Anti-gravity racing
I'm sure I won't be alone when I tell you of the fond memories I have of buying a Playstation One back in 1995 and spending many an hour hooked to the blistering fast anti-gravity racer, WipEout. For me, the game always brings back good memories and is still one of the best futuristic racing games ever: it had visual flair, a pulsating soundtrack and great track designs, while successfully managing to achieve the feeling of insane speed.Though Koei have never directly said that they've attempted to emulate this cult title, with their latest game, Fatal Inertia, I've read a number of previews and heard a number of people mention both WipEout and the company's upcoming futuristic racer in the same sentence or breath. I'd like to lay those comparisons to rest by saying that Fatal Inertia doesn't come anywhere close to achieving the excitement or thrills that WipeEout accomplished. To be fair, Fatal Inertia is an altogether different game experience which, whether deliberate or not I don't know, excels in the combat side of the action on the track rather than the actual racing itself. Disappointingly though, the game has something vital missing which prevents it from every really getting off the ground and grabbing you by the gonads; it lacks that feeling of speed and excitement that you'd expect in any racing game.
Click for larger image
Click for larger imageIn the 22nd century, Fatal Inertia is the name given to the extreme sport of combat racing. The sport was born from a handful of corporations who now rule the world and have endless amounts of wealth to spend on creating aircrafts and racing them around custom designed locations across the globe. Your role is to compete in various leagues, working your way up to a professional racer whilst attempting to catch the eye of one of the four main event sponsors, who'll be keen for you to fly their craft if you can impress them with your silky racing skills.