Pacer (video game)

Last updated

Pacer
Pacer game cover.jpg
Re-release cover art
Developer(s) R8 Games
Publisher(s) R8 Games
Director(s) Clive Anderson
Producer(s) Steve Iles
Designer(s) Carlton Gaunt
Programmer(s) Marcus Matusiak
Artist(s) William Goodwill
Composer(s) Tim Wright, Stafford Bawler
Platform(s)
Release
  • 31 May 2017 (Win)
  • 29 October 2020 (PS4, XB)
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Pacer, originally titled Formula Fusion, is a futuristic racing game by R8 Games. The game was released for the Windows in May 2017. It was ported to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in October 2020.

Contents

Development and release

The game started as a spiritual successor to the Wipeout series with some of the early R8 Games staff having worked on Wipeout 3 for Psygnosis Leeds. [1] R8 Games founder Andrew Walker was part of the team that were awarded a BAFTA for best design on Wipeout 3 in 1999. [2] [3] The Designers Republic, the graphic design studio that designed visual assets and marketing for the first three Wipeout games, has also contributed to the game. [4]

The game uses the Unreal 4 game engine with modifications to the open source code to enhance the feeling of speed. [5]

Formula Fusion was announced in September 2014. [6] A Kickstarter campaign by British studio R8 Games was successful in securing over £79,000 to begin development on the game which was released as an early access version through Steam in August 2015. [7] [8] The game was re-branded from Formula Fusion to Pacer in early 2019. [9]

The console versions were initially set to release on September 17, 2020. [10] However, they were delayed until the end of September 2020. On October 19, R8 announced that they would be released on October 29. [11]

Reception

Formula Fusion received very mixed reviews upon exiting early access. Critics praised the graphics, the sound, and claimed that the game felt very true to the Wipeout series, while heavily criticizing the insubstantial amount of content as well as unforeseen bugs. Many critics claimed that the game felt unfinished and not ready for full release outside of early access. [12]

Pacer opened to more positive reception, receiving "mixed or average" reviews for PC and "generally positive" reviews for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. [13] [14] [15]

CGM lamented the game's lack of accessibility, online player-base, and controls, while praising the game's soundtrack, graphics, customization, and its ability to live up to the legacy of Wipeout. Hardcore Gamer wrote positively about the game, stating, "Fans of either F-Zero or Wipeout will undeniably and thoroughly enjoy PACER...The game is fast and beautiful and offers more depth with a variety of racing" while criticizing the lack of online functionality and purchasable in-game content. Push Square praised the wide variety of modes and content, and speedy gameplay while criticizing the forgettable racing teams and the UI, calling it "clumsy".

Related Research Articles

Wipeout is a series of futuristic anti-gravity racing video games developed by Studio Liverpool.

<i>Wipeout Fusion</i> 2002 racing video game by Studio Liverpool

Wipeout Fusion is a 2002 futuristic racing video game developed by Studio Liverpool and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. The fifth instalment in the Wipeout series, following Wipeout 3 (1999), it was the first as well as the only original Wipeout title for PlayStation 2, with a port of Wipeout Pulse in 2009 being the only other Wipeout released on the platform. The game takes place in 2160 and revolves around players competing in the F9000 anti-gravity racing league. Wipeout Fusion received positive reviews upon release, with particular praise being directed at its techno soundtrack, but its graphics and track design received mixed responses from critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Wright (Welsh musician)</span> Welsh video game music composer

Tim Wright, known professionally as Cold Storage, is a Welsh video game music composer most known for his work in video game soundtracks such as Shadow of the Beast II, Agony, Lemmings, Wipeout and Colony Wars.

