======WipEout Fusion====== [{{ wipeout_series:covers:wofusion_eu_cover_art.png?200vh|WipEout Fusion (EU retail cover art)}}] **WipEout Fusion** is an original anti-gravity combat racing video game developed by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psygnosis|Studio Liverpool]] for the PlayStation® 2. It introduced controversial design decisions that were removed in [[wipeout_series:wipeout_pure|WipEout Pure]]. The game features original tracks and ships. It is the fourth mainline installment in [[:wipeout_series|the WipEout series]], and was well-received by critics when it first released. The player competes in the [[#Lore|F9000 Racing League]], piloting anti-gravity racing ships that float above the circuits at high speeds. These anti-gravity racing ships are able to obtain and use various [[#Pickups]] to disrupt other players or assist the pilot. Like all [[:wipeout_series|WipEout games]], **WipEout Fusion** focuses on delivering high-speed, high-thrills combat racing action. It was released on DVD for: * PAL regions including Europe and the UK: //February 8, 2002//; * NTSC-U regions including North and Central America: //June 17, 2002//. =====Gameplay===== **WipEout Fusion** is fast and precise; it requires strategy and resource management with [[#Pickups]] and [[#Shield Energy]], and it rewards track knowledge with piloting skills. While **WipEout Fusion**'s gameplay differs based on the [[#Game Modes]], there are common elements that make up the WipEout experience in this entry. This section focuses on these common elements. ====Ship Handling==== Ships float in **WipEout Fusion**. This is an important distinction to make for anyone coming over from car racing games. Unlike in the previous WipEout titles, Fusion changed to a physics system often referred to as "floorhugging". Ships still slide and drift around when cornering as before, but where previous games had a more loose gravitational effect that allows skilled pilots to easily gain significant height over the track from even the smallest of hills and bumps, the ships in Fusion now remain locked at a fixed height above the track surface, regardless of gradient or orientation, and there are very few "scripted" opportunities that exist to float higher above the track or go over jumps. According to an interview from Lead Designer regarding pre-release and development, this floorhugging effect may have been a placeholder for what was initially intended, as magnetic-locking sections similar to those featured in Pulse are suggested to have been implemented for loops and inverted track segments. However the case though, this never made it to the final product due to technical limitations. (FIXME describe handling) The handling consists of the following mechanics: ===Thrust=== Press and hold the **Accelerate** button (mapped by default to //Cross//) to speed up. The player can also get a speed boost at the start of the race by performing a **Perfect Start**. The moment the countdown reaches "GO", press and hold the **Accelerate** button. ===Pitch and Steering=== Control your ship through //D-Pad// or //Analog Stick// inputs - **Steer** it left and right, and **Pitch** it up and down. * **Steering** is the basic way to control the direction of your craft. * **Pitching** is useful for getting more airtime or reducing it. Excessive airtime loses speed. ===Airbrakes=== **Airbrakes** are a way to turn more aggressively. When an airbrake is engaged, a flap is raised on one side of the ship, increasing that side's air resistance, which helps steer the craft in that direction. They are activated by holding down the **Left Airbrake** and **Right Airbrake** buttons (mapped by default to //L// and //R// respectively). At higher speeds, **Airbrakes** are essential to complete most turns. Ignoring them is a big mistake, but so is overusing them. Using both at the same time will slow the ship down like a normal brake; however, using them to simply turn doesn't drop the craft's speed much. ---- ====Pickups==== **Pickups**, also known as //Items// or //Weapons// (despite the category not being limited to them), are helpful power-ups that a pilot can obtain by going over a [[#Weapon Pads|Weapon Pad]]. Only one can be held by a pilot at a time; when equipped, they get the choice to either **ditch** it, or to use it (mapped by default to //R1// to use a pickup and //Square// for discarding the pickup). **WipEout Fusion** has **26 Pickups**. Each one is unique - having their own use cases, varying degrees of usefulness. ---- ===Standard Weapons=== > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Proton Cannon]]**\\ Onboard 30mm cannon with a small ammo pool. Continuous fire with high disruption potential, but has to be aimed manually. > **[[pickups:missile#In WipEout Fusion|Missile]]**\\ Twin gyroscopically-stabilized homing projectiles that lock onto a pilot and bounce off and around walls during their chase. > **[[pickups:rockets#In WipEout Fusion|Rockets]]**\\ Rockets that are fired forward from the ship - classic, simple and effective. > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Grenades]]**\\ Like rockets, but bouncy. > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Grav-Stinger]]**\\ Won't rock you like an Hurricane but it will certainly stop you! > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Flamer]]**\\ A stream of fire that does continuous damage to ships on your nose. Short range. > **[[pickups:plasma#In WipEout Fusion|Plasma Bolt]]**\\ A very mean, heavy hitter that's tricky to aim, but pays off with dividends on a hit. > **[[pickups:mines#In WipEout Fusion|Mines]]**\\ Deploy 5 legos small obstacles onto the track behind your ship. Hitting one is manageable, but hitting many will hurt. > **[[pickups:quake#In WipEout Fusion|Quake Disruptor]]**\\ A seismic wave that will go down the track from where it was fired. Tricky for recipients to escape. > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Gravity Bomb]]**\\ A seismic death ball dropped behind your ship. The onboard gravity well pulls passing ships closer and detonates on contact. > **[[pickups:shield#In WipEout Fusion|Shield]]**\\ Protect yourself from any harm coming your way within the next few seconds. > **[[pickups:turbo#In WipEout Fusion|Turbo]]**\\ Get a temporary, immediate speed boost upon use. Overtake someone, or go to places you couldn't go before... > **[[pickups:autopilot#In WipEout Fusion|Autopilot]]**\\ Let a computer take control of your craft for a moment. Take a breather, or take advantage of this state's supernatural agility. ===Super Weapons=== Each teams has a super weapon as it's disposal, unlocked by beating their challenges. > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Super Missiles (FEISAR)]]**\\ Truth Nuke! Nuclear powered™. > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Seismic Field (Van-Über)]]**\\ Dresden's new toy! > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Bio-Snare (G-Tech)]]**\\ Your opponent will be treated like sewage with G-Tech's newest invention > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Orbital Laser (Auricom)]]**\\ Highly focused beam of light that locks onto a ship and does heavy damage. Does not work indoors. > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Power Swarm (EG-R)]]**\\ This enthusiast thriller spurned brute force with plenty of drones ! > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Nitro Rocket (Tigron)]]**\\ See the opponent's shields? Now you don't! > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Shield Drain (Xios)]]**\\ Precursor to the modern-day Leech Beam. > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Penetrator (Piranha)]]**\\ Turbo with extra steps (and more damage !) ===Multiplayer Weapons=== > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Control Jammer]]**\\ Temporarily screws with another pilot's controls. > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Turbo Enforcer]]**\\ Shove someone's engines into overdrive. > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Hunter Missile]]**\\ Send the IRS to the opponent in first. > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Global Drain]]**\\ Collect your opponents' unpaid