Wipeout 3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wipeout 3 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Psygnosis |
| Publisher(s) | Psygnosis |
| Designer(s) | Psygnosis, The Designers Republic |
| Platform(s) | Sony PlayStation |
| Release date | EU September 8, 1999 |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone (E) |
WipEout 3 (also known as Wip3out, ワイプアウト 3) is a futuristic racing game developed and published by Psygnosis exclusively for the Sony PlayStation for the first time in the series. Visually, The Designers Republic went for a simple color scheme and neutral design for in-game menus and team logos, and the game is one of the few PlayStation games to run in high-resolution mode (non-interlaced).
The game allows full analog control on the PlayStation for the first time in the series – Wipeout and Wipeout 2097 supported Namco's neGcon analog controller for left and right; the first fully analog Wipeout was on the Nintendo 64 – and retains the split-screen two-player option from Wipeout 64, again making a PlayStation first.
The game takes place in the year 2116.
Contents |
[edit] Weapons
Wipeout 3 continues the tradition of enabling weapons for use one at a time as craft fly over special 'grids' on the track. Four weapons had been present for the whole Wipeout series up to this point:
- Gravity Shield - Limited invulnerability from attacks and collisions.
- Mines - Drops five mines from the rear of the craft.
- Rockets - Fires two rockets straight forward.
- Multi-Missiles - Two homing missiles will lock on to an opponent craft, or one craft each.
Turbo Boost, which made it through the first three games, is not present due to the Hyper-Thrust providing a boost at any time upon pressing the R1 button. This extra speed uses shield energy.
Wipeout 2097 introduced some weapons that continued through Wipeout 64, making their inclusion in Wipeout 3 their third appearance in the series:
- Auto-Pilot - Drives craft along the racing line for a few seconds.
- Plasma Bolt - A powerful ray that eliminates any opponent unlucky enough to be on the receiving end. Unguided and needing a brief time to charge this is difficult to execute. A similar weapon called Energy Sphere was the Super Weapon for Auricom in Wipeout 64.
- Quake Disruptor - Causes a devastating wave of the track that ripples ahead, damaging all opponents in its path.
Most of the remaining weapons show their origin in Wipeout 64, making their PlayStation début on Wipeout 3:
- Force Wall - Projects a wall that only the player's craft can travel through. Similar to the the Qirex Super Weapon in Wipeout 64, the Power Snare, it takes up half of the track and repels any opponents on that side.
- Cloak - Makes a craft invisible for a few seconds. Similar to Stealth Mode, the Piranha II Super Weapon in Wipeout 64.
- Energy Drain - Steals shield power from an opponent for as long as they are in the player's sights, or until the player is full, or the targeted craft runs out. The AG Systems Super Weapon from Wipeout 64, Shield Raider, has a similar result but in one hit.
- Reflector - The one completely new weapon to Wipeout 3, this is a shield that sends the effects of any offensive move back to the offender.
[edit] Circuits
- Porto Kora
- Mega Mall
- Sampa Run
- Stanza Inter
- Hi Fumii (Hidden track)
- P-Mar Project (Hidden track)
- Manor Top (Hidden track)
- Terminal (Hidden track)
- LS101/NP62 (Hidden prototype track)
- LS102/MG71 (Hidden prototype track)
- LS103/AW72 (Hidden prototype track)
- LS104/AW73 (Hidden prototype track)
Prototype tracks had been drafted but not filled out with scenery, and were not going to be included. They appear cel-shaded and very simple in color and design, showing structures built of cubes, simple, featureless tracks and tunnels, and even cel-shaded racing craft. At the last minute, the developers changed it so that mastering all tracks with all vehicles in a difficulty class would unlock one prototype track.
[edit] Soundtrack
Wip3out contains 13 electronica tracks selected by Sasha, including several of his own tracks made specifically for the game. The game disc is a Mixed Mode CD, with game music playable on a CD player. A DJ mixed version of the soundtrack was released in Oct. 1999 with an issue of "Arcade" magazine. The single "Xpander" was released on both the Deconstruction and Ultra Records labels in 1999.
