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Thread: This game would make my blood boil, but I'm afraid that my blood stubbornly refuses to do so.

  1. #1
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    Default This game would make my blood boil, but I'm afraid that my blood stubbornly refuses to do so.

    After some wrangling, I finally got Wipeout 3: Special Edition to run in my emulator. I'm beginning to wish that I hadn't, though - every single expectation that I had of it was either missed or fulfilled badly enough to make me regret hoping in the first place. I'm not angry (I don't care enough about this for it to have that effect on me), but I am disappointed.

    Why did they have to butcher the "classic" tracks? They're either out-of-proportion (Gare d'Europa, whose highs and lows are all flattened out) or plagued with cheating physics (Altima VII, whose iconic drop has an awful, awful effect reminiscent of the Mag-Strip in Metropia); it would have been better for the developers to have left them out.

    The two extra prototype courses are terrible. The first one feels like something out of F-ZERO X and is completely inappropriate for inclusion in a Wipeout game (to say nothing of its worthless collision detection), and the second is preposterously short - my first lap went by in less than ten seconds, and I didn't even know what I was doing! On top of that, they ditch the cell-shaded aesthetic of the original prototype courses in favor of nightmarishly recycled assets from other tracks and replace actual vehicle choices with a bizarre, Zone-like ship design (which looks like a mutant Icaras).

    This is a minor issue, but it's distracting enough that I feel compelled to point it out anyway: what's up with the tunnels in Sampa Run? They're all strange and glowy, and they look awful in comparison to the tunnels in the original version. Half of that course's greatness is in its dark, Blade Runner-like atmosphere; the new tunnels mitigate that considerably.

    Finally, there just isn't enough improvement to the original game. I see a few extra graphical effects like vapor trails and a crash sequence that's marginally less miserable than the original game's (although those are canceled out somewhat by the aforementioned glowing tunnels), and the physics model is way more forgiving (I mention that as an improvement because I'm sure that other people would think of it in that way, even though I feel that it works to the game's detriment), but that's not enough. Why not fix the worthless opponents, which were the only thing holding the original game back from absolute perfection? How is it "racing" if I can consistently place first before completing even one lap? The weapons are still as unbalanced as ever - quakes appear far too frequently, and the plasma still ignores the basic rules of collision detection. And I had expected a few new songs in the soundtrack to go with the rest of the game's overhaul - surely they could have gotten Sasha or (gasp!) CoLD SToRAGE to record some if they didn't want to bother with licensing?

    Honestly, this makes me sad. I had imagined Wipeout 3: Special Edition to be a game that expanded on Wipeout 3's already strong foundation and rectified its errors (few as they were) while adding beautiful, enhanced versions of courses from the previous games. With such negligible advances in the former and such stupendously botched execution in the latter, though, it ended up being nothing but a sprawling, over-hyped disappointment.

    I don't even care about it being UK-exclusive any more.

  2. #2
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    Default Moderator Message

    Given the change in the words I've copied this to a new thread so that it can commence in a way that it's only about the game, and not about anything personal to me or anyone else.

  3. #3
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    Cool

    LOL!!! Dan Locke is the very first to start a "10 things I hate about W3O Special Edition" thread!!!

    Well, all I can say is that I went to a great deal of trouble importing a PS2 and all necessary power/A/V converters to play SE, and I nearly took a trip the first time I fired it up and flew around Portokora. (Well actually I did take a trip, and every time after...)

    I'm not quite sure what you're complaining about LOL...those things were all what I loved about it, haha! Different strokes for different folks.

  4. #4
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    Default

    The AI in all wipeouts up to Pure were very predictable.
    I remember being able to get to first place on Spilskinanke at phantom speed by the second right turn.
    Mind you I did play that game for what must be nearing 1000 hours over the years.
    Maybe it's the emulator making WO3SE looking other than what it's supposed to.

  5. #5
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    Default

    It can't be the emulator; another pilot here mentioned the same thing (I'm assuming that you're talking about the tunnels in Sampa Run), and he wasn't using an emulator.

  6. #6
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    Well, some like it - some don´t...
    I haven´t played WO3SE for about 10 years, but I decided to buy/play it again. After a period of hesitation and washout, I finally got it!
    What could I say? It´s simply AWESOME and I´m sure I´ll never press the eject button again! (except for cleaning the CD )
    After the years, I had almost forgotten about the improvements and the generally successful design! God, I should´ve bought it immediately at the start instead of wasting my time with "pulse" , but that´s besides the story.