taxes. > **[[pickups:#In WipEout Fusion|Stealth]]**\\ If you really were completely invisible, you would actually see jackshit! ---- ====Shield Energy==== [[#Teams|Ships]] in **WipEout Fusion** have **Shield Energy**. It is a resource that represents the structural integrity of your ship. This energy is reduced by colliding with walls or other players, getting hit by Weapons or by going out-of-bounds. Shield Energy can also be restored, for example, by going into the pit-lane. **Shield Energy** management is an important skill in **WipEout Fusion**. Getting stingy will get you eliminated, setting you way back in the best case, or even failing the event entirely in the worst case. In a feature which makes its only appearance in this game, losing Shield Energy also negatively impacts the flight characteristics of your ship (provided the Damage Simulation option is enabled in game settings). Unlike other games in the series, Shield Energy is displayed as-is on the HUD, with maximum shield energy varying between teams and pilots. When it gets below 0, the ship fucking explodes lmao ====Pitlane==== This is the last game to feature Pit-lanes. Going in it recharge your shield energy at the cost of reducing your speed while in the pit-lane. ====Speed Pads==== These arrow-shaped panels on the track's floor will give the ship a burst of speed when flown over. The speed boost is gained rapidly and will decrease back to cruise velocity over a few moments. **Speed Pads** can be placed alone or in series, stacked horizontally or vertically, placed in challenging spots or next to [[#Weapon Pads]]. Hitting one likely won't change the outcome of the race, but hunting them reliably will give the skilled pilot a competitive edge. Combined with their [[#Weapon Pads|colorful counterpart]], **Speed Pads** also introduce an element of split-second strategy to the race. ====Weapon Pads==== When flown over, **Weapon Pads** give the player a random [[#Pickups|Pickup]]. They shift colors over time and are cross-shaped. In [[game_modes:single_race#In WipEout Fusion|Arcade]] and [[game_modes:tournament#In WipEout Fusion|AG League]], they will be disabled for a few seconds after someone flies over them. **Weapon Pads** also introduce strategy to the race, along with elements of resource management and randomness. A lucky [[#Pickups|Pickup]] could single-handedly change the outcome of the race in a split second; neglecting them in favor of going faster will compromise the pilot's [[#Shield Energy]]. ---- =====Game Modes===== **WipEout Fusion** presents a choice between different ways to pick the **Game Mode**: > * **5 single player** game modes\\ See below. > * **Multiplayer**\\ (FIXME review) ---- **WipEout Fusion** offers 5 single player **game modes**. > **[[game_modes:single_race#In WipEout Fusion|Arcade]]**\\ Out-speed, out-smart and out-gun your opponents in the classic WipEout experience. > **[[game_modes:tournament#In WipEout Fusion|AG League]]**\\ Play multiple races in a row and get awarded points for finishing high and eliminating your opponents. > **[[game_modes:time_trial#In WipEout Fusion|Time Trial]]**\\ A full-length race against the clock. > **[[game_modes:challenge#In WipEout Fusion|Challenge]]**\\ Prove your skill by completing challenges. A nice surprise awaits after a 5 challenges. > **[[game_modes:zone#In WipEout Fusion|Zone]]**\\ Your ship will conveniently accelerate for you, perpetually. Survive for as long as you can. ---- =====Teams===== [{{ teams:f9000_team_collage.svg?200x200|F9000's participants}}] **WipEout Fusion** features 8 **racing teams** competing in the [[#Lore|F9000 Racing League]]. When picking a ship, the game's menu presents you with six of the ship's stats: **Speed**, **Thrust**, **Lateral Stability**, **Braking Force**, **Weapon Power** and **Shield**. Though these //frontend stats// represent the ship somewhat, they are strong simplifications of the ships' //actual// (or, as the community dubbed them, //secret//) //stats//. //Actual stats// are more complex and precisely dictate how each ship handles and feels. Below is a list of the participating teams. Each title links to the section that describes the **WipEout Fusion** ships. The main faces of the F9000 AG Racing League: (FIXME revise) > **[[teams:feisar#In WipEout Fusion|FEISAR]]** > "Feisar is on the verge of its most successful season yet."