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QUANTUM REDSHIFT (XBOX)
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Publisher: Microsoft.
Developer: Curly Monsters. Released: October 2002. Genre: Racing. Posted 29th December 2020. By Shane Battams © 2020 |
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As Microsoft looked to capitalise on the futuristic chic of futuristic racers such as WipEout, Curly Monsters seemed like a perfect candidate for the job, comprised as they were of former developers from Psygnosis. Quantum Redshift is the result, a game which isn’t too shy about which series it’s emulating, but it benefits from technical proficiency, solid mechanics and fun track design. In an ironic twist, the fledgling developer’s attempts to break from the norm are what end up hurting the game the most, as focusing on a roster of unlikeable characters and trying to interject story into the proceedings feels like a missed opportunity.
Quantum Redshift is a futuristic racer which plays things relatively safe. As you compete against five other drivers, you earn turbo at the start of each lap for a quick burst of speed. You can also collect power-ups which reward free-aim, lock-on shots and shield, which are helpfully colour-coded by their button placement. Though it’s a rarity, dealing enough damage to an opponent will destroy their craft, though you too can suffer this fate. Redshift does benefit from solid track design, including terrain which swaps between land and sea, tricky shortcuts and exciting jumps. Handling feels speedy yet smooth, making cornering a breeze. While fans of the likes of Extreme G and WipEout won’t be blown away, Curly Monsters still crafted a fun racer which benefits from proficient handling, fun track design and straightforward accessibility.
A mash-up of WipEout Fusion and Star Wars Episode I: Racer, Quantum Redshift makes up for a lack of originality with decent gameplay
It’s actually the deviations that harm Quantum Redshift more. There’s a focus on story and character, with the roster of 16 racers each packaged with their own backstory, feuds and personalities. Tara Vivas, for example, has a rival who seeks revenge after assuming Vivas killed her parents. Unfortunately, despite benefiting from cultural diversity, most of the personas are uninteresting. Minimalistic, poorly-voiced cut-scenes fail to heighten the drama, meaning walls of backstory text serve as better sources of information. The Tournament Mode fails to do a lot with these stories, as while characters talk smack before races, only the Nemesis events showcase back and forth dialogue. Endings last under half a minute, failing to entice slogging through harder difficulties, which is a shame.
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If you’re prepared for the long haul, there’s hours of gameplay here, though be aware it does involve repeating races. Tournament is split into five difficulties, which range from the basic Novice, to the intense Redshift mode, which will break all but the most skilled of players. Each difficulty ups the length of races, the skill of the A.I. and the number of events, but playing through higher difficulties rewards more characters, including all of the Nemesis characters you face. Thankfully, you can gain an advantage from the interesting Vehicle Upgrade system, as points earned while driving allow you to improve power-up damage, boost length and shield capacity. Outside of this, you can also test your speed with Time Attack, practice on individual tracks with Single Event and play against up to three other players, though sadly it hosts only the one mode. Seeing it in action is still impressive, at least.
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Quantum Redshift would also take advantage of from the Xbox’s grunt, looking ahead of it’s competition by some margin. Ship designs look nifty and sport some excellent reflective textures, as the crisp lighting bounces fluidly off of your vehicle. Tracks look spacious and range in style including some very intricate motifs, performance is constantly smooth and small touches, like water drops splashing on your screen when plunging into water, look impressive. The sound varies a bit more, though the soundtrack provided by Junkie XL is top notch and fits the action to a tee. The voice acting is often bland, and the dialogue leaves a lot to be desired. The effects are serviceable, including potent explosive power-ups, though the engines lack bite.
Quantum Redshift certainly won’t win any awards for originality, but it’s easy to tell the developers had prior experience with the genre, crafting a solid racer which is fast, fluid and fun. Coupled with a steep challenge and stunning presentation, it seems as though Microsoft had a winner on their hands. Unfortunately, it’s the areas in which Curly Monsters tried to innovate that would let the game down, as the weak story and poor characters fail to motivate you to keep slogging through the tournament events. Despite these issues, fans of the genre should still find plenty to enjoy here, even if it doesn’t displace any of the genre’s elite.
Quantum Redshift certainly won’t win any awards for originality, but it’s easy to tell the developers had prior experience with the genre, crafting a solid racer which is fast, fluid and fun. Coupled with a steep challenge and stunning presentation, it seems as though Microsoft had a winner on their hands. Unfortunately, it’s the areas in which Curly Monsters tried to innovate that would let the game down, as the weak story and poor characters fail to motivate you to keep slogging through the tournament events. Despite these issues, fans of the genre should still find plenty to enjoy here, even if it doesn’t displace any of the genre’s elite.
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VERDICT
"Quantum Redshift won’t win any awards for originality and it's marred by a weak story, but fans of the genre should still enjoy a solid racer which is fast, fluid and fun.” OVERALL: 7/10 |
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