Redout made it’s E3 debut in 2016 ahead of a PC release, but the big news in 2017 is that the futuristic racing game is coming to consoles. August 29th will see Redout: Lightspeed Edition released on Xbox One and PS4, with a Switch version coming at a later date. PC gamers have had several months to get to grips with the anti-gravity racer, but what can console gamers expect?
The short answer is speed – and lot’s of it. Heavily inspired by legendary titles like Wipeout and F-Zero, Redout purportedly eclipses them in terms of forward velocity. Console gamers will also benefit as this ‘Lightspeed’ edition will include DLC content that takes the number of tracks up to 30. And of course the split screen mode for local multiplayer that was recently introduced to the PC version will be ready from the start, in addition to online multiplayer.
Console gamers can also look forward to the fact Redout has been warmly received since its PC release. With a Metacritic score of 81% and a Steam user review average of 89% it definitely has some dedicated fans. Aside from the blistering speed and great graphics there’s an emphasis on driving rather than weaponry, while the controls are more complex than you’d usually expect from a racer like this.
Now This Is Pod Racing
Of course there are complaints as well. Gamers have expressed disappointment with the overly floaty feel, and the fact it controls more like Star Wars Pod Racer than F-Zero. There’s also some annoyance with the steep early learning curve and rubber-banding AI opponents – although apparently that’s less of a problem once you get further into the game. Several bugs were also reported, and subsequently patched, but that’s to be expected. Developer 34BigThings are an indie studio after all and this is quite a complex game. But at least the console versions should be (relatively) free of such problems.
The biggest obstacle for Redout is likely to come from its own progenitor. WipEout: Omega Collection has just been released on PS4. Aside from the benefit of an earlier release and established reputation, Omega Collection appears to be regarded as the ‘better’ game. Frankly I can’t see Redout having much of an impact for PlayStation gamers. It’s likely to fare better on Xbox though, as there’s no obvious competitor yet. True, the Kickstarter-funded Formula Fusion will be coming to XBox One (and PS4) at some point, but importantly Redout will have the head start. And things look even brighter for the Switch version as Nintendo seem to have no interest in resurrecting F-Zero, no matter how much the fans clamor for it.
