WipEout HD Review

by Patrick Steen on October 12, 2008 at 6:20 pm

Health regulations held it back, but in the end nothing could stifle the return of WipEout; the futuristic racer accentuated by unnecessary punctuation. Gorgeous Britishness and stunning presentation underscore the virtues of this high definition remake.

And a remake it might be, but WipEout HD’s graphical prowess places it on a pedestal far from the reach of the PSP renditions it borrows tracks from. This is one stunning racer. Don’t believe me? Have a butcher’s hook at the vast gallery below, where you’ll find examples of what you can capture yourself using WipEout’s extensive photo-mode.

You’ll be snapping pictures of supersonic 60 frames-per-second racing on a selection of distinct tracks, such as the clinical cityscape of Ubermall, or the clouded serene skies of Sol 2. The textures are sharp and detailed, environments expansive and varied, and the lighting gives the whole scene a glorious crispness. In this high definition landscape, ships pop out like real life models suspended in a meticulously painted world.

From the minimalist styles of the main menu comes three choices; Campaign, Racebox and Online. The meat of the game can be found in the Campaign, where 8 grids of increasing racing goodness can be found. As you progress medal and PSN trophy hunt, tracks, vehicles and ship skins will unlock; unearthing a cornucopia of content for a downloadable game priced at a meagre £11.99/$19.99.

Each grid comprises a veritable honey comb of single races, time trials, tournaments and zone mode. Though apparently muted due to epilepsy concerns, the latter is a WipEout classic made beautiful. Stripping the geometry of detail, zone mode instead paints the world in colours that vibrate to the music and change palette in a supersonic sweep whenever you effectively pass zones. The goal? To travel as far as possible at increasing speeds before your ship explodes due to the escalating scrapes and crashes you’ll endure.

Your success depends on skilful driving, exercising the analogue sticks to steer and R2/L2 as route sharpening airbrakes. Motion sensing does make an optional appearance, whether to steer or pitch your craft, but as intuitive as this is, nothing can beat the responsiveness of retro pressure sensitive analogue controls.

Where speed is your enemy in zone mode, it’s your friend elsewhere. Time trials are self-explanatory, consisting of careful route planning to meet every boost pad possible. More excitement comes when you’re pitted against A.I. crafts in single races and tournaments, where a healthy helping of weapons are gathered from the track. Whether you’re shooting, draining enemy energy, dropping mines, or blasting an earthquake to destroy those ahead; you‘ll have to suffer similar thwarts from enemy craft. The visuals, responsiveness, framerate, and even the sultry received pronunciation of the female announcer, all help make these racing battles a truly epic experience.

As is common in the series, the speedometer and intensity of combat reaches new dimensions when you advance the Campaign, but this might just be one of WipEout’s disappointments. Ultimately you’ll be racing the same time trials on the same tracks, operating vehicles whose speed is only relative to your current Campaign position. The gameplay certainly becomes more addictive and volatile until your eyes burst from the kilometres per hour, but new weapons or modes would have made the game feel progressively fresh.

Still WipEout HD is a generous package, with more than the Campaign on its side. Racebox is your arcade fix, empowering you to mould your own racing challenges and letting you embark on local multiplayer. However, with both the screen and framerate chopped in half for two player split-screen, it’s not quite as blissful as the good ole single player.

Originally borked (but since patched) for those blessed with more than 50 PSN friends, online multiplayer is both effortless and unremarkable. Up to eight players can duke it out in single races or tournaments: but that’s your lot. No other challenges come your way; not even the Eliminator mode present on the PSP. Then again, online is as visually arresting and responsive as the single player and we have it on very good authority that new tracks and even modes are on the way via downloadable content.

WipEout HD doesn’t stray from gameplay traditions, but it’s now refined and tightened to Formula 1 standards. Evolution rather than revolution might be the case, but this is an easy pill to swallow for a conservatively priced downloadable game. This time the title is encrusted with more than just crazy capitalization, now stating the obvious; HD. But the high definition visuals are what launches WipEout into this generation. And when you do eventually pull yourself away from its hypnotic universe, like Amy Winehouse going cold turkey, you’ll be overcome by uncontrollable shakes, a numbed mind, and a burning desire to inject yourself once more.