Wipeout Fusion (UK version): Initial impressions (1 Viewer)

[Dan Brecher]

You'll all have to forgive me, my copy of Wipeout arrived only a couple of hours ago and I am off out in 30 mins to be in London for the weekend, so thoughts on the forty odd mins I put into playing Wipeout Fusion this morning will be a little underwhelming at first...
First thing to strike me was the welcome apperance of the Dolby Digital: Pro Logic II logo at the head of the game. Whilst not put to as much innovative use as with Rogue Leader, running Wipeout in DPLII really throws you into it, it's a sonic joy as one would expect.
I checked the options first, lots of things to change; most notably there's a 16x9 mode and an option to run the intro in DD 5.1 on future start ups. Weapons and damage can also be toggeled on and off.
I've done the first race, and by done I don't really mean done as the best I have managed is fifth place in the short amount of time I had. I've got to say, something has been improved here... Over previous demos of Fusion (which I didnt think bad at all) the final UK version of the game has enhanced handeling, unlike in the demos (and as many reviews claim) I didn't crash at all, the controls here are actually excellent. With people slating the Australian version of the game (which a number of magazines used for review) I'm suddenly drawn to a good conclusion as to why the game was delayed in England.
The game seems to run at a disgustingly fast speed, but not enough to throw you off balance when you pick it up. In each attempt I got better and better, there are tons of racers on the track and all have good AI (I wasnt frustrated by an enemy cheating, they seem to play by the book). The lurning curve on this is really an attractive prospect I must admit.
So, for now I shall leave it there. I'll be playing it into the night come Sunday, so expect more fleshed out thoughts sometime on Monday (I could take the PS2 into london with me but I am too lazy to unhook it from my HT )...
Fusion has so many options, I can't wait to get properly stuck in on Sunday. So far, I am happy and its reminded me how much I loved the original game.
Dan (UK)
PS: The music is, as with all the games in the series, well picked. I was especially delighted to find a decent remix of one of my fave dance tracks in there, Future Sound of London's Papau New Guinea.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Does it have neGcon support?

 

[BrianB]

Yup, Michael.

 

[Dave F]

(in Homer voice)...mmmm....neGcon support...
-Dave

 

[Camp]

the game has enhanced handeling, unlike in the demos (and as many reviews claim) I didn't crash at all, the controls here are actually excellent.

Hmmm...that sounds like the toned down WipeoutXL to me. Wipeout isn't supposed to handle well...it's a levitating vehicle, after all. The key to the game, IMO, is the learning curve presented by the game's controls.

 

[Dan Brecher]

Camp,

The handling here is just like it's been in the past. Of the past three wipeout games, Fusion reminds me most of XL (dubbed 2097 over here).

What I meant was, all these early reviews from magazines who had tested review copies or the Australian version claimed the handling was so off you'd be crashing constantly, this doesn't happen. There IS a strong learning curve in how to get the best steering out of your craft, absolutely (as I said the learning curve is a really attractive prospect to this game). You certainly don't doubt this thing is floating and you'll need to master the air breaks well.

Dan

 

[Camp]

Good. I feel much better now.

Are there any new weapons? How about the graphics?

I hope this comes to the US soon...I've only been waiting for this game for 2 years.

 

[Dan Brecher]

Yup, there appear to be some new weapons. My memory of Wip3out is a little rusty, so forgive me if these did appear in the third outing, but there is a funky laser cannon in there, grenades and homing missiles. You actually unlock more weapons as your progress as you do players, ships and courses....etc. I unlocked the 'Quake' weapon this evening from the old games where you send the shockwave through the course, that still works to great effect.
Graphics wise it's impressive. The game runs as a smooth frame rate and there is an excellent sense of speed in the game. On some courses the backgrounds stretch out as far as the eye can see (if you've got time to stop and look!) and there are lots fo spacecraft flying overhead now and again. There's no clipping or pop up on the courses to speak of either and there are some decent explosion effects.
Dan (UK)

 

[Kelley_B]

I hope this comes to the US soon...I've only been waiting for this game for 2 years.

I've only been waiting since WipeOut 3....I'd have to say WipeOut is my second favorite series only falling to the all mighty Castlevania series.

