[One, Two, Middlesboogie]

I was leafing through my back issues of OPS2M, and I found this article in the very first issue. It's slightly (!) out of date, release-date wise, but it still makes for a good little read.

WIPEOUT FUSION

The fiercely intense futuristic racer slams headlong into the PlayStation 2. But can the WipEout series survive the perilous journey to Sony's 128 bit marvel?

WipEout is, quite simply, a legend on PSOne. Back in 1995, its head-rush combination of frantic racing, mesmerising visuals and pumping soundtrack introduced a whole new clubbing generation to videogames. Five years on, Sony's Studio Liverpool - the Team Formerly Known As Psygnosis - is preparing to unleash the next generation of this futuristic franchise on PlayStation 2.

WipEout Fusion is set in 2150 AD, where the notorious 'Federation' has unveiled a tough league containing a brand new breed of advanced gravity-defying craft, possessing hi-tech handling. This time the super-sleek ships hug the tracks much more closely than in previous WipEout incarnations, giving a 'rollercoaster' feel to the game, with hair-raising loops, infeasible jumps and terrifying twists.

The structure of the league system - with its different classes of Vector, Venom, Rapier and Phantom - has been given a dramatic overhaul, combating criticism that WipEout's learning curve was too steep. A new cash management system gives players points depending on their finishing position in a race and damage inflicted on opponents. Parameters such as speed, stability, thrust and firepower can then be improved, allowing the player to define their ship's characteristics. Reach the maximum upgrade level and you get a new ship with better weapons, more speed and more shield energy. Eventually, players get to test-fly the most prestigious ship available: a black hyper-reflective stealth craft that avoids enemy radar.

Courses are now spread over seven different environments, each containing three tracks of the easy, medium and difficult variety (that's right, 21 circuits! - Middlesboogie). Players start off in a windswept desert with sand dunes and deep canyons, then the action sweeps through varied landscapes including ice, jungle and a non-Costner water world. Studio Liverpool wants to cram a PS2 innovation into every track, so for example, the very first course has an evil 360-degree loop right near the start to disorientate the player. Tricky flip pads turn craft upside down, while transparent areas of track on top of each other allow you to look down and see what your foes are up to. All scenery is now interactive - boulders can be blasted to reveal secret routes, while the ships themselves take on damage, sending metal fragments spinning onto the track.

The programming team has concentrated on bringing realistic computer opponents to the PS2 by paying close attention to the AI. Pilot characters now have their own personalities and will 'remember' which players have attacked them. The cache of weapons include upgraded versions of old favourites - such as the road-shaking 'Quake' - that have been revamped for devastating explosions, although the final arsenal has not yet been decided on. In the two-player split-screen mode, specially designed weapons will provide new challenges.

Although the game isn't due for release until March 2001 (Yes, that was its original release date, which is now December this year. But still, it's good to see that they are getting it perfect instead of rushing it out the door half-arsed. - Middlesboogie), it's shaping up to be a stunning PS2 racer, with detailed tracks snaking over stunning landscapes and a cracking new multiplayer mode. Mix that with in-game music from the best UK dance talent, and snazzy new design from Good Technology and WipEout is set to make one hell of a return.