    At the beginning, I must commend the intro sequence! It is very dynamic and exciting!
    The menue appears timeless and frugal - the font is characteristic. Brilliant!
    Sound, setup and the representation in general is irreproachable!
    Furthermore, you get 8 ingenious tracks from WO3 + 8 excellent tracks from 2097 + prototype tracks AND surprisingly inventive mirror versions!
    What more could anyone want? The design is elaborated and beautiful, so it´s a pleasure to race every single track!
    Well, the ship stats are a little unbalanced, but if you have a favorite ship you´ll stick to it at any costs!? Those who are hunting for records can benfit from the properties of an Icaras or Assegai.

    The best thing is the control! You get the real "float" feeling, something I missed in the following WO games...and you can use the great Negcon!

    No balderdash at all - just pure WipEout at its best!

    I really love it and I think it´s the best of all WipEout games! (yet!)
    Last edited by Flint Fandango; 20th January 2011 at 02:11 PM.

  7. #7
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    That's strange... I can't get beyond rapier races... I must try again and again just not to die, to be first is yet another thing. There's a time trial with piranha in a city race in which I can't get past bronze medal... How do you find it easy?

    I play on emulator with a DS3.

  8. #8
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    It never has been easy... That´s why you got to practice hard to get better!
    I am still at "Venom Class" and I know that it will take some sweet time to get me to the next level! And therein lies the fun!

    Someday, you´ll get your gold medal there (wherever it is?!) and you´ll see, all the effort suddenly pays off!

    The secret is simply to practice and enjoy!
    Last edited by Flint Fandango; 24th January 2011 at 04:46 PM.

  9. #9
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    Default

    Hey, that's true, practice makes perfect. After many attempts at the time challenges, I could finally get gold medals everywhere. They made me quite comfortable with the physics of the game, and I found me breezing through race events and tournaments. I'm still far from the flowing wipeout feeling, I hit lots of walls, but I feel in control of my ship now. Can't wait to start some time trial.

    Now I'm sure enjoying the game, ahah. Overall, though, I still prefer 2097: something in the physics of this game, the diversified tracks, the powerful feeling of the piranha, make 2097 quite a masterpiece. Wipeout 3 tracks are a little too flat for some reason, despite being highly technical, they miss this memorable feeling of 2097, I find, I dunno.

    Also, for some reason, in 2097/XL I'm at ease with the internal, but in Wipeout 3 I can't play anything else than external view.

    Oh, and I finally could make EPsxe work, and, wow, Wipeout in HD, smooth textures, no aliasing, truely is a thing of beauty.

  10. #10
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    Default

    Congratulations! I´m glad that you got your gold medals!
    The physics are great, way better than in any other part of WipEout, imo!
    But hey - we´re talking about Wip3outSE, the best WipEout of all times!
    By the way: You should play it on a PS1 or 2, because you can use a NEGCON and that will give you the real W3OSE feeling, believe me!

    Uhm, yeah, WO 2097 is nice, but I definitely prefer the tracks in W3OSE...furthermore, you have the "classic tracks" included in the special edition!
    So why this step backwards?
    They revised the tracks from 2097 and they are so marvelous and consummate now.

    It´s pretty cool to play with the external view, because you can admire your ship while you are floating! Why choose "internal"?

    Have fun with the time trials, and get some good records!

  11. #11

    Thumbs up I agree!

    Quote Originally Posted by Flint Fandango View Post
    The physics are great, way better than in any other part of WipEout, imo!
    But hey - we´re talking about Wip3outSE, the best WipEout of all times!


    I agree with this: when I've created my account on the Zone my favourite was 2097, and I've hated Wip3out...at that time I've said "'too boring..."!
    But, playing after playing, I've noticed that the game is more and more better that I've expected in my memory!
    After hours of intensive playing I have to say that the physics are the best in every WipEout for me: the ship handles so smooth, and the hits on the walls are very realistic, also because the physics are very realistic !
    This airbrakes have a very aerodynamic feeling, more than 2097 for me: is very funny to turn your ship with an airbrake around a very hard corner.
    I have to say that 2097 remains the best chapter, but mainly for my enchanting memories about it, expecially when I've bought it in the far 1998 ...but the best game for gameplay and atmosphere for me is Wip3outSE.
    And I have to say that the soundtrack is one of the best (the best is from 2097) for this reason: flat, aseptic and minimal, as the look of the tracks and the graphic style.
    In these days I'm very obsessed by this game!

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