Is this what you were expecting of FF ?

[blackwiggle]

I haven't been doing any testing of FF since Xmas, and only started again over the last few days, probably because I have also playing 2048 and there is so much going on visually at one time with 2048, that I just wanted something less chaotic.

Anyway, a lot if not most people would be wondering , well what's it like, how does it play, what's the handling like.....that last one will get answered by watching these 3 videos below.
Since R8 put some specs on the final release on their Facebook page, I guess thing must be getting pretty close to release....so I also guess what you see in the videos below will be pretty much how the craft will handle, and just how different that handling is to any Wipeout game you have played [To me it's more like cross between F-Zero and Wipeout ] you certainly won't be holding your thumb down constantly on the accelerator with FF like you do with Wipeout, well at least not at first......you could probably call FF a AG drifting racer....make that what you will.....anyway the videos below were not done by me,but put up by another Test Pilot, they show the 3 different speed classes doing close to a single perfect lap.

I'd be interested to see what you think of them, I'm sure R8 would like to know as well.
The three speed classes slowest to fastest are Vixen,Sabre, Python [two more faster speed classes have been added that we have yet to test ] They are all on the same track so you can notice the difference better.
Midtown WR Vixen class

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVQnzDSZDZ8
Midtown WR Sabre Class
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50bC_YgwaJg
Midtown WR Python Class
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsIwrgtq7IE

You can see more of EggPlant<3's WR FF videos at his page at the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsIwrgtq7IE

This craft handling [remember, there are another two faster speed classes no yet seen] is challenging / frustrating- depends how you look at it, on the test tracks as seen at the faster speed classes, R8 have since widened the tracks to cater for this, and also straightened [if not plain out removed] a few corners / chicanes on others...... as you can see by the drifting like handling in the faster speed class, it's understandable why.
I've had a bit of a problem with coming to terms with the handling on FF, mainly this is due to having to use a Xbox 360 controller [that's when it wants to work], which just feels alien to me on a AG racer, especially considering that when playing Wipeout I always use the D-Pad....on the 360 controller it's D-Pad is it in the space where the PS3/4 stick is, which after playing like that for 20+ years isn't that easy to adjust to.

Hopefully I'll have more success with a PS4 controller when FF is finally released on the console.

[OBH]

Looks pretty good to be honest. I've never played it, but there's something about the way the ship moves that seems almost like a traditional racer to my eyes?

If the ship drifts so much surely you have even less room for error as you wont be able to make last minute reactions?

[AdHoc]

Pretty sure this game is going to be panned by critics and the media. It just feels bland and empty.

And I see what you mean by the drifting feel.

[blackwiggle]

That's correct, and even less margin for error the faster the speed classes get.
Formula Fusion is a lot more about the RACING, the weapons are designed to be more of a hinderence to the opposition, rather that designed to destroy them

R8 have finalized what the initial release content will be, apparently we on the TPP get one more build to test before BETA testing starts, then I suppose release will be pretty soon.....a couple of months away possibly.

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Pretty sure this game is going to be panned by critics and the media. It just feels bland and empty.

And I see what you mean by the drifting feel.

It seems pretty empty on those wide tracks racing around by yourself.
Success or failure will ultimately come down to how it plays online, and if people take to it and stick with it.
It won't be a easy game to master, even though most of the tracks are not as challenging as wipeout tracks, as they don't have the bumps and dips / undulations of a lot of Wipeout tracks.
The challenge will be to get around as fast as possible, without losing too much shield and health from being jostled by the other pilots.

My main concern is do the gamers of today have the persistence to learn how to master it ?
Nearly two generations of gamers have come to pass since the first Wipeout 22 years ago, and I fear the current one doesn't have the attention span needed to get reasonably good at it, at least good enough to build a large enough player base to make the whole venture worthwhile for R8

[TheConzio]

My main concern is do the gamers of today have the persistence to learn how to master it ?
Nearly two generations of gamers have come to pass since the first Wipeout 22 years ago, and I fear the current one doesn't have the attention span needed to get reasonably good at it, at least good enough to build a large enough player base to make the whole venture worthwhile for R8

That's probably R8's biggest issue. Gamers around my age and younger probably won't stick to it for very long as they won't "get it" within the first 10 minutes of playing (or find it too hard) and will quickly move on to something else. Patience is rare these days unfortunately.
Another reason could be the "lack of content". My best bet for R8 is to regularly release new tracks/new game modes and stuff like that over time, and host their own official tournaments.

They should definitely focus on the online aspect of this game, as I think this would determine if it will be a success or not. In its current state you have to be near the people your connecting to or else it becomes unplayable.