Wipeout HD

Wipeout is a futuristic anti gravity race game where the ships follow defined circuits at break neck speed.  The game, which has a history on the Playstation consoles, merges tracks from the PSP titles of Wipeout Pure and Pulse but with added features and a HD sheen which makes it look, sound and feel good.  The result is a package which ticks many boxes for Wipeout purists and new players alike and is readily accessible.

 The game itself looks slick and controls handle well with options to change the analogue handling of the craft into a much more digital experience.  There are also driver assists for the new players and numerous different teams for the players to pick.  Each of these craft has four individual attributes, such as speed and handling, and these differences in design are noticeable when changing teams.  Team loyalty is awarded with new ship liveries and other unlockable content and progression through the game, to unlock new tracks and other content, is worked through a series of differing tests be they time trials, tournaments or straight out races.  Your AI opponents range from novice to elite (a real challenge for even the experienced player) and if you just want to race then you can enter the Racebox and get right on with it. 

 Racebox also allows the player to design their own tournament of tracks which they can then take online to play with others.  Online play is the most fast and frantic, as always, as the human factor adds a real dimension into play and ships do what you least expect.  Also there are some good racers out there so you can expect to be beaten but there is enough content within the game to make online play a fantastic bonus rather than a necessity.  One small point is that some online players use the pilot assist and although it slows the ship it can give an unfair advantage in duelling.

 Wipeout HD sits at a strange crossroads however.  For a futuristic game it seems to want to take that one step further towards realism and the ability to actually tool with the anti grav sleds to increase their ability rather than search out a new team may have been a bonus.  New gamers may also find that the learning curve is a bit too steep at later stages and the game certainly requires some dedication.  The only other minor point is that it would have been nice to see new tracks as well as old ones but with the promise of downloadable content this may be realised.

 These are minor niggles to what is a very playable game and Studio Liverpool have realised what many players of previous versions have wanted whilst making something readily accessible to any new player who enjoys an exciting and often frantic challenge.  Purists should add one to the rating.