Studio Liverpool remnants form R8 Games, aren’t done with the futuristic racer genre just yet.
Studio Liverpool (known previously as Psygnosis, as Lemmings fans will know), was closed over two years ago. Its seminal franchise, WipEout, saw chapters on every PlayStation console, from the PSX to the PS Vita (with only the PS4 not seeing a release). Who knows if we’ll ever see a WipEout game on the PlayStation 4, but veterans of Studio Liverpool are working on a spiritual successor.
Remnants of the studio have re-formed as R8 Games, and their first project is an Xbox One, PC, and PS4 game titled Formula Fusion.
We’re not sure how long Formula Fusion has been in development, but its original name (SlamJet Racing) has already been ditched (even after appearing in the above video). But R8 is not shy about its WipEout roots. As it says in the video description, “Please note that this footage was created to target WipEout fans and to encourage feedback from the community.”
It’s a racer, it’s rife with electronic music (what was Aphex Twin in WipEout is now Dub FX), and there are no wheels in sight. WipEout, indeed!
Keep in mind that this is only a treatment, which means there’s plenty of work to be done on Formula Fusion, and it’s going to be a while before we see the final product, or even a release date.
As the OP on NeoGAF points out, Oculus Rift support for the PC version (and Morpheus support on the PS4?) could make Formula Fusion a killer app for the VR hardware.
Interested? Or is the future-racer genre played out? Let us know in the comments.
Published: Sep 25, 2014 09:10 pm