Yes, that was Bennett Ring flying past in a 1500 km/h racer. Wheeeee!
If you want the ultimate in speed, even today's F1 cars pale into insignificance when compared with the vehicles that will be smashing into walls a hundred years from now.
This is why sci-fi racing games set in the future have given racing fans a speed rush above and beyond any of the more realistic racing genres. Quantum Redshift brings this tradition of insanely high speed racing to the Xbox, but can it live up to the awe inspiring standards set by Wipeout?
The vehicles you'll approach light speed in are known as SPARCs (Single Person Armed Racing Crafts), and like the beasts in Wipeout hover a couple of feet above the track thanks to the wonders of a couple of anti-gravity engines. While the models of these vehicles are much more detailed than anything you'll see in Wipeout, the overall design isn't quite as industrial, but the fact they're so detailed (such as the engine pods changing positions depending upon the surface you're over, and the highly detailed cockpits complete with strapped in pilots) makes up for their slightly girly looks. There are a total of 16 SPARCs and accompanying pilots, each with very different weaponry and handling, which can be upgraded with the cash you win in each race. Only eight of these vehicles are initially available, as each pilot has an archrival that must be destroyed to unlock access to the other eight vehicles. The concept of archrivals adds a little variety above the standard 'place first, dominate the world'-type of racing found in other racers. You'll race against six other vehicles during each race; unfortunately the AI controlling these doesn't stand out as being anything too special.
Like any futuristic racer worthy of your time, QR is chock full of powerups that affect three different systems on your SPARC: defensive shields, guided weapons and unguided weapons, each with three levels of power. The effects are nothing less than spectacular, with a total of 100 that will light up the action in a display that rivals Sydney's NYE fireworks.
The racing takes place over 16 different tracks, ranging from high-rise suspended courses to those in the middle of vast deserts, with plenty of vertigo inducing drops and cool bits like loops and jumps to help fill your pants. Other reviews have panned the tracks for being bland and sterile, but I have to disagree, being very impressed by the overall panache found in each. These tracks can be played at four different speeds: amateur, expert, master and Redshift. At amateur and expert speeds novice gamers should find it a breeze to complete a lap without even scratching their paintjob, but once you hit the 1500+ km/h speeds of the Redshift league it's a whole other matter, requiring a photographic memory of every corner to even have a chance of placing in the top three, let alone winning. In fact you'll find that at the higher speeds you'll be fighting the track more than your opponents, requiring mastery of the SPARC's powerslide feature. This is another complaint many other reviewers have made about QR, saying that it's near impossible to cleanly finish a track at the higher speeds, but take it from us that these guys just need to learn how to get intimate with their SPARC.
The onscreen action purrs by at 60 frames per second, even when playing four-player split screen mode (which by the way is a total hoot), a remarkable achievement considering how gorgeous the game is. Extensive use of bump mapping on the tracks lends them a very realistic look, while reflection maps on both the tracks and vehicles help add a bit of pizzazz. Water effects are simply stunning, especially the beading of water drops on your windscreen after you've given your SPARC a dunking. In all, the visuals are gorgeous, and really make the most of the grunt of the Xbox -- something that most games published by MS Game Studios seem to nail. Audio is also great, with a pumping techno soundtrack created by JXL, the creator of the Elvis remix A little less conversation, while the vehicle and weapon sound effects will rock your couch in true 5.1 surround.
All of the different components of QR are hard to fault but sadly there is something lacking to bring it up to the level of the Wipeout series. Thanks to the work of Designers Republic, Wipeout had a level of sheen that's still hard to beat - and Redshift's design team was unable to match it. That said, Quantum Redshift is still a great game in its own right, and worthy of your attention.
Issue: 111 | April, 2010