| Whiplash | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Crystal Dynamics |
| Publisher(s) | Eidos Interactive |
| Distributor(s) | Atari Inc. |
| Designer(s) | Amy Albertson Jeremy Bredow Paul Cazarez Calvin Rien Bryan Wiegele Steve Yoshimura[1] |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Genre(s) | Platform Action-Adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: T (Teen) |
| Media/distribution | 1 DVD-ROM |
| System requirements
128 KB memory card |
|
Whiplash is a platformer video game for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox where a long-tailed weasel chained to a rabbit must work together to escape from a product testing corporation. The game is a basic platformer, with Spanx (the weasel) as the main character, and Redmond (the rabbit) as more of a tool.[2]
Whiplash was given varied reviews, but averaged 69% on the PlayStation 2 and 70% on the Xbox. Despite mixed reviews, the game was featured on the cover of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. There was also some controversy over the game with animal cruelty.
Contents |
There are two lesser objectives in the game as well as the main one of escaping:
1) Free other animals using the character's abilities with the chain; The animals tend to also help by attacking humans in the vicinity when freed.
2) Damage and break as much equipment and objects as possible, doing so increases the expense to the company causing them to lose money until they are left with nothing.
Although Redmond (the rabbit) and Spanx (the weasel) are two animals chained together, the gameplay is much like any other platformer. The player controls only Spanx, using Redmond as a weapon or tool as the situation requires. Spanx has most standard platforming abilities, while Redmond is completely indestructible as a result of tests conducted upon him and so can be hurled into security guards, jammed into machinery, and used as a grappling hook, among other uses. Redmond can be inserted into special outlets to be set on fire, frozen, or become radioactive.
One unique aspect of the game is that many objects through the levels are breakable and are assigned a dollar amount which is tracked by the game; by completing the game with more than $6 million in damage, special content can be unlocked.
Defeating the humans through the levels released special snacks that the team can eat to increase both animals' levels, which increases Spanx' health or Redmond's rage. The player is also rewarded for freeing other animals trapped and caged by the company.
The music for Whiplash was composed by Kurt Harland of Information Society. The music features a unique interactivity scheme: It responds to player input on the controller; the more input received through the controller buttons, the more the music does. The music also expands in response to successful hits of breakable objects and enemies.
| Reviewer | Score |
|---|---|
| MetaCritic | 66/100[3] (32 reviews) |
| GameRankings | 69.65[4] (37 reviews) |
| IGN | 7.0/10[5] |
| Gamespot | 6.4/10 [6] (47 reviews) |
| Gamespy | 2/5[7] |
Whiplash was released to mixed reviews. Game Informer gave Whiplash a 4 out of 10, saying "It’s simply so boring..."[8] My Gamer 7 out of 10,[9] as did IGN. IGN commented, "I'd recommend renting this game and bringing it back as soon as it gets old."[10] GamePro gave Whiplash a 4.5 out of 5 and added "Whiplash really is a hell of a game. With a little more polish before release, this game could have been a true masterpiece."[11] Spanx, who had previously been featured as a racer in Mad Dash Racing was cited by Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine as an underrated spin-off character in comparison to Tekken's Nina Williams, stating "...dig deeper and you'll find that Spanx is in the unusual position of actually being funny. Kinda rare for a game character."[12]
Before the game was released in the United Kingdom, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the Research Defence Society, the chairman of the British House of Commons and the Police Federation of England and Wales were deeply shocked at the level of cartoonish cruelty in animal product testing, despite the whole premise of the game as being against this. They thought it condoned violence and made a joke of animal suffering, however Eidos claimed that it would raise positive awareness among children with this issue.