Do you remember Wipeout on the original PlayStation? Of course you do! It was one of the most high octane games of that generation, setting itself apart from other racing titles with its insane speed, futuristic backdrop and energetic soundtrack. With nine instalments spanning seventeen years and three console propagations, it’s not surprising that a new racing game inspired by the series is now heading our way.
Formula Fusion is the newest squeeze from the former Wipeout team. Its upstart developer – R8 Games – was formed by staff members from Sony, Rockstar and Team 17, and amongst its sixteen developers, there resides a wealth of racing game know-how.
The title was greenlit on Steam earlier this month under the original name of Slam Jet, and here’s what the Steam page has to say about it:
Formula Fusion Racing takes the best elements of Wipeout and F Zero X and gives the genre some real bite, taking AG [anti-gravity – ed] Racing to the next level! The amount of speed you can gain is potentially open-ended; to the point of having an almost warp speed like quality.
While this spiritual successor is still very much in early development, it sounds like it will replicate everything that made the Wipeout games such a fan favourite. It features weapons technology, 22 tracks spread over seven themed zones and local split-screen capabilities for multiplayer mayhem (a rarity in modern racing games). There is also talk of potentially implementing virtual reality into the game for that boost of immersion. Does this mean it will support the Oculus Rift? We’ll have to wait to find out.
Formula Fusion will be heading to Kickstarter within the next couple of months, with a PC release expected sometime in June. In the meantime, here’s an early teaser to whet your appetite with: