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

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

developed by British independent studio R8 Games for

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and

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. It was initially set to release on September 17, 2020. However, it was delayed until the end of September 2020. On October 19, R8 announced that the game would be released on October 29. A

kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

campaign by R8 Games was successful in securing over £79,000 to begin development on the game which was released as an early access version through

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in August 2015. The game was re-branded from ''Formula Fusion'' to ''Pacer'' in early 2019. 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 work, but (unlike a traditional prequel or sequel) does not explicitly continue the product lin ...

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

Wipeout 3 ''Wipeout 3'' is a futuristic racing video game developed by Psygnosis exclusively for the PlayStation. The title is the fourth game in the ''Wipeout'' series, and was released in Europe and North America in September 1999. Players control a ...

for Psygnosis Leeds. R8 Games founder Andrew Walker was part of the team that were awarded a BAFTA 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 and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software i ...

with modifications to the

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code to enhance the feeling of speed.

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

Pacer on SteamDelay announcement on twitter
2020 video games Science fiction racing games PlayStation 4 games Windows games Video games developed in the United Kingdom Xbox One games Early access video games Multiplayer and single-player video games {{Racing-videogame-stub