Does Fusion deserve a remake?

[Amaroq Dricaldari]

PROJECT CANCELLED

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<sup>For the past week or so, I have been trying to figure out whether or not it would be worth the effort to remake WipEout Fusion for a modern platform, giving not just a raw graphical face-lift but also making changes to the gameplay in order to facilitate for a more enjoyable experience without deviating too far from the established WipEout canon. Unfortunately, with my lack of skills and inability to draw sufficient interest to assemble a development team, this project is currently grounded entirely in the Hypotheticals and Planning stage.

So I figured I would take to WipEout Zone instead, and ask around in a more official capacity. It already has a very mixed reception, and I fully agree that the game has a lot of problems, but it is still one of the most important leaps in the franchise. It took risks, and introduced many concepts that have altered the series as a whole. More importantly, though, it also produced a significant amount of lore for the WipEout universe, helping solidify the world in which later games take place.

Does anybody here believe Fusion deserves a remake, a second chance as it were? Besides upgrades in visual fidelity, what changes would need to be made to the gameplay to preserve the atmosphere and lore while maximizing overall enjoyability? Speak up, and maybe this dream can become a reality.

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I do intend on actually going through with this once I can get the manpower and legal authorization. As it stands, I am the only person on board, and my talents seem to be limited at the moment. We would need both a modeler and a programmer at the very minimum.

Please share your thoughts on the matter below, as well as any relevant material you wish to share. Reading material, sketches, personal feedback and ideas, anything and everything to get the conversation going.

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Relevant threads and videos:

Discussion on the possibility of making a new WipEout game that isn't a mere port or remaster:
What would it take to make a NEW WipEout?

Here, people discuss both the good and the bad things about WipEout Fusion in greater detail.
I for one, accept WipEout Fusion. Thoughts?
Why is WipEout Fusion hated?

Previous discussion about the game's aesthetic, artwork and screenshots:
Is it just me, or does WipEout Fusion look more "Old"?
Artwork Request
Screenshots of the various ships in Fusion

Discussion about remaking Florian Heights:
Who wants to see Florian Heights return?

Here, people mod the existing PS2 version of the game. This is a good way to prototype new ideas pertaining to gameplay, such as adjusting the physics and reworking the balance.
Reverse Engineering

This thread discusses what the developers of Fusion originally had in mind while making the game, and why they had to make certain sacrifices.
Early vision of WipEout Fusion

These threads deal mostly with emulation and playing the game on new hardware, though the video does show just how well WipEout Fusion's existing graphics stand up to modern standards when played at a higher-than-native resolution. Meanwhile, a patch is demonstrated that fixes the game's awkward zoom when playing in Widescreen mode, which makes the game a lot more playable.
Widescreen Patches (PCSX2 Forums)
New gear got Fusion running at 1080p and 3D!
Fusion on PC


And finally, we have some threads which deal with the lore surrounding the game. These are especially important due to changes in the WipEout timeline with the release of Fury, Omega Collection and 2048. It would be a good idea to use these as a reference when developing the remake.
After Fusion, was AG racing forgotten about?
AG League + Backstory Analysis
WipEout Timeline Redux
WipEout Chronicles (fan-canon)

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Like I said above, remember to add search tags to this thread. Anything to help exposure.</sup>