Now before I begin this review, I’m going to point out that I am utterly stoked about Wipeout 2048! I should also point out that I’m totally biased and possibly not the best person to review the new Wipeout HD. Why you may ask, well the answer is simple; I freaking love the Wipeout games. Ever since I first slid that sexy free black demo disc featuring the first in the series into my humble wee PSone back in 1995 (wow, I feel old) I’ve been hooked to it’s neon, high speed glories for over a decade. The wonderful Wipeout 2097 came out a year later and cemented itself as one of my favourite games of all time (and still is). So I’ve made my way since then with a deep warm love for the Wipeout games (I even got Wipeout 64, which we’re all agreed was the runt of the litter, yes?). So it is with great joy that I cast a loving eye back to Wipeout HD and its phenomenal expansion Fury for you all!
So first off, what makes the Wipeout series (and by extension Wipeout HD) so good? Well there are multiple reasons, and each stands testament to how good the series is. There has not been a single poor Wipeout game (Wipeout 64 not withstanding) and Wipeout HD Fury continued this excellent, high-speed trend.
Wipeout HD is a quasi-remake of the PSP’s phenomenal Wipeout titles: Wipeout Pure and Wipeout Pulse. Now while there are folks who did bemoan that this, let’s not forget that almost every racing game out there is simply a remake of a racing game that has come before it. Sure it’s all the same tracks from the two previous games, but My God, what remakes they are. Wipeout HD Fury is a beautiful game. The Wipeout Franchise has always prided itself on its presentation, and this game slays graphically. Insane futuristic tracks bleed out into infinity, covered in lights and neo-Japanese signs. In the background space craft and heavy vehicles can be seen coasting epic sunsets, and the cities you race through feel so unbelievably alive. Indeed, the first few times you play, you’ll crash repeatedly as each new epic sight or vista sprawls before you, totally taking your breath away. Played through its natural habitat,an HDMi cable, the game is doubly gorgeous.
And it’s not just the tracks that are sexy looking; the actual craft themselves are brilliant. The Wipeout games have always had a strong sense of image when it came to their craft; AG systems and their workmanlike yellow and blue, FEISAR’s smoothness and high speed reds and my personal fave through all the games Qirex, with their dual-pronged purple behemoths. With these golden oldies come several new teams and ships from both the PSP versions and some brand new teams exclusive to the PS3. Team Liverpool (who were formerly Psygnosis, keep up) repeated the feat with Fury, introducing the high-impact, heavily armoured Fury-model craft for each team. Slightly faster and more ponderous on the corners, the Fury models introduced a new style of play to the usual Wipeout fare, more aggressive and weapon-based than the usual faster-than-light flair!
But the graphics would be nothing without good gameplay, and Wipeout HD Fury eats and breaths excellent gameplay. Gameplay is largely similar to that of previous Wipeout entries. The player pilots an anti-gravity craft (also known as a Skiff to 1337 old school players), selected from one of the several teams mentioned above and, depending on the game mode, competes using speed and weaponry in an attempt to beat the competition. So far so good. The gameplay has been tweaked from all the previous entries in the series to deliver the ultimate futuristic racing experience. Wipeout HD is sharp, challenging and ultra responsive. It’s also the first, and perhaps only game I’ve seen on the PS3 that actually uses the SIXAXIS well. It can be used a s a steering wheel, with the shoulder buttons acting as triggers. The coupling of the SIXAXIS with the game is fantastic and feels utterly right.
One area that will niggle at people is the classic Wipeout learning curve, or to be more precise the lack of one. The games first two campaigns are good and challenging and try to prepare the player as much as possible. But then you hit the first update to speed and most people will be left reeling. The second speed class known as Flash is ludicrously fast, and many people with have trouble dealing with the sudden addition of a couple of hundred km per minute added to their speedometers. Even I was left scratching my head, and I have played all the games in the series when I first tried an update to the speed. I entirely take back the statement that modern games just aren’t fast enough, Wipeout HD is fast and then some. Fury is also incredibly difficult, and instantly assumes that you know how to play Wipeout! Now whilst I’m fine with this, it will act as a barrier to newer players.
However, the campaign isn’t just about racing. There are several competitions throughout that allow players to get to know the speeds, teams and tracks without the indignation of having a missile up the arse. Time Trial and Tournament return from the PS2 version, and Speed Trial from the PSP also raises its neon-covered head, but the best mode is undoubtedly Zones mode. First introduced in Wipeout Fusion, it returns in Wipeout HD, and sees the player’s initially slow craft becomes progressively faster throughout the race, passing through different numbered zones, or categories of speed; the player must continue to navigate the course until their energy runs out and the ship explodes. The Visuals also differ greatly in this mode, with environments stripped of texture, replaced with a single colour that changes continuously in waves, whilst graphic equalizers on the track and scenery display the waveform for the currently playing audio track. Essentially, you fly through every speed class in one race, and it is utterly insane. It’s good for an introduction to just how fast this game can get (with the highest speed class Phantom being particularly terrifying).
Fury would bring several new modes, and all remain massively popular online. To begin with, the insane Eliminator Mode. Essentailly an infinite race were the main aim is to shoot, blow up, neutralise and destroy the competition using all the joyous weapons that Wipeout possesses. Every piece of damage inflicted upon your foes generates points, and the racer to reach the set points value wins. To facilitate the damage-dealing, your ship comes equipped with a 180 degree fast turn which allows you to fire on people behind you as well as in front. The mode is literally inane and I can only hope that 2048 brings the mode to Sony’s new handheld!
Next up: Detonator is a mode which places you against no competition and no weapon pick ups – you just have a gun with 15 shots that can be reloaded at will and you are also given a plethora of mines which need to be fired. This mode is still a zone mode so you escalate in speed the further you progress carefully shooting and reloading. Additions to this are EMP pads which charge the EMP and the more you charge the meter the further this attack wave will travel to detonate the planted mines. As the speed increases this is a frenetic experience especially as the placement of the mines changes and it will get to the point where you will be guessing the placements so you can avoid them – even at times firing around corners to get the strike.
And finally, my favourite of Fury’s new modes: Zone Battle! It’s a mode which requires you to reach the target area before anyone else. In theory this sounds like a competitive version of Zone mode but it has been adjusted to offer something different. The tracks have been covered with Zone Pads and these little strips hold energy that lets you refill your own energy or vault ahead a little. Refueling on energy gives you a short lived shield.
The soundtrack too continues Wipeout’s trend of being utterly brilliant with a smattering of electro and techno gems. Now I’m not a huge fan of electronic music but by god the soundtrack is simply perfect. Subtle beats and digital keyboard lines lilt around you as you pelt down the track at 500 kph, and it feels so right!. And if your not into the music, well that’s fine, Wipeout HD follows in Super Stardust HD’s vapour trail with the ability to put your own music in-game. Fancy pelting around Moa Therma whilst “Relentless” by Strapping Young Lad destroys your speakers, well knock yourself out.
So Wipeout HD Fury: it’s freaking awesome! Honestly, this game easily stands as the PS3′s No. One racer, even after all the years and multiple opponents to its crown. However, Wipeout HD is as close as the Wipeout team has come to a perfect version of their vision. And all at the wonderfully low price too. Wipeout HD will be a game that I play for a long, long time. 10/10, utterly stunning!
