Whiplash (video game)

This article is about the action game. For the racing game, see Fatal Racing.
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
Joe Willis
Platform(s) PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release date(s)
  • NA November 18, 2003
  • EU March 5, 2004
Genre(s) Platform Action-Adventure
Mode(s) Single-player
Distribution 1 DVD-ROM

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 known as Genron and putting the fat boss out of commission. The game is a basic platformer, with Spanx (the weasel) as the main character, and Redmond (the rabbit) as more of a tool.

Whiplash was given varied reviews, but averaged 68.91% on the PlayStation 2 and 69.92% on the Xbox at GameRankings. The game was featured on the cover of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. There was also some controversy over the game with animal cruelty.

Objectives

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.

Gameplay

The chain can be used in a variety of ways.

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 plat forming 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.

Development

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.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(Xbox) 69.92%[1]
(PS2) 68.91%[2]
Metacritic(Xbox) 68/100[3]
(PS2) 66/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Edge5/10[5]
Electronic Gaming Monthly7/10[6]
Eurogamer5/10[7]
Game Informer4/10[8][9]
GamePro[10]
Game RevolutionC−[11]
GameSpot(Xbox) 6.6/10[12]
(PS2) 6.4/10[13]
GameSpy[14][15]
GameZone(Xbox) 7.2/10[16]
(PS2) 7/10[17]
IGN7/10[18]
Official PlayStation Magazine (US)[19]
Official Xbox Magazine6.8/10[20]
The Times[21]

Whiplash was met with average reception upon release. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 69.92% and 68 out of 100 for the Xbox version,[1][3] and 68.91% and 66 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2 version.[2][4]

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.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Whiplash for Xbox". GameRankings. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Whiplash for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Whiplash for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Whiplash for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  5. ↑ Edge staff (March 2004). "Whiplash". Edge (134): 109.
  6. ↑ EGM staff (January 2004). "Whiplash". Electronic Gaming Monthly: 128.
  7. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (March 8, 2004). "Whiplash (PS2)". Eurogamer. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  8. ↑ Mason, Lisa (January 2004). "Whiplash (PS2)". Game Informer (129): 134. Archived from the original on November 1, 2005. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  9. ↑ Zoss, Jeremy (January 2004). "Whiplash (Xbox)". Game Informer (129): 151. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  10. ↑ The D-Pad Destroyer (November 17, 2003). "Whiplash". GamePro. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ Dodson, Joe (January 2004). "Whiplash Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on February 19, 2004. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  12. ↑ Davis, Ryan (November 26, 2003). "Whiplash Review (Xbox)". GameSpot. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ Davis, Ryan (November 26, 2003). "Whiplash Review (PS2)". GameSpot. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  14. ↑ Freeman, Matthew (November 30, 2003). "GameSpy: Whiplash (PS2)". GameSpy. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  15. ↑ Freeman, Matthew (November 30, 2003). "GameSpy: Whiplash (Xbox)". GameSpy. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  16. ↑ Zacarias, Eduardo (December 6, 2003). "Whiplash - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  17. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (December 2, 2003). "Whiplash - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on August 29, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  18. ↑ Lewis, Ed (November 19, 2003). "Whiplash". IGN. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  19. ↑ Steinman, Gary (January 2004). "Whiplash". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 113. Archived from the original on December 19, 2003. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Whiplash". Official Xbox Magazine: 74. January 2004.
  21. ↑ "Whiplash (PS2)". The Times. April 10, 2004. Retrieved February 28, 2015.(subscription required)

External links