Wipeout Fusion is the first next-generation installment of the Wipeout series which started around the time of the original Playstation's launch. Wipeout and especially Wipeout XL were amazing games but there's just something missing in this edition. The game is very basic and perhaps that's what's wrong with it. The graphics look aged, the sound effects just don't give you that "BANG!" effect, and the game play suffers because of numerous problems.
The first thing you notice about the game is the inexistence of any sense of speed. This is probably my biggest gripe about the game. You're supposed to be in a hovercraft going 700 MPH but instead it feels as if you're going about 60 down the interstate. One of the coolest parts of playing a game like Wipeout is that it makes you feel like you're going extremely fast, but instead it feels like the station wagon in Grand Theft Auto III could burn these racers.
Another gripe of mine is the fact that the weapons are too tried-and-true and don't do much to affect the racers in front of you. I want something that makes you giddy with excitement every time you use it, similar to the really awesome tornado in Rumble Racing that chases after the cars ahead of you and twists them around and sends them flying as it crosses their path. In Wipeout Fusion, the arsenal of weapons we get here are basically different variants of missiles, rockets, and shields. Couldn't Sony have taken a couple chances instead of going with the generic stuff that the previous titles have already introduced?
The look of the game in general is just bland. The game has been in development since the PS2's launch and the graphics really show it. The tracks feel too basic and they don't do a very good job at putting you in a new environment. The ships and pilots also don't have any real sense of personality, which is a shame, because it would have been enjoyable to become attached to one of the pilots and their hovercraft.
Wipeout Fusion is a valiant attempt but, in the end, fails. The two player grand prix style mode is a good addition to the game, but since the game just isn't much fun in the beginning, it doesn't do much to save it. I am confident that Sony could really make a competitor for the racing crown if they tried, but Wipeout Fusion isn't it. Better luck next time.
-Sam
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