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WIPEOUT HD Posted by Joe Anderson on Sep 27, 2008 17:37 (Sep 27, 2008 17:37) |
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Wipeout and me go back a long way, it was there when I bought my Playstation on launch day all those years ago, it was also there in various forms on my Playstation 2, oh and recently it has hardly left my side due to it’s constant presence in my PSP, therefore it will come as no surprise to you that the latest iteration, Wipeout HD now graces my PS3. Most Playstation fans will probably agree that Wipeout is one of the systems mainstays, it’s a game you can always count on to provide a quick burst of action that will always leave you satisfied and thankfully the same can be said for Wipeout HD, which is without a doubt the most polished game to be offered on the Playstation Store to date.
Wipeout HD doesn’t stray too far from the proven formula that has brought the series its success so far. For anyone who hasn’t played the game before, basically you take control of one of the anti-gravity ships (each of which is represented by a team) and then you compete in each of the different events with the aim of getting a gold medal. The events included in Wipeout HD are Single Race, Tournament, Time Trail, Speed Lap and Zone Mode. Single race of course explains itself, you basically race around the track against seven other opponents with the aim of winning, while the Tournament sees you compete in a number of races, Time Trial and Speed Lap see you race around a lap with the aim of getting the fastest time, the only difference between the two is that in Time Trial you are trying to set the best time over a number of laps rather than just the one. Perhaps the event that stands out the most though is Zone mode, here you are basically racing through different zones, with no brakes, the further you progress the more speed you will gather and the more difficult it will become to control your vehicle, meaning that if you are anything like me you will end up trashing it.
Finishing anywhere in the top three in any of the events will earn you a medal, awarding you 3 points for gold, 2 for second and 1 for third. The points you accumulate will then count towards unlocking the next set of events, which in turn will unlock new tracks, events and ships.
The racing itself can become very difficult which may put some users off, however I like to think of this like more of a challenge, though at one point after retrying a race for the seventh time I really was pulling my hair out. Perseverance really is the key in this game, so don’t give in too easily, after all you know what practice makes (lol, I sound like my dad).
One of the great things about Wipeout has always been the weapons and it is in this latest version that they really come into their own, all the usual suspects are there such as the machine gun, rockets and the quake weapon and as usual they all feel great to use. Also included alongside the weapons are the other items you can pick up such as auto pilot, boost and shield, all of which come in very handy in a tight race. As well using your weapons to halt your opponents in their path the game also gives you the ability to absorb them to give your ship energy, this comes in handy later on in the game but is something you will probably not make much use of in the earlier stages as they are certainly a lot easier to get through.
Wipeout HD also includes an online mode which supports up to eight players, this is fantastic fun and it seems to run very smoothly from my personal experience. While the online modes included are limited to single race and tournament, other neat touches are there such as the ability to invite seven friends to play with you.
Another feature I should mention is the Photo Mode, this allows you to take a screenshot of your game and this is then saved as a full 1920x1080 file in your Playstations photo folder. The photo mode allows you to alter your shot using the many options available. This is a great addition as it allows you to share your photos with your friends.
One of the things that stands out for me personally in Wipeout HD is the music, specifically when using your own soundtrack. The way the game moulds your music to fit the environment is fantastic, race through a tunnel and all of a sudden it really will sound like you are listening to music being beamed into a tunnel, come out the other end and everything will return to normal, I really love these effects and I feel that little touches like this really make you appreciate the game even more.
Graphically the game looks simply stunning, this is without doubt the best looking PSN game yet and in fact it puts quite a lot of disc based games to shame. When played on a 1080p HDTV everything just looks so good, the colours are bright and vibrant and the ships look so real it feels like you can reach out and touch them. The tracks also look and feel wonderful.
Wipeout HD is probably the first must buy game on the Playstation Network, speed freaks will love it and anyone who doesn’t own the console will be jealous of it. Given that for only £11.99 you can get a game of this quality you would have to be very tight for cash to let this one pass you by.
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