This is an old revision of the document!
WipEout Fusion
WipEout Fusion is an original anti-gravity combat racing video game developed by Studio Liverpool for the PlayStation®Portable. It introduced controversial design decisions that were removed in WipEout Pure. The game features original tracks and ships. It is the fourth mainline installment in the WipEout series, and was well-received by critics when it first released.
The player competes in the 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 games, WipEout Fusion focuses on delivering high-speed, high-thrills combat racing action.
It was released on DVD:
- North America: ;
- Japan: ;
- Germany: ;
- Rest of Europe and the UK: .
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.
( 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 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.
WipEout Fusion has 26 Pickups. Each one is unique - having their own use cases, varying degrees of usefulness.
Offensive
Grenades
Proton Cannon
Gravity Bomb
Flamer
Rockets
Rockets that are fired forward from the ship - classic, simple and effective.
Missile
Twin gyroscopically-stabilized homing projectiles that lock onto a pilot and bounce off and around walls during their chase.
Plasma
A very mean, heavy hitter that's tricky to aim, but pays off with dividends on a hit.
Quake
A seismic wave that will go down the track from where it was fired. Tricky for recipients to escape.
Defensive
Shield
Protect yourself from any harm coming your way within the next few seconds.
Grav-Stinger
Mines
Deploy 5 small obstacles onto the track behind your ship. Hitting one is manageable, but hitting many will hurt.
Assistive
Turbo
Get a temporary, immediate speed boost upon use. Overtake someone, or go to places you couldn't go before…
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 wapon as it's disposal, unlocked by beating their challenges
Super Missiles (FEISAR)
Seismic Field (Van-Über)
Bio-Snare (G-Tech)
Orbital Laser (Auricom\\)
Power Swarm (EG-R)
Nitro Rocket (Tigron)
Shield Drain (Xios)
Penetrator (Piranha)
Multiplayer Only
Control Jammer
Turbo Enforcer
Hunter Missile
Global Drain
Stealth
Shield Energy
Ships in WipEout Fusion have Shield Energy. It is a resource that represents the structural integrity of your ship. The starting point is 100% Energy, and when it gets below 0%, the ship fucking explodes lmao.
Shield Energy is reduced by colliding with walls or other players, getting hit by Weapons or by going out-of-bounds. There are also ways to restore the craft's Shield Energy: for example, in Arcade, it is restored 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. It is displayed in percentage points to the player; however, internally, Shield Energy is measured in units. Each Ship has a set capacity for energy units.
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 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 Pickup. They shift colors over time and are cross-shaped. In Arcade and 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 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:
- Single Player
- Multiplayer
( review)
WipEout Fusion offers 5 game modes.
Arcade
Out-speed, out-smart and out-gun your opponents in the classic WipEout experience.
AG League
Play multiple races in a row and get awarded points for finishing high and eliminating your opponents.
Time Trial
A full-length race against the clock.
Challenge
Prove your skill by completing challenges.
Zone
Your ship will conveniently accelerate for you, perpetually. Survive for as long as you can.
Teams
WipEout Fusion features 8 racing teams competing in the F9000 Racing League.
When picking a ship, the game's menu presents you with four of the ship's stats: Speed, Thrust, Handling 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: ( revise)
Zone
Zone
The zone ship is only available in zone mode.
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.
Lore
The game takes place in the F9000 Racing League.
add 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);
- MKL - Synthaesia.
In addition, 2 tracks are used in the intro and main menu respectively:
- Rik Ede - ;[1]
- Nightmares On Wax - Bleu My Mind (Wipe Mix).[1]
- * To be exact, the main menu use a 16 second loop of it.
—-
Development
…