I agree that most people will either love or hate this game. I am still undecided as to my feelings on it. I had a very lukewarm experience at E3 but maybe I'll give it a shot and post my impressions as well.
As always, Great Review Bahn.
Best Wipeout edition to date? TNL takes a look under the hood for the answer.
Success, regardless how you look at it, is a two-edged sword. The <i>WipEout</i> franchise stands as a perfect example of a legacy at risk among a dedicated fanbase, now that its former developer, Psygnosis is no longer behind the wheel. Save for an extensive spiel as to how long I've followed the series, recap its history, etcetera, etcetera; (by now, you've heard it all before, so I am not going there). Chances are, you're among the myriad of fans, be it a hardcore enthusiast, or the casual statistic that's been mildly curious as to what the fourth installment is all about. So let's cut to the chase, (sans the PR fluff and bullshit) as to whether you're going to give <i>WipEout Fusion</i> the time of day, or scurry back to <i>XL</i> and pretend it was all just a bad dream that you want to go away.
Full review, available <a href="http://www.the-nextlevel.com/reviews/ps2/wipeoutfusion" target="top">here</a>
Sausage
I agree that most people will either love or hate this game. I am still undecided as to my feelings on it. I had a very lukewarm experience at E3 but maybe I'll give it a shot and post my impressions as well.
As always, Great Review Bahn.
Thanks man...Originally posted by Master
I agree that most people will either love or hate this game. I am still undecided as to my feelings on it. I had a very lukewarm experience at E3 but maybe I'll give it a shot and post my impressions as well.
As always, Great Review Bahn.
*hands you a 50*
neurobashing
Well, bahn, what can I say - despite not being a fan of the Wipeout series, your (very cool) review - among other web research - convinced me to go rent it.
I was impressed. It seems to control better than past versions..the airbraking didn't seem as loose as before. And Good God there's a lot of game in there.
Still....I'm not as yet sold on it. I still have trouble combining the racing and combat aspects of the game - my fault, not the game's, I assure you. For example, I love the time trial and elimination challenges (i.e. when you do one or the other), but a full-on race is more than a little daunting.
One more thing...the track designs seem a little...uninspired, at least when compared to XG3's....granted, Fusion has as much gameplay in its lil finger as XG3 has in its entire bodily frame, but track design is important to me.
Someone smart once said "you must unlearn what you have learned" and that's definitely the case with me here....one more thing for me to work on. You can only get so much time during the span of a rental (without late fees, that is), but thanks for your review: I have cracked open the Fusion door, and like what I see behind. I'm certain that it'll become part of the ol' collection in the near future - something I never would have considered before renting.
Dare I say it....call me a convert...with an asterisk for the time being.
Satoshi Kon: 1963-2010
Thanks I am glad to hear that you enjoyed the review, and so far, have liked what you've seen of the game.Originally posted by BioMechanic
Well, bahn, what can I say - despite not being a fan of the Wipeout series, your (very cool) review - among other web research - convinced me to go rent it.
I was impressed. It seems to control better than past versions..the airbraking didn't seem as loose as before. And Good God there's a lot of game in there.
Still....I'm not as yet sold on it. I still have trouble combining the racing and combat aspects of the game - my fault, not the game's, I assure you. For example, I love the time trial and elimination challenges (i.e. when you do one or the other), but a full-on race is more than a little daunting.
I can understand that. I talked with some friends of mine who are HUGE WipeEout fans, who got ahold of the import build way before the domestic version was even officially confirmed. They had more negative comments about the handling, graphics and such then the fact they were finally playing it. That's not to say that they weren't impressed...but there was quite a healthy dose of "WTF" being thrown around, so to speak.
Even then...I still wanted the game so I could draw my own conclusions.
Hm...think so? If anything...perhaps one or two may seem somewhat bland, but overall, I am really fond of the level design. Florian Height for example actually surprised me. I wouldn't have expected a "rally" style element to be introduced into the game. I also liked the underground caverns and additional shortcuts they threw in (even tho it's incredibly hard to pick up on what's considered a viable route).
One more thing...the track designs seem a little...uninspired, at least when compared to XG3's....granted, Fusion has as much gameplay in its lil finger as XG3 has in its entire bodily frame, but track design is important to me.
If anything...they're no more uninspired than Wipeout 3 (which some seem to have some reservations about. Each game has something unique about it...yes, even the original)
My only beef with the level design is the fact that they suffer from pop-up and some glitchy movement during the start of a race. "Ready...(suddenly objects in the background magically appear) GO!"
Go...? Wait...where's that new stuff coming from? Like I was saying in the end of the review...Studio Liverpool definitely gave us something of an unpolished product.
However...I still gave it an A because beyond that, Fusion offers the greatest degree of game modes, a large number of tracks, 2 sets of pilots per team, and a modest degree of hidden features/items. To me, that speaks volumes of depth and incentive to get the game. The graphic quips weren't enough to force me to give the game a B- or even an C. It's fun...and the majority of people in our community alone can testify to this, for that reason alone, Fusion should be recognized as a very enjoayble game.
Someone smart once said "you must unlearn what you have learned" and that's definitely the case with me here....one more thing for me to work on. You can only get so much time during the span of a rental (without late fees, that is), but thanks for your review: I have cracked open the Fusion door, and like what I see behind. I'm certain that it'll become part of the ol' collection in the near future - something I never would have considered before renting.
Dare I say it....call me a convert...with an asterisk for the time being.
Too true...though for me, it didn't take THAT much adjustment. I guess I just wasn't as absorbed with past mechanics like others. But the airbrakes and handling of not only the classic crafts (e.g. Feisar), but just in general was the most evident change I noticed with the gameplay. But it wasn't so awkward to me that I was left saying "wait, I can't play this...it's too wierd."
Fusion of course isn't perfect, but this is a good start of the recreation of a new angle in which the Wipeout series can flow. I don't really acknowledge this version as a "sequel", it's as if the frenchise is starting again...and from the hours of time I spent with it, I think it's safe to say that I am looking forward to see where Studio Liverpool and BAM! go from this point on...
Again...glad you enjoyed the review, and thanks for the feedback.
Originally posted by andyrose
I'm defitely going to check it out. Good review, bub.
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