Wipeout Fusion
The forth game in the venerable anti-grav racer series may be the best yet, but will it make it to the US?
Published: May 29, 2001
Wipeout Fusion has a LOT to live up to. Wipeout fans border on the rabid, and with each new version, they grow. The game was revealed last year, but other than an incredibly small trickle of screens that have streamed out of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. It's not even confirmed for US release yet (but honestly, there would be a run on Sony's offices if it didn't make it over here), but one thing's for sure: SCEE knows how to program for the PS2.
The one-level, two-rider look that we got at the game was, in a work, stunning. The sense of speed is incredible, but what's even more exciting is the fact that it's all instantly controllable, even at top speeds. There's also been revisions to the track designs, as we saw about three quarters through the level we were racing on when the paved, smooth track gave way to hilly, dusty roads. One of the other big stunners was an awesome loop that turns slightly transparent as you begin climbing into it. You can faintly see track details underneath, and I actually found myself tipping as I pulled into the circle. There were also a couple of breathtaking jumps where the view was literally as far as the eye could see, and while there was a little pop-out on the biggest jump, it's obvious that the programmers are making an effort to push the series into new territory graphically, not just for racers, but for any PlayStation 2 game.
While there wasn't a whole lot to dive into, what we got was an absolute blast. The interface was typical UK design, meaning it was clean, simple, but uncannily gorgeous. It's the continued power of understatement that's graced all of the wipeout games, and while the interface was decidedly more "busy" than the uber-plain, simple menus of Wip3out, it was no less amazing. The little shots of some of the later levels were breathtaking, and left me almost begging for a piece of code that would let me try my hand at them.
Even cooler is the promise of an awesome soundtrack. While the team at Psygnosis had an amazingly hard time trying to sign artists to the soundtrack for the first game, by now, after artists like DJ Sasha and Prodigy have contributed tracks, the development team has been inundated with artists begging to be put on the soundtrack. The rep demoing the game for us jokingly commented that all he does all day is listen to awesome music -- pleasant news indeed for fans of the sounds that accompany the lightning-fast on-screen action.
As we said earlier, there still hasn't been an official confirmation of Wipeout Fusion's release here in the States, but with the popularity that the series has gained over the years, and the simply amazing work that the team has already pulled off, it would be almost impossible for the game to not find its way over here. Until then, keep your fingers crossed.
The one-level, two-rider look that we got at the game was, in a work, stunning. The sense of speed is incredible, but what's even more exciting is the fact that it's all instantly controllable, even at top speeds. There's also been revisions to the track designs, as we saw about three quarters through the level we were racing on when the paved, smooth track gave way to hilly, dusty roads. One of the other big stunners was an awesome loop that turns slightly transparent as you begin climbing into it. You can faintly see track details underneath, and I actually found myself tipping as I pulled into the circle. There were also a couple of breathtaking jumps where the view was literally as far as the eye could see, and while there was a little pop-out on the biggest jump, it's obvious that the programmers are making an effort to push the series into new territory graphically, not just for racers, but for any PlayStation 2 game.
While there wasn't a whole lot to dive into, what we got was an absolute blast. The interface was typical UK design, meaning it was clean, simple, but uncannily gorgeous. It's the continued power of understatement that's graced all of the wipeout games, and while the interface was decidedly more "busy" than the uber-plain, simple menus of Wip3out, it was no less amazing. The little shots of some of the later levels were breathtaking, and left me almost begging for a piece of code that would let me try my hand at them.
Even cooler is the promise of an awesome soundtrack. While the team at Psygnosis had an amazingly hard time trying to sign artists to the soundtrack for the first game, by now, after artists like DJ Sasha and Prodigy have contributed tracks, the development team has been inundated with artists begging to be put on the soundtrack. The rep demoing the game for us jokingly commented that all he does all day is listen to awesome music -- pleasant news indeed for fans of the sounds that accompany the lightning-fast on-screen action.
As we said earlier, there still hasn't been an official confirmation of Wipeout Fusion's release here in the States, but with the popularity that the series has gained over the years, and the simply amazing work that the team has already pulled off, it would be almost impossible for the game to not find its way over here. Until then, keep your fingers crossed.