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Whiplash (video game)
Encyclopedia
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
. 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 69% on the PlayStation 2 and 70% on the Xbox. Despite mixed reviews, the game was featured on the cover of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. There was also some controversy
over the game with animal cruelty.
1) Free other animals using the character's abilities with the chain; The animals tend to also help by attacking humans in the vicinity when freed.
2) Damage and break as much equipment and objects as possible, doing so increases the expense to the company causing them to lose money until they are left with nothing.
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 platforming 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.
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.
Whiplash was released to mixed reviews. Game Informer
gave Whiplash a 4 out of 10, saying "It’s simply so boring..." My Gamer 7 out of 10, as did IGN
. IGN commented, "I'd recommend renting this game and bringing it back as soon as it gets old." GamePro
gave Whiplash a 4.5 out of 5 and added "Whiplash really is a hell of a game. With a little more polish before release, this game could have been a true masterpiece." Spanx, who had previously been featured as a racer in Mad Dash Racing
was cited by Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine as an underrated spin-off character in comparison to Tekken's Nina Williams
, stating "...dig deeper and you'll find that Spanx is in the unusual position of actually being funny. Kinda rare for a game character."
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.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
video game
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
where a long-tailed weasel
Long-tailed Weasel
The long-tailed weasel , also known as the bridled weasel or big stoat is a species of mustelid distributed from southern Canada throughout all the United States and Mexico, southward through all of Central America and into northern South America.-Evolution:The long-tailed weasel is the product of...
chained to a rabbit
Domestic rabbit
A domestic rabbit, or more commonly known as simply the rabbit, is any of the several varieties of European rabbit that have been domesticated....
must work together to escape from a product testing corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
. 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 69% on the PlayStation 2 and 70% on the Xbox. Despite mixed reviews, the game was featured on the cover of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. There was also some controversy
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
over the game with animal cruelty.
Objectives
There are two lesser objectives in the game as well as the main one of escaping:1) Free other animals using the character's abilities with the chain; The animals tend to also help by attacking humans in the vicinity when freed.
2) Damage and break as much equipment and objects as possible, doing so increases the expense to the company causing them to lose money until they are left with nothing.
Gameplay
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 HarlandKurt Harland
Kurt Harland is a singer, composer, and video game developer/audio engineer. He is best known as the lead singer of Information Society and composer of the soundtracks for the Legacy of Kain video game series.-Biography:...
of Information Society
Information society
The aim of the information society is to gain competitive advantage internationally through using IT in a creative and productive way. An information society is a society in which the creation, distribution, diffusion, use, integration and manipulation of information is a significant economic,...
. 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
| Reviewer | Score |
|---|---|
| MetaCritic Metacritic Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,... |
66/100 (32 reviews) |
| GameRankings | 69.65 (37 reviews) |
| IGN IGN IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment... |
7.0/10 |
| Gamespot GameSpot GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which... |
6.4/10 (47 reviews) |
| Gamespy GameSpy GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current... |
2/5 |
Whiplash was released to mixed reviews. Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
gave Whiplash a 4 out of 10, saying "It’s simply so boring..." My Gamer 7 out of 10, as did IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
. IGN commented, "I'd recommend renting this game and bringing it back as soon as it gets old." GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
gave Whiplash a 4.5 out of 5 and added "Whiplash really is a hell of a game. With a little more polish before release, this game could have been a true masterpiece." Spanx, who had previously been featured as a racer in Mad Dash Racing
Mad Dash Racing
Mad Dash Racing is a racing game for the Xbox and was released as a launch title in November 2001...
was cited by Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine as an underrated spin-off character in comparison to Tekken's Nina Williams
Nina Williams
is a character from Namco's Tekken game series. She is known to be a cold-blooded assassin who had made her very first appearance in the original Tekken game and since has appeared in every Tekken game released...
, stating "...dig deeper and you'll find that Spanx is in the unusual position of actually being funny. Kinda rare for a game character."
Before the game was released in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a charity in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. In 2009 the RSPCA investigated 141,280 cruelty complaints and collected and rescued 135,293 animals...
(RSPCA), the Research Defence Society
Research Defence Society
The Research Defence Society was a British lobby group. At the end of 2008 the Research Defence Society merged with another UK organisation - the Coalition for Medical Progress to form Understanding Animal Research ....
, the chairman of the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
and the Police Federation of England and Wales
Police Federation of England and Wales
The Police Federation of England and Wales is the representative body to which all police officers in England and Wales up to and including the rank of Chief Inspector belong. There are 141,000 members as of July 2009...
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.