Whiplash (video game)

This article is about the action game. For the racing game, see Fatal Racing.

Whiplash
File:Whiplash Coverart.png
Developer(s)	Crystal Dynamics
Publisher(s)	Eidos Interactive
Distributor(s)	Atari Inc.
Designer(s)	Amy Albertson Jeremy Bredow Paul Cazarez Calvin Rien Bryan Wiegele Steve Yoshimura Joe Willis
Platforms	PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release date(s)
Genre(s)	Platform Action-Adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

Whiplash is a platformer video game for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox where a long-tailed weasel chained to a rabbit must work together to escape from a product testing corporation known as Genron and putting the fat boss out of commission. The game is a basic platformer, with Spanx (the weasel) as the main character, and Redmond (the rabbit) as more of a tool.

Whiplash was given varied reviews, but averaged 68.91% on the PlayStation 2 and 69.92% on the Xbox at GameRankings. The game was featured on the cover of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. There was also some controversy over the game with animal cruelty.

Gameplay

File:Whiplash Pic.PNG

The chain can be used in a variety of ways.

Although Redmond (the rabbit) and Spanx (the weasel) are two animals chained together, the gameplay is much like any other platformer. The player controls only Spanx, using Redmond as a weapon or tool as the situation requires. Spanx has most standard plat forming abilities, while Redmond is completely indestructible as a result of tests conducted upon him and so can be hurled into security guards, jammed into machinery, and used as a grappling hook, among other uses. Redmond can be inserted into special outlets to be set on fire, frozen, or become radioactive.

One unique aspect of the game is that many objects through the levels are breakable and are assigned a dollar amount which is tracked by the game; by completing the game with more than $6 million in damage, special content can be unlocked.

Defeating the humans through the levels released special snacks that the team can eat to increase both animals' levels, which increases Spanx' health or Redmond's rage. The player is also rewarded for freeing other animals trapped and caged by the company.

Development

The music for Whiplash was composed by Kurt Harland of Information Society. The music features a unique interactivity scheme: It responds to player input on the controller; the more input received through the controller buttons, the more the music does. The music also expands in response to successful hits of breakable objects and enemies.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores Aggregator Score GameRankings (Xbox) 69.92% (PS2) 68.91% Metacritic (Xbox) 68/100 (PS2) 66/100 Review scores Publication Score Edge 5/10 EGM 7/10 Eurogamer 5/10 Game Informer 4/10 GamePro Game Revolution C− GameSpot (Xbox) 6.6/10 (PS2) 6.4/10 GameSpy GameZone (Xbox) 7.2/10 (PS2) 7/10 IGN 7/10 OPM (US) OXM 6.8/10 The Times

Whiplash was met with average reception upon release. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 69.92% and 68 out of 100 for the Xbox version, and 68.91% and 66 out of 100 for the PlayStation 2 version.

Before the game was released in the United Kingdom, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the Research Defence Society, the chairman of the British House of Commons and the Police Federation of England and Wales were deeply shocked at the level of cartoonish cruelty in animal product testing, despite the whole premise of the game as being against this. They thought it condoned violence and made a joke of animal suffering; however, Eidos claimed that it would raise positive awareness among children with this issue.

External links

• Crystal Dynamics Official Website
• Eidos Interactive Official Website
• Whiplash at MobyGames

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