WipEout HD wipes out even the most demanding players

By Joe Dwyer     10/9/08 7:00pm

Last Thursday, futuristic anti-gravity combat racing made its debut on the PlayStation 3 with WipEout HD, the latest entry in the WipEout franchise.Since WipEout HD is essentially a retooled version of the PlayStation Portable titles WipEout Pure and WipEout Pulse, some gamers may be hesitant about spending money on the game. Rest assured - there is plenty of stuff crammed in there for both veterans and newcomers alike.

WipEout HD is hands down the prettiest title yet on the PlayStation 3. The game can output at a full 1080 progressive scan HD resolution and runs at a super-smooth 60 frames per second with nary a hiccup. Each ship is unique and intricately detailed and the tracks are all bursting with eye-candy. The tracks race through diverse locations like snow-covered mountains, dense urban settings and even underwater. Speed blur and depth of field effects help accentuate the ridiculous sense of speed in the game while bloom and particle effects add a visual punch to the weapons and explosions.

The best part is that the visuals don't take a hit when one plays online. The game still manages to retain its solid frame rate and beautiful graphics. Props to Studio Liverpool for taking the time to optimize their game and for not cutting corners on the online portion.

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But what fun is flying around a track at hundreds of kilometers per hour and blasting your opponents if there is not a solid soundtrack to groove to? Luckily, WipEout HD continues the franchise's tradition of featuring electronica and dance music from both mainstream and relatively unknown artists. While the soundtrack for WipEout HD is a little sparse in comparison to past titles (and is, in fact, recycled from WipEout Pulse and WipEout Pure), it still features music from the likes of Kraftwerk, DJ Fresh, Booka Shade and MoveYa!.

The gameplay is fast, frenetic and fun. The controls are extremely smooth and responsive. Players have options like "Pilot Assist" to keep novices from repeatedly crashing into walls and can even enable Sixaxis control and steer simply by tilting and rolling the controller if they feel like a challenge. The game features an assortment of weapons, ranging from machine guns, shields and missiles to slightly more ridiculous ones like Quake, which sends a rippling shockwave through the track ahead of the player to disrupt other racers.

While the game may initially appear to be short and repetitive, it is anything but. Five different modes ensure an extremely multifaceted experience. Along with the standard race and time trial, there are new additions like "Zone," in which vehicles complete laps ad infinitum while the computer keeps ramping up their speed. Throw in bronze, silver and gold medals for each race, 38 different trophies to collect, a photo-shoot mode and full-fledged online mode complete with global leader boards, and WipEout HD is a game you will be playing for months.

WipEout HD is available exclusively through the PlayStation Store.

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