<i>911 Operator</i> (video game) 2017 video game

911 Operator is a simulation video game developed by Polish studio Jutsu Games and published in 2017 by PlayWay. The player assumes the role of a 9-1-1 telephone operator who must answer phone calls and dispatch police officers, paramedics, and firefighters to various emergencies. 911 Operator was funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign that ran from July 21 to August 20, 2016. The game was released on PC in February 2017, with releases for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One following later that year. The Android version of the game was released on November 16, 2017. On October 26, 2018, the game was released for Nintendo Switch.

<i>Rollcage Stage II</i> 2000 video game

Rollcage Stage II, also released as Death Track Racing, is a 2000 racing video game developed by Attention to Detail for PlayStation and Microsoft Windows. It is the sequel to Rollcage. In addition to basic racing, the game also utilizes combat elements. The game's playable vehicles are equipped with weapons, which are collected along the track as bonus items and can be used against competing cars. The vehicles themselves have wheels that are larger than their bodies, allowing them to still be rendered drivable while flipped upside down.

<i>Forza</i> Racing video game series published by Xbox Game Studios

Forza is a racing video game series for Xbox consoles and Microsoft Windows published by Xbox Game Studios. The franchise has sold 16 million copies as of December 2016 and has garnered critical acclaim.

<i>Trials Fusion</i> 2014 video game

Trials Fusion is a platform racing video game developed by Ubisoft RedLynx in collaboration with Ubisoft Shanghai and Ubisoft Kyiv. A follow-up to Trials Evolution, it is the fifth game in the Trials series and is the first one to be released on a PlayStation platform. The game was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One in April 2014. A companion game, Trials Frontier, was released on iOS and Android devices and designed to accompany the console and PC title. Ubisoft released six paid DLC packs, as well as several free content updates. Online multiplayer was added in an update on January 24, 2015.

<i>A Hat in Time</i> 2017 video game

A Hat in Time is a 2017 platform game developed by Danish game studio Gears for Breakfast and published by Humble Bundle. The game was developed using Unreal Engine 3 and funded through a Kickstarter campaign, which nearly doubled its fundraising goals within its first two days. The game was self-published for macOS and Windows in October 2017, and by Humble Bundle for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles two months later. A version for the Nintendo Switch was released in October 2019.

<i>Wreckfest</i> 2018 video game

Wreckfest is a racing video game developed by Bugbear Entertainment and published by THQ Nordic. Wreckfest is described as the spiritual successor to the FlatOut series, which was created by Bugbear, and takes further inspiration from the Destruction Derby series and the cult 1989 racer Street Rod. A notable feature of the game engine is the use of soft-body damage modelling, which enables location-based damage that affects the driving dynamics of vehicles in a realistic fashion.

<i>Deliver Us the Moon</i> 2018 video game

Deliver Us the Moon is an adventure-puzzle video game developed by Dutch game development studio KeokeN Interactive. It was first self-published as Deliver Us the Moon: Fortuna for Windows on September 28, 2018. The game later saw an expanded release on October 10, 2019, with Wired Productions serving as the publisher for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions on April 24, 2020. The game was released for Google Stadia on June 1, 2022, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on June 23, 2022 and for Nintendo Switch on July 16, 2024.

<i>Everspace</i> 2017 video game

Everspace is a 3D space shooter with roguelike elements developed and published by German studio Rockfish Games. It was released in 2017. A sequel, Everspace 2 was released in 2023.

<i>Observer</i> (video game) 2017 video game

Observer is a psychological horror video game developed by Bloober Team and published by Aspyr. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in August 2017, followed by versions for Linux, macOS and Nintendo Switch. An upgraded and expanded version called Observer: System Redux was released in November 2020 for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, for Amazon Luna in March 2021, and for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in July 2021. Observer follows Daniel Lazarski, a detective known as an Observer, who can hack people's minds as a method of interrogation.

<i>Session: Skate Sim</i> 2022 video game

Session: Skate Sim is a sports video game developed by independent developer Crea-ture Studios for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game is considered a spiritual successor to the Skate series.