 

[Dan Brecher]

So I am officialy loving Wipeout Fusion, folks. Right now I'm working my way through the game's arcade mode, doing the corses, doing them backwards...etc. My progression here is unlocking new tracks of course, and more weapons. I was recently granted the "rockets" which are fantastic. You get these and it fires off three straight down the line of the course (aim well as they dont home in on anything like the missiles do). The lighting effects here are superb.

I've got a hunch that Fusion uses the PS2s internal clock too. There is one course I love built into the snow and ice (it snows as you race, looks lovely) and this evening I've noticed I am racing in the evening...the sky was cloudy. Yesterday morning when I played it before going out I distincly remember the sun shining and clear skied in the game. More on this later I guess...

More on the impressive visuals, there's one course I was on earlier where then sun was going down and it looked gorgeous...

I've been blasting the game out at about -10db on the HT here. In Pro Logic 2 the music surrounds you and say you fire off some grenades and hit the ship in front of you, if you race through the aftermath of the explosion there is a big "whoosh" that crosses from the front soundstage into the surrounds.

Dan (UK)

 

[Camp]

I can't take it!

It's rare that a gamer living in North America wishes he could have something you Europeans have! Typically, it's the other way around, isn't it (speaking strictly in a gaming sense, of course).

Enjoy, Dan.

 

[Sean Eldridge]

Any word on whether or not this will use the Logitech Force Feedback Wheel?

Thanks,

Sean

 

[Iain Lambert]

Oh Dan, please stop doing this! How am I supposed to buy a Gamecube rather than a PS2 now?
I've commented a bunch of times about how this stood a great chance of sucking; I'm now officially relieved massively. Still, with Crazy Taxi 2, 18 Wheeler and F355 (all Dreamcast) bought this weekend, it will be a few months yet.

 

[Dan Brecher]

Oh Dan, please stop doing this!

Well you are basically down the road from me now, we'll have you pop on over soon for some PS2 goodness. I wish I had another PS2 pad actually to try Fusion's two player mode. D'oh!
Dan

 

[Iain Lambert]

I'm fairly sure I remember a discussion on the forum that said you can use PS1 dualshock pads on a PS2 as long as you're not looking to exploit the new analogueness of the buttons. So thats nice. F355 really is very good though!

 

[Derrik Draven]

Dan, are there any playable views from inside the racer? I remember seeing some sort of view like this for Wipeout 3, I believe. Never played it but, I thought an interior view could be kinda cool instead of the 3rd person or, just slamming the camera down on the track with an invisible racer.

 

[BrianB]

Derrik, all of the Wipeout games on the PSX had the in-car view. Unfortunately, due to the speed/nature of Wipeout, it made it VERY hard to play. It was too hard to judge the corners.

 

[Iain Lambert]

Really Brian? While I didn't like the 'in-car' mode that had the cockpit onscreen and stuck with the 'down on the track' mode, I found it much better than the 3rd-person view, strangely enough. I always found myself off-centre when outside the craft, as the camera didn't tilt with it. Thank goodness that they have always offered both.

 

[BrianB]

Really, Iain? None of my friends play Wipeout 'in car'. Weird

 

[Dan Brecher]

Right now I've only been playing in the behind vehicle view, I think triangle is the view button and there is a cockpit POV one as I recall but there was no interior graphics of the craft. I'll check again this evening...
A minor graphical glitch has appeared on an alternate course on the snow/ice level. Now and then I've thrown myself into a wall at ultra high speed and as a result have often gone through the wall. This is the only glitch I have noticed and unless you try to make it happen, it rarely does.
I did turn off the vibration this evening, the game is just absolutely nuts on the whole force feedback thing and it ultimately became too much.
My jaw nearly hit the floor whilst playing on two occasions today. On one course you drive up this slope and assume you dive back down the other side, but hitting the top at speed rockets you over and down into this MASSIVE cityscape below.
Another course had the same effect where you go up a slope at speed and the track just seeimingly drops away, you then dive down into an expansive underwater glass tunnel (like that level in Episode1 Racer only 1000 times better).
Dan
PS: Another new weapon was unlocked earlier, a plasma cannon. It charges up and fires of a massive electrical bolt down the course and has the ability to destroy entire ships. I also unlocked the good old mines from the original games.