Cast your mind back to 2017, and you might remember the arrival of a Wipeout-clone called Redout. It strutted in with little fanfare, and we were pretty savage in our review of it: “the promising experience quickly dwindles to nothing more than a headache inducing lightshow”, said our reviewer. It tumbled out of our mind faster than you could say ‘bring back F-Zero’.
Fast-forward to 2021, and you can imagine our bemusement to find Redout surfacing again. It’s not a game that really deserved a sequel, but then we took a look at the trailer and were taken slightly aback. Rather than another go at bringing Wipeout to console, this was taking aim at a different 90’s stalwart: Starfox.
Redout: Space Assault is out now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Switch and PC.
It’s all there: the over-the-chassis viewpoint, the barrel rolls, the wingmen, the chatting over the intercom and the wild, bigger-than-your-screen bosses. We half-expected Peppy to start buzzing in over the speaker. The thing is, while it may be an homage, it’s a brand of game that we haven’t played in a long, long while, and we are more than a little up for taking it for a spin again.
It’s certainly having a bold go at creating its own universe. You play as Leon Barnett, a maverick fighter pilot (aren’t they all?) of the Poseidon Security Forces. You are in control of a Super Orbital Recon Fighter, and your job is to protect and escort the various settlers who are looking to make a life on Mars, as Earth has become all but inhospitable. The trouble is that pirates and other malcontents are eager for spoils, and it’s up to you to take them down.
Redout: Space Assault has a couple of things going for it that might push it further away from the Starfox comparisons. For one, it’s porting in Redout’s penchant for super-fast gameplay. For all its great moments, Starfox was never particularly speedy as a game, so this might make for an interesting diversion. You also get to find cards in battle, which can be used to unlock boosts for your fighter. There’s a promise that you will become so overpowered that you can take on destroyers and entire fleets, which sounds fun.
If there’s one thing it’s missing, it’s multiplayer. There’s no mention of it in press materials, and the emphasis is on the single player campaign. It’s not a dealbreaker for a game of this type, but coming off the back of STAR WARS Squadrons, it feels a hell of a miss.
Features include:
- Career mode – learn every skill you need to survive and triumph in the Redout Universe. Many Thriving Worlds – exotic locations, grandiose events and epic battles beyond every frontier.
- Deep Gameplay – manifest your tactical superiority by putting your dexterity, quick thinking and adaptability to the test.
- Bigger, Badder Weapons – From Plasma Cannons to Shock Rays, Railguns, Scattershot, Air-To-Air Missiles, and Loadup Gatlings, a vast array of weapons is at your disposal. Choose, upgrade, and even install multiple instances on your ship.
- Pimp my Ride – upgrade your spaceship to scale it up: let them come by the dozens, or single-handedly take on a Destroyer Warship! Drop and swap Cards to improve single aspects of your ship and better fit your style.
- Music for your ears – An entirely dynamic soundtrack that will drop sicker and sicker beats the tougher the experience gets!
Redout: Space Assault is out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and starts at £8.39 from the Xbox Store. It’s also out on PS4, PS5, Switch and PC through Steam. Keep an eye out for our full review – it’s coming soon.
Game Description:
THE NEXT GENERATION OF ARCADE SPACE SHOOTERS IS HERE Redout: Space Assault puts you in control of a Super Orbital Recon Fighter during the 2395 Colonization of Mars: dive in the fastest, most epic and exciting arcade space battle you can experience. Outsmart, outmaneuver, overpower, outclass your opponents in lightning-fast, adrenaline-inducing single-player space combat. You play as Leon Barret, ace fighter pilot of the Poseidon Security Forces. Here at Poseidon Corp., we are trying to pave the way for the colonization of Mars, as mankind is struggling for survival, split between a depleted hot Earth and a cold, claustrophobic Lunar colony. Your job is to maintain order by eradicating rebels and space pirates, facilitate our scientists’ research while keeping them safe, and protect all our personnel from the numerous external threats. Dive down into gigantic asteroid mining plants, shoot down Rebel drones and fighters, roll left and right avoiding enemy fire, unleash impossibly powerful missile volleys, but also race against stray pilots and space scavengers at breakneck speed for the sheer thrill of it. By completing missions you will unlock Cards and Tokens to upgrade your fighter’s Hull, Shields, Energy Weapons and Missiles until you are able to go up against massive Capital Ships and single-handedly shift the tide of the war. In an interplanetary struggle where nobody is good or bad, you will experience Leon rising through the ranks, the meaning of “necessary evil”, the cost of integrity and ultimately, what it means to take a stand.