\\ > **Lead Pilot**: Daniel Johnson > **Second Pilot**: Carlos Beneto > **[[teams:van-uber#In WipEout Fusion|Van-Über Racing Developments]]** > "In this sublime and deicious game, we must remain cleaner than clean."\\ > **Lead Pilot**: Songen Grey > **Second Pilot**: Nami Mishima > **[[teams:g-tech#In WipEout Fusion|G-Tech Systems]]** > "Remember folks. If it floats, it's G-Tech™."\\ > **Lead Pilot**: Roberto Sergio > **Second Pilot**: Naomi Turner > **[[teams:auricom#In WipEout Fusion|Auricom Industries]]** > "Once again, upholding all that is good and honorable in the sport."\\ > **Lead Pilot**: Pascale Rouser > **Second Pilot**: Franco Gonzalez > **[[teams:eg-r#In WipEout Fusion|EG-R Technologies]]** > "The hope of the Mothercountry, creating a new age of civilization."\\ > **Lead Pilot**: Paul Cheung > **Second Pilot**: Alex Reece > **[[teams:tigron#In WipEout Fusion|Tigron Enterprises]]** > "They can try to out-race us... but I don't think they'll get very far, do you?."\\ > **Lead Pilot**: Omarr Khumala > **Second Pilot**: Sveta Kirovski > **[[teams:xios#In WipEout Fusion|Xios International]]** > "Last season's champions have earned their place among the F9000 Elite."\\ > **Lead Pilot**: Natasha Belmondo > **Second Pilot**: Zala Wollf > **[[teams:piranha#In WipEout Fusion|Piranha Advancements]]** > "Everything is part of the whole, and that whole is the pursuit of magnificence. We work as one."\\ > **Lead Pilot**: Myima Tsarong > **Second Pilot**: Jann Shlaudecker **Zone** > **Zone**\\ Theoretically the fastest thing in the known universe. 100% Mortality Rate. ---- =====Racetracks===== Below is a list of the game's racetracks. Each title links to the section that describes the **WipEout Fusion** tracks. Each tracks have 3 courses and reverse variants. > **[[tracks:Florion Height#In WipEout Fusion|Florion Height]]**\\ . > **[[tracks:Florion Height#In WipEout Fusion|Mandrashee]]**\\ . > **[[tracks:Florion Height#In WipEout Fusion|Cubiss Float]]**\\ . > **[[tracks:Florion Height#In WipEout Fusion|Alca Vexus]]**\\ . > **[[tracks:Florion Height#In WipEout Fusion|Vohl Square]]**\\ . > **[[tracks:Florion Height#In WipEout Fusion|Temtesh Bay]]**\\ . > **[[tracks:Florion Height#In WipEout Fusion|Katmoda 12]]**\\ . **AG League only** > **[[tracks:Florion Height#In WipEout Fusion|Devilia]]**\\ . ---- =====Lore===== The game takes place in the **F9000 Racing League**. This league is defined by a very aggressive racing scene, peculiar ship designs, and corruption rooted so deep that its exposure crippled AG racing for years to come. FIXME get someone qualified to do the lore ---- =====Music ===== Out of the DVD, **WipEout Fusion** has 19 music tracks to race to: * The Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea (Hybrid mix); * Brainiac - Neuro; * Blades & Naughty G - Beats Defective; * BT - Smartbomb (Plump DJs remix); * Cut La Roc - Bassheads; * JDS - Punk Funk; * Elite Force - Krushyn; * Elite Force & Nick Ryan - Switchback; * Amethyst - Blue Funk; * Utah Saints - Sick; * Plump DJs - Big Groovy Funker; * Humanoid - Stakker Humanoid 2001 (Plump DJs 2001 Retouch); * Timo Maas - Old School Vibes; * Luke Slater - Bolt Up; * Orbital - Funny Break (Plump DJs remix); * Bob Brazil - Big Ten; * Intuative - Wav Seeker; * Hong Kong Trash - Down the River (Torrential Rapids mix); * Credits refer to it as : hkt2001 extreme remix. * MKL - Synthaesia. In addition, 2 tracks are used in the intro and main menu respectively: * Rik Ede - ;[[#References / Sources|[1]]] * Nightmares On Wax - Bleu My Mind (Wipe Mix).[[#References / Sources|[1]]] * To be exact, the main menu use a 16 second loop of it. * Credited as : bleu my (wipe mix). ---- =====Development===== WipEout X ... Gravity Suck Demo ... ---- ===== References / Sources ===== - According to [[https://www.mobygames.com/game/5948/wipeout-fusion/credits/ps2/]].