[edit] Music tracks
- Sasha – "Feisar", (4:06)
- Underworld – "Kittens", (3:06)
- Sasha – "Icaras", (4:19)
- Orbital – "Know Where To Run", (4:12)
- Sasha – "Auricom", (4:12)
- MKL – "Surrender", (3:42)
- Propellerheads – "Lethal Cut", (3:41)
- Sasha – "Goteki 45", (4:17)
- Chemical Brothers – "Under The Influence", (4:14)
- Sasha – "Pirhana", (4:15)
- MKL – "Control", (3:42)
- Paul Van Dyk – "Avenue", (4:03)
- Sasha – "Xpander" (Edit), (4:07)
[edit] Critical Reception
Wipeout 2097/XL was clearly a tough act to follow so critics were reluctant to crown Wipeout 3 as better across the board. The trance-oriented music was thought not quite as good as the big-beat headliners of Wipeout 2097/XL, but "still very, very good." [1]
The learning curve was regarded as steep - going "from very easy to unbelievably hard" [1] - but split-screen multiplayer was made very welcome, with reviews noting the game keeps the field full with computer-controlled racers. [2]
The small and ugly font used on the menus was universally criticised, possibly resulting in it being the major difference between the first release and the Special Edition. [3]
[edit] Special Edition
| Wipeout 3: Special Edition | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Psygnosis |
| Publisher(s) | Psygnosis |
| Designer(s) | Psygnosis, The Designers Republic |
| Platform(s) | Sony PlayStation |
| Release date | EU July 14, 2000 |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Input methods | Joypad |
Wipeout 3: Special Edition was released only in Europe and Australasia, containing all the tracks from Wipeout 3, three from the original Wipeout, and five from Wipeout 2097. All the old tracks were given a graphical make-over and various physics and ship attributes were slightly changed. The game is a collector's item for Wipeout fans as a sort of "greatest hits" of the whole Wipeout series on PlayStation. It uses the same soundtrack as Wipeout 3 despite the packaging's claim it has been remixed. The game takes place in the year 2127.
Wipeout 3: Special Edition is also notable for being one of only three PlayStation games (the others being Ridge Racer Type 4 and TOCA 2) to feature a four-player mode using the PlayStation's link cable and split-screen at the same time. I.e., four players compete against each other simultaneously using two PlayStation consoles, with two players per console and two television screens. This function could only be accessed on WipEout 3 by the input of cheat codes.
[edit] Extra Circuits
- Talon's Reach (From Wipeout 2097)
- Altima VII (From Wipeout)
- Sagarmatha (From Wipeout 2097)
- Phenitia Park (From Wipeout 2097)
- Terramax (Unlockable) (From Wipeout)
- Gare D'Europa (Unlockable) (From Wipeout 2097)
- Odessa Keys (Unlockable) (From Wipeout 2097)
- Arridos IV (Unlockable) (From Wipeout)
- LS105/GP02 (Hidden prototype track)
- LS106/GP73 (Hidden prototype track)
[edit] Review Scores for the Special Edition
- Official PlayStation Magazine UK Issue 61: 9 out of 10 (90%)
- Computer and Video Games Magazine, August 2000, Issue 225: 5 stars out of 5
- Power The Playstation Mag, July 2000, Issue 54: 9 out of 10
[edit] References
- ^ a b GameSpot
- ^ Gaming Age "What makes this mode even better ... is that these multiplayer modes are filled with CPU-controlled vehicles, which ensures a great deal more fun and competition when playing the game with a group of friends."
- ^ Game Revolution "The only stylistic flaw is about as stupid as it can get. The font used throughout the game is great, except for the vehicle selection screen where the text is so tiny, it's pretty much impossible to read the stats of each vehicle."
|
|||||||||||
