Jay Filmer prepares to enter speeds that would make an astronaut’s eyes bleed, and handle weaponry that would make Arnie’s fingers tremble. WipEout is back people – and it’s tougher than ever!

If you were to ask any old-school PlayStation owner what game made them want to part with the £300 that the PlayStation initially cost, about 80% of them will make reference to one of the WipEout games. WipEout instantly appealed to gamers, thanks to its pick-up-and-play gameplay, cool graphics and high addictiveness – not to mention the soundtrack that contained hip and cool tunes from dance acts like The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy that furthered WipEout’s (and the PlayStation’s) cool image. The developers basically took the weapons element from Mario Kart and the futuristic racing overtones of F-Zero and made a stunning combination of the two elements.

After what seems like an age of waiting and looking longingly and pensively at the newest screenshots, the PS2’s much awaited version of the landmark racer has arrived. Things are pretty much the same as they’ve always been; the cars handle just the same as before, airbrakes in place to help you bend round those tougher corners and weapons to launch onto unsuspecting craft placed within your immediate environment.

The game’s main loss and indeed main difference is the lack of speed compared to previous versions. Whilst it is possible to rack up a lot of speed by using the boosts on the ground and by using the turbo power-up, this doesn’t happen often. The slight lack of speed is compensated by the increase in the focus on the combat element. For some this will be an irritant, for others it will be welcome – it all depends on whether or not your main enjoyment of the last few games came from the wanton destruction of others.

Extra focus on combat does to some extent leave a slightly more random element to races. Being out in front you are highly susceptible to enemy fire – being hit just before the finishing line and subsequently losing the race never loses its sting, and is incredibly frustrating for someone who has just raced some of the best laps in their life. It’s not just being hit that you’ve got to worry about. On occasion firing off a weapon yourself can actually hinder your speed, as enemies you hit are hidden behind the thick graphical effect that results from them being blown up, often causing you to actually run into the back of them. Eventually you can work this into your strategy so it doesn’t prove too much of a hassle, it just depends how quickly you can get used to it and how instinctively you react.

Something does seem to be missing from the presentation side of things as well. The front end is slightly unappealing and doesn’t really contain such a polished flair as previous WipEout games. It’s obvious this front end was the last part of the game to be finished – just as the final deadline was looming.

The in-game graphics are where things get better. Tracks are richly detailed and importantly the frame rate is high, all the time. It’s basically how you would expect WipEout to look on the PS2. Level design is good, with the same speed boosts and weapon dispensers positioned on sporadic parts of the track and the same overall look as the previous WipEout games’ tracks. Loops are added this time round and there are more jumps – impressively showing off the high draw distance and detail of the track before you.

Two-players can indulge in WipEout festivity at the same time thanks to a split-screen option, which thankfully doesn’t impair the graphical impact to any overly noticeable degree. Obviously there’s less to view and things seem squished, but this can’t really be helped. Overall it works though, and battles can be hard-fought and very competitive thanks to WipEout Fusion being more combat focused this time around.

It’s a shame that the musical flair and chart-topping familiarity possessed by the previous games couldn’t have been included, as it is the music is mostly just functional, but well, you can’t have everything. WipEout Fusion is fun. Anyone who remembers and liked the PSone games will want to check this out, you may get a feeling that something’s missing and that it lacks the wow factor that the previous versions initially offered, but you will enjoy your time with it. Anyone new to the WipEout fold will also find something to keep them amused, getting used to the controls and the initial difficulty may annoy some gamers, as will the continued emphasis on combat. But use a bit of perseverance, cunning and ninja skill and you’ll find that WipEout Fusion is good enough to sit within any gamer’s gleaming collection.