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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.
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.
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To be honest, I don`t even know the pilots name, though in my review I was talking about Pascale a lot. I`ll try and start with her tonight probably (I think she`s Auricom, but can`t remember). This is the annoying thing. At home, I was able to set up the game near my Dad`s PC and write a review with info exactly from the game (place names, pilot names etc...) now I`m away at uni, I`ve drawn a blank again.
As for the weapons, the rapid firing red proton cannon (was that what its called?) seems one of the most useless, but its strength really lies in consistent hits. If you keep pouring fire onto an opponent, they are forced into the side of the track. (Thats why I didn`t bother answering an earlier complaint, because that person hasn`t yet given the game enough time to explain the smaller details).
I like the idea of weapon specific challenges, but with some it would become a little tedious, trading the same punches until one falls over. No need to make wipeout like boxing :-)
As for the weapons, the rapid firing red proton cannon (was that what its called?) seems one of the most useless, but its strength really lies in consistent hits. If you keep pouring fire onto an opponent, they are forced into the side of the track. (Thats why I didn`t bother answering an earlier complaint, because that person hasn`t yet given the game enough time to explain the smaller details).
I like the idea of weapon specific challenges, but with some it would become a little tedious, trading the same punches until one falls over. No need to make wipeout like boxing :-)
About the weapons, there have been poor ones in the past, but they could have balanced them better in WF, so the weaker ones do come in useful in more instances. I know one challenge restricts you to grenades only. Maybe there are challenges specific to other weapons.
Which pilot are you using? At the moment I'm using Paul Cheung.
Which pilot are you using? At the moment I'm using Paul Cheung.
devo wrote:
My own criticisms:
>8. Some of the weapons, like the flame thrower are next to useless. They do have a
> use if you are behind a pack, but it seems better to ditch them, and try and
> pick up something else instead.
That is sometimes the case, but then this has always been the way (remember the electrobolt on 2097). You can`t get a decent weapon everytime because the number of eliminations would go through the roof, and I`m already finding that races finish with as little as 3 of the original contenders.
9. Flip pads on Katmoda 12. They don't seem
> to add anything to the game, and don't disorient you at all. Seems too much like
> a gimmick.
I guess they are a little gimmicky. Its still a little bit of fun though, and adds to the feeling of anti-gravity.
>10. Music. In the options screen you can pick your playlist, but
> you can't listen to the songs there to work out which ones you
> want.
I hadn`t actually noticed that, though thinking about it, games like GT3 only gave a short clip, and many others have no option at all, so it isn`t unusual, but its still annoying as you say.
>The challenge
modes are particularly enjoyable - with modes such as survival, chase and
> extermination to add variety.
They`re great! (Not Frosties, I mean the modes you mentioned). They do exactly what you put on the tin, they add variety, and make the game even more fun.
My own criticisms:
>8. Some of the weapons, like the flame thrower are next to useless. They do have a
> use if you are behind a pack, but it seems better to ditch them, and try and
> pick up something else instead.
That is sometimes the case, but then this has always been the way (remember the electrobolt on 2097). You can`t get a decent weapon everytime because the number of eliminations would go through the roof, and I`m already finding that races finish with as little as 3 of the original contenders.
9. Flip pads on Katmoda 12. They don't seem
> to add anything to the game, and don't disorient you at all. Seems too much like
> a gimmick.
I guess they are a little gimmicky. Its still a little bit of fun though, and adds to the feeling of anti-gravity.
>10. Music. In the options screen you can pick your playlist, but
> you can't listen to the songs there to work out which ones you
> want.
I hadn`t actually noticed that, though thinking about it, games like GT3 only gave a short clip, and many others have no option at all, so it isn`t unusual, but its still annoying as you say.
>The challenge
modes are particularly enjoyable - with modes such as survival, chase and
> extermination to add variety.
They`re great! (Not Frosties, I mean the modes you mentioned). They do exactly what you put on the tin, they add variety, and make the game even more fun.
I'm with ssxpro on this one.
1. Crippled ships. It's only difficult to get past them if you cripple them on a very narrow straight. Just because you've got a weapon, doesn't mean you have to fire it off as soon as an enemy comes into sight. Use them tactically.
