''Pacer'', originally titled ''Formula Fusion'', is a futuristic

racing game Racing games are a video game genre in which the player participates in a motor racing, racing competition. They may be based on anything from real-world racing leagues to fantastical settings. They are distributed along a spectrum between more re ...

by R8 Games. The game was released for the

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in May 2017. It was ported to the

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and

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in October 2020.

Development and release

The game started as a

spiritual successor A spiritual successor (sometimes called a spiritual sequel) is a product or fictional work that is similar to, or directly inspired by, another previous product or work, but (unlike a traditional prequel or sequel) does not explicitly continue th ...

to the '' Wipeout'' series with some of the early R8 Games staff having worked on

Wipeout 3 ''Wipeout 3'' is a 1999 racing video game developed by Psygnosis and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It is the fourth game and third main instalment in the ''Wipeout'' series, following '' Wipeout 64'' (1998), an ...

for Psygnosis Leeds. R8 Games founder Andrew Walker was part of the team that were awarded a

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for best design on ''

'' in 1999.

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, the graphic design studio that designed visual assets and marketing for the first three ''Wipeout'' games, has also contributed to the game. The game uses the Unreal 4

game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games which generally includes relevant libraries and support programs such as a level editor. The "engine" terminology is akin to the term " software engine" u ...

with modifications to the

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code to enhance the feeling of speed. ''Formula Fusion'' was announced in September 2014. A

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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 Steam is water vapor, often mixed with air or an aerosol of liquid water droplets. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. Saturated or superheated steam is inv ...

in August 2015. The game was re-branded from ''Formula Fusion'' to ''Pacer'' in early 2019. The console versions were initially set to release on September 17, 2020. However, they were delayed until the end of September 2020. On October 19, R8 announced that they would be released on October 29.

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. ''Pacer'' opened to more positive reception, receiving "mixed or average" reviews for PC and "generally positive" reviews for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. ''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. ''

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'' praised the wide variety of modes and content, and speedy gameplay while criticizing the forgettable racing teams and the UI, calling it "clumsy".

References

External links

*{{official website, https://web.archive.org/web/20210117005353/https://www.pacergame.com/ (archived)
Delay announcement on twitter
2017 video games Early access video games Kickstarter-funded video games Multiplayer and single-player video games Science fiction racing games PlayStation 4 games Video games developed in the United Kingdom Windows games Xbox One games