DESCRIPTION

Wipeout Fusion is the fourth title in the series, but the first to appear on PlayStation 2. Like its predecessors, the emphasis is on guiding your futuristic racing craft through twisting courses filled with loops, tight turns, and massive jumps, all while making use of the many power-ups littering each track. Five gameplay modes are available, three of which are selectable from the start. AG League sees you racing against 15 other anti-gravity craft in a series of contests. Points are awarded for your placing position as well as when you eliminate opposing racers. There are ten series, each consisting of a varying number of tracks. Performance in a race, in addition to final position, dictates the number of credits you receive. These credits can then be used to upgrade the various attributes of your craft, which include stability, braking, thrust, speed, shield, and weapons.

Arcade mode puts you through your choice of 42 races with the aim of winning a gold medal in each (by placing first). Challenge mode pits you in Chase, Elimination, Race, and Time Trial disciplines with the objective again being to win gold medals. There are seven challenges for each of the teams, which include the likes of Feistar, G-Tech, and Van Uber, each of whom is proficient in a particular racing category, from speed to shields. Zone mode drops you in the seat of special AG craft in ten tracks trying to collect as many speed chevrons as possible. Every ten seconds you'll move up a zone level and your speed will increase, making it all the more difficult to avoid colliding with the track wall.

Tracks are situated across seven different zones, from Vohl Square in Russia to Florian Heights in the U.S.A. Each track houses weapon and speed icons. The former encompass all manner of incendiary implements, such as missiles, mines, and flamethrowers as well as defensive weapons such as shields and a brief autopilot. In addition, each team possesses a super-weapon. One example is a nitrogen missile that freezes the craft it connects with — impact with any object will ultimately shatter the craft. Wipeout Fusion's soundtrack features songs from such bands as the Utah Saints, Orbital, and Humanoid. ~ Gavin Frankle, All Game Guide