<i>Antigraviator</i> 2018 video game

Antigraviator is an anti-gravity racing video game developed by Belgian developer Cybernetic Walrus and published by Iceberg Interactive on June 6, 2018, for Microsoft Windows. It was ported to PlayStation 4 on October 29, 2019, and to Xbox One on May 1, 2020.

<i>Redout</i> (video game) 2016 racing video game

Redout is a racing video game developed and published by Italian studio 34BigThings. It is inspired by racing games such as F-Zero, Wipeout, Rollcage, and POD as stated on the game page on Steam.

<i>Godfall</i> 2020 action role-playing video game

Godfall is an action role-playing game developed by Counterplay Games and published by Gearbox Publishing. The game was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows on November 12, 2020. It was also released for the PlayStation 4 on August 10, 2021. An enhanced version of the game containing all downloadable content up to that point, titled Godfall: Ultimate Edition, was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on April 7, 2022. It received mixed reviews from critics.

<i>WRC 10</i> 2021 video game

WRC 10, also known as WRC 10 FIA World Rally Championship, is a racing video game developed by French developer Kylotonn and published by Nacon. It is a sequel to WRC 9 and is the official game of the 2021 World Rally Championship. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in September 2021, with the Nintendo Switch version released in March 2022.

F1 is a racing video game series by Codemasters under the EA Sports banner since 2021. The series holds the official license of the FIA Formula One World Championship, with the FIA Formula 2 Championship available since the 2019 game. A total of twenty-two games have been released to date, with the series' latest installment, F1 24, released in May 2024.

<i>Genesis Noir</i> 2021 video game

Genesis Noir is an adventure game developed by Feral Cat Den and published by Fellow Traveller Games. The game follows the main character, No Man, as he visits different parts of the universe while trying to save his love. The game was released on Windows, macOS, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on March 26, 2021.

<i>F1 Manager 2022</i> 2022 video game

F1 Manager 2022 is the official racing management simulation game of the 2022 Formula One, Formula 2, and Formula 3 championships by Frontier Developments. It is the first installment in the F1 Manager series and the first licensed manager game since F1 Manager by EA Sports. The game was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 30 August 2022.

References

  1. ↑ "Formula Fusion - Next-Gen Anti-Gravity Racing Game by R8 Games Ltd » The R8 Games Team — Kickstarter". Kickstarter. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
  2. ↑ "BAFTA Awards (1999)". IMDb . Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  3. ↑ "Formula Fusion slips into 2017, new update releasing this week". Team VVV. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "The Designers Republic Sign Up for Formula Fusion". The Sixth Axis. 6 October 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  5. ↑ Peel, Jeremy (13 March 2017). "Making it in Unreal: how Formula Fusion nailed the feeling of fast". PC Games News. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  6. ↑ Smith, Adam (26 September 2014). "Total Wipeout: Formula Fusion". Rock Paper Shotgun . Gamer Network . Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  7. ↑ "Formula Fusion - Next-Gen Anti-Gravity Racing Game". Kickstarter . Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  8. ↑ Walker, Alex (August 2016). "Formula Fusion Has Come A Long, Long Way". Kotaku . Archived from the original on 2 August 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  9. ↑ Hoggins, Tom (4 April 2019). "Battle royale racing? Pacer is Wipeout meets Fortnite". The Telegraph . Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  10. ↑ @r8games (4 August 2020). "Register" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ↑ @R8Games (14 September 2020). "Register" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. 1 2 "Formula Fusion". Metacritic . Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Pacer for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  14. 1 2 "Pacer for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  15. 1 2 "Pacer for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  16. ↑ Taylor, Khari (11 November 2020). "PACER (PS4) Review". Computer Game Magazine . Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  17. ↑ Wells, Cory (30 October 2020). "Review: PACER". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  18. ↑ Tailby, Stephen (29 October 2020). "Mini Review: Pacer - Anti-Gravity Racer Comes Surprisingly Close to WipEout". Push Square . Retrieved 27 December 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.