2. Jedi reflexes. Don't know what the problem is here. I've unlocked tracks from all seven groups (including Katmoda 12). And have never felt beaten reflexwise by the game. And my reflexes aren't as good as you young whippersnappers out there.
3. Clipping. Not seen any.
4. Night levels. To me, night levels look cool, and don't make it any harder whatsoever.
5. Old music style. True. But this is more to do with dance music being stuck in a rut. When the original Wipeout was released, it was well timed with the big beat explosion - generally futuristic sounding music. Now retro is cool (see Daft Punk, Air, Felix Da Housecat etc.). Nothing wrong with that, but Wipeout needs futuristic sounding music. And most of the 'futuristic' music now ironically sounds old. Though the in game music on the whole is good.
Other things from reviews I mentioned elsewhere:
6. Slow down. Yes, there is. Two places I've noticed it are sometimes on the pre race grid clip (strangely), which I skip anyway, as I want to race. The second place is on the first lap of the third reversed Florion Height track (if my memory serves me right), just before the huge drop. This may be a combination of the polygon count for the buildings, and the on track action, as it doesn't tend to slow down on the second or third lap, when the field has spread out more. Why they didn't drop the total polygon count of the buildings, I don't know. But it doesn't ruin the enjoyment, and is very infrequent.
7. Dead ends. To me this is a silly bug. For those who don't have the game, on the Cubiss Float level, there is a dead end (probably about 20 metres long in 'game distance'), where an alternate route is blocked off. Sometimes an AI controlled ship will go down the dead end, and get stuck. Why they couldn't have remodelled the level, so the alternate route was blocked off without a dead end, I don't know. Changing the level structure would not have been a big job, and a lot quicker than tweaking the ship AI to turn around and take the open route. Again, this is not a problem throughout the game. But seems silly that they didn't fix it.
My own criticisms:
8. Some of the weapons, like the flame thrower are next to useless. They do have a use if you are behind a pack, but it seems better to ditch them, and try and pick up something else instead.
9. Flip pads on Katmoda 12. They don't seem to add anything to the game, and don't disorient you at all. Seems too much like a gimmick.
10. Music. In the options screen you can pick your playlist, but you can't listen to the songs there to work out which ones you want.
Personally I like Wipeout Fusion a lot. It's not as essential as the first two on the PSone, but it's a fun game in it's own right. The challenge modes are particularly enjoyable - with modes such as survival, chase and extermination to add variety.
1. Crippled ships. It's only difficult to get past them if you cripple them on a very narrow straight. Just because you've got a weapon, doesn't mean you have to fire it off as soon as an enemy comes into sight. Use them tactically.
2. Jedi reflexes. Don't know what the problem is here. I've unlocked tracks from all seven groups (including Katmoda 12). And have never felt beaten reflexwise by the game. And my reflexes aren't as good as you young whippersnappers out there.
3. Clipping. Not seen any.
4. Night levels. To me, night levels look cool, and don't make it any harder whatsoever.
5. Old music style. True. But this is more to do with dance music being stuck in a rut. When the original Wipeout was released, it was well timed with the big beat explosion - generally futuristic sounding music. Now retro is cool (see Daft Punk, Air, Felix Da Housecat etc.). Nothing wrong with that, but Wipeout needs futuristic sounding music. And most of the 'futuristic' music now ironically sounds old. Though the in game music on the whole is good.
Other things from reviews I mentioned elsewhere:
6. Slow down. Yes, there is. Two places I've noticed it are sometimes on the pre race grid clip (strangely), which I skip anyway, as I want to race. The second place is on the first lap of the third reversed Florion Height track (if my memory serves me right), just before the huge drop. This may be a combination of the polygon count for the buildings, and the on track action, as it doesn't tend to slow down on the second or third lap, when the field has spread out more. Why they didn't drop the total polygon count of the buildings, I don't know. But it doesn't ruin the enjoyment, and is very infrequent.
