it in game second hand for £13...
Mon 11/02/02 at 16:30
Regular
Posts: 6,702
Not a problem, everyone has their own opinion.
Mon 11/02/02 at 16:29
Posts: 0
OK!!!OK!!! I just dont like wipeout, is that such a crime?! hehe
Mon 11/02/02 at 16:28
Regular
Posts: 6,702
wandering blade wrote:
> But thats what im saying, it jsut feels the exactly the same with extra bits
> added on,

Most games are, but that doesn`t make it bad. Simply because it has the same name, it becomes exposed to this kind of criticism, when in fact the same kind of "adding on" is done to most game releases, except they change the name and make people think "Ooh how original", when really its the same.

GT > GT3 is criticised, which wouldn`t happen if the name had been altered completely.

GT > Polyphony Racing (or something).
Mon 11/02/02 at 16:27
Posts: 0
Possibly. I'd say there has actually been more changes made in Wipeout, than there were in GT3, for example.

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