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Intro Take some of the talent and clean, hyper-realistic racing action behind the enormously successful WipEout series, as well as the narrative touch of a lesser-known but enjoyable title that was released on Sega's Saturn called Cyber Speedway, and you've got Quantum Redshift, a game that tries to combine the best of both titles. Despite a few problems, it comes off as a solid racer for what could be the start of a great series for the Xbox. Gameplay: 8.5/10 To simply dismiss Quantum Redshift as a clone would be doing it a great disservice as it really does have a lot going for it. The last two WipEout titles have been less than stellar and the sub-genre that helped to create it has been in a bit of a slump as of late. Thankfully, out comes this game, which has tremendous potential and a rock-solid foundation, but is being brought down by its incredible lineage. Comparing QR to the standard watermark, WipEout XL, is a natural thing to do, but this is a new series and Psygnosis' classic has been tarnished by its own successors - it's time for something new. The main item that will set QR apart from other titles of the same ilk is the touted backstories and rivalries. These backstories aren't really fleshed out, but they are a vehicle to introduce rivalries; these are characters that your pilot has a personal grievance with and will be gunning down whenever the opportunity presents itself. This also serves as a good means of showing unlockable characters and what they were about, as opposed to a 'character unlocked' notice; if you beat them one-on-one, you got them. A nice touch in sections where the characters interacted was that they spoke different languages and each has their own home course, so the narrative portions don't seem completely tacked on. However, like Cyber Speedway, it's an awesome idea that just wasn't completely taken advantage of. The core of the game -- the actual races -- provides an experience that is both exhilarating and pulse-pounding. It also doesn't hurt that Quantum Redshift features some truly classic courses. Sure, a few are only slightly above average, but for the most part, they are some of the most grueling and enjoyable tracks in any racer. The racers are also a feisty bunch and many will drive the player to the breaking point; there's little else as intense as being neck-in-neck with a rival and blowing past them at the last second with the last bit of nitro. Unlike most racers, QR only gives nitro boosts at the beginning of each lap, so instead of simply mashing down, or searching for that specific powerup, each track has strategic points where the extra boost of speed can be the difference between first and second place. That doesn't sound like a big deal though, right? Well, in one aspect of QR that I'm not too fond of, the only way that the player can proceed to the next course is to place in first. Helping to get you into first place will be a series of special power-ups located at static positions throughout the various courses. While this does cause a bit of redundancy, the sense of speed is done so well and the tracks' relative difficulty can make this a blessing in disguise. The power-ups themselves come in four flavors: red provides power for homing weapons; blue speeds up non-homing weapons; yellow powers up the overshield; then there is the mega power-up, which enhances all colors. You'll also be able to stumble upon chips, which are converted to money after each race and go towards the costs of upgrading the player's shields, turbo, and weapons. The weapons also stack, which means that if two homing power-ups are collected, then that attack will be stronger than if it only had a single charge. While the weapons are effective, their visual variety is lacking somewhat, and a bit of flair would definitely have been welcome. One
aspect where QR is a tremendous success is in the sense of speed that it
portrays. The single worst thing a racer can do is have all the right stuff, but
seem as if the vehicle is moving at a steady five miles per hour. Luckily, that
isn't the case here and the sweaty-palm-inducing speeds will have gamers turning
with the curves within seconds of the start of the race. Nerves will only get
worse as gamers face the steep difficulty curve that presents itself once they
reach the 'master' status; opponents go from racers to bloodthirsty, rocket-riding
killers. If a break is needed from the constant beating, there's always the quick
race and time trial modes, and although they're nothing revolutionary, they are
sound standards. Graphics:
9.5/10 Sound:
7.5/10 Control:
8.5/10 Overall: 8/10 [ top ] | |||
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