7. Dead ends. To me this is a silly bug. For those who don't have the game, on the Cubiss Float level, there is a dead end (probably about 20 metres long in 'game distance'), where an alternate route is blocked off. Sometimes an AI controlled ship will go down the dead end, and get stuck. Why they couldn't have remodelled the level, so the alternate route was blocked off without a dead end, I don't know. Changing the level structure would not have been a big job, and a lot quicker than tweaking the ship AI to turn around and take the open route. Again, this is not a problem throughout the game. But seems silly that they didn't fix it.
My own criticisms:
8. Some of the weapons, like the flame thrower are next to useless. They do have a use if you are behind a pack, but it seems better to ditch them, and try and pick up something else instead.
9. Flip pads on Katmoda 12. They don't seem to add anything to the game, and don't disorient you at all. Seems too much like a gimmick.
10. Music. In the options screen you can pick your playlist, but you can't listen to the songs there to work out which ones you want.
Personally I like Wipeout Fusion a lot. It's not as essential as the first two on the PSone, but it's a fun game in it's own right. The challenge modes are particularly enjoyable - with modes such as survival, chase and extermination to add variety.
First impressions on this game - complete pants >:-(
Just a few annoying things - When I get hit by a weapon, I get sent flying into a wall just to slow me down even more, while if I hit them I hardly see any difference then before they took the shot and yes thats without shields around them.
It feels like its me vs team CPU. Seems like they all save their weapons to use on me without any interest in shooting at eachother.
No matter how I place in a race, in the next one I always start at the back !
Those electric type barricades on tracks that block off alternative routes - seems they don't like to appear till your right on top of them with little hope of turning in time to avoid them.
The poor handling on the racers gives very little chance of actually avoiding attacks.
The lock on missle - only likes to lock onto opponents that are directly in front of you so if you shoot them you go crashing into their backside - cool weapon - NOT !
That stupid little plasma gun thing - found myself dumping that worthless pile of trash a lot more often than bothering to use it.
God what a disappointment ! So glad Namco didn't let me down with Ace Combat 4. Otherwise Liverpool's 6-0 thrashing of Ipswich would have been the only thing worth remembering about this weekend.
Just a few annoying things - When I get hit by a weapon, I get sent flying into a wall just to slow me down even more, while if I hit them I hardly see any difference then before they took the shot and yes thats without shields around them.
It feels like its me vs team CPU. Seems like they all save their weapons to use on me without any interest in shooting at eachother.
No matter how I place in a race, in the next one I always start at the back !
Those electric type barricades on tracks that block off alternative routes - seems they don't like to appear till your right on top of them with little hope of turning in time to avoid them.
The poor handling on the racers gives very little chance of actually avoiding attacks.
The lock on missle - only likes to lock onto opponents that are directly in front of you so if you shoot them you go crashing into their backside - cool weapon - NOT !
That stupid little plasma gun thing - found myself dumping that worthless pile of trash a lot more often than bothering to use it.
God what a disappointment ! So glad Namco didn't let me down with Ace Combat 4. Otherwise Liverpool's 6-0 thrashing of Ipswich would have been the only thing worth remembering about this weekend.
I`ve really got into the swing of things on the game now. My favourite move, simply because to me it seems even more stylish, is to save a quake disruptor for the final straight, and fire it a couple of seconds before the finish. You go roaring across the finish line, following a powerful wave in the course. It looks quite spectacular, but most importantly, feels good as you go across the line! :-)
Resevilfan wrote:
> Just read you review on it ssxpro, Fusion sounds good :-)
I`m glad it still came across with the right impression despite the slightly strange tactic for reviewing :-)
> Just read you review on it ssxpro, Fusion sounds good :-)
I`m glad it still came across with the right impression despite the slightly strange tactic for reviewing :-)
Just read you review on it ssxpro, Fusion sounds good :-)
I was checking out the competition for my first review in a long long time (fear effect 2) but it's after midnight so we aren't rivals, horray :-)
I was checking out the competition for my first review in a long long time (fear effect 2) but it's after midnight so we aren't rivals, horray :-)
Thats fair enough as its your opinion, but I`m finding myself more and more addicted to it everyday. (Well, I`m more addicted to it than I was yesterday when I bought it :D)
I played it the other day and thought it was mediocre at best. The graphics are really nothing special, the musics annoying, i've been a fan of Wipeout games anyway, but I was expecting it to be better than that.
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