Review: WipEout HD
Yesterday, Sony Entertainment's UK game design group Studio Liverpool launched it's Playstation Network title WipEout HD. It's pretty safe to say that I've been fiending for this title, I've practically been scratching my arms like some back-alley junkie for a fix. The real question is, does it live up to all the (see: my) hype.
I am going to start out this review with the two key elements of all WipEout, graphics and music. Originally, the game was produced by Psygnosis with the licensed art direction of a studio named Designer's Republic. Ever since this the series has been known for it's keen design sense. Visually speaking, WipEout HD definitely steps up to the plate.
From the very beginning, the game has a stark, polished future look. The game is stylistically similar to a combination of Wip3out and WipEout Pulse. The menus are crisp, responsive and the color scheme fits well into Designer's Republics original "bright colors on white with low contrast" theme. Call me a purist. Everything operates just as you would expect it to, although owners of CRT screens may want to crank up the contrast for the menus, as some details are too subtle to make out. My only minor complaint is that the "HD" hud makes determining your energy level at a glance difficult, this is negated by the fact that WipEout HD provide you with alternative HUDs.
The in-game visuals are exactly what you expect of the WipEout series, only with the "realism" dial turned up. No, I'm not saying that the game is all brown, but the game has a certain layer of tarnish on it. The ships are covered in scratch and nicks, environments (when you have time to appreciate them) are detailed and less neon than I would expect from your average title in the series. This thankfully does not compromise WipEout HD in it's purest sense. The environments feel less visually cluttered and lets you focus more on the track itself. There is still the accents of futuristic billboards and neon displays, they are simply placed in less intrusive ways. Did I mention this is all wizzing by at break-neck speeds? The promise of 60fps at 1080p visuals is definitely obvious when racing your first zone match.
The next element of the WipEout HD experience is of course the soundtrack. I will say that track lineup is nothing short of impressive. Each track is presented in 5.1 Dolby Digital rather than the normal 2 channel stereo you would normally get from a purchased CD. The sad truth about me is I rarely get to appreciate the songs while I'm racing. The music is often drowned out by the sound of the on-board computer, scraping, explosions and the gentle tat-a-tat-tat of my cannon ripping through someone's back side. There is also the problem of my violent cursing at screen. WipEout HD features adaptive volume that ramps down the volume of the music if a loud explosion occurs near by, while nice, it tends to make the music of even less consequence while piloting.
Then there was the downside. The sad truth about WipEout HD is that the game is essentially the recycled bits of other titles. If you own Pure and Pulse, you're not going to be seeing anything you have not seen before. Even still, the number of tracks you get is limited to eight. I'm not going to say that this is a deal breaker. Frankly, playing with a real gamepad on a large screen makes the game well worth the $19.99.
The game has real online play, something that I was sad to see missing from earlier titles, although many have complained that it felt "under developed". Several online modes such as "elimination" are seemingly missing, somewhat limiting your online interactions. Sony always has the option to add more tracks, modes and ships, so the game will likely receive life sustaining DLC later.
The bottom line: If you own a PS3, and love WipEout, you might be disappointed that there are no new tracks. As a fan, I know that I replayed most of the maps numerous times and I really never tired of them. The trophy system at least gives experienced players things to strive to accomplish, most of which are well beyond my capacity as a veteran. The visuals (especially in stark over-stylized zone mode) are perfect, even with the minor HUD complaint. I won't go so far as to say this is a console seller, but it is definitely worth the purchase price.
8.5 of 10
Asterick
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 26 September 2008
· Comments (4)
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Jeopardy!!!
Got this last night and let me tell you... having this game (especially Zone levels) on a 50" 1080p Plasma with 5.1 sound blaring is a sight to behold. I really couldn't put the controller down.
The art direction on this series has always been top-notch, and this one far from disappoints. Really breathtaking, all around. Sort of a no-brainer purchase for anyone interested in the series.
And, while the tracks are repeats of other Wipeout games, I have to argue that they've never looked (or played) quite like this.
Ok, so let me start with the basics.
I really loved the soundtrack on Wipeout 2097; it had a different name in the US, and I can't remember what that name was, but for me, that was the best that Wipeout had to offer.
And now for the other half of that sentiment: I hated it. Never understood 2097; it never felt right to me. I never got any kind of mental understanding of how, exactly, I was meant to race in the game. It doesn't help that I"m (mostly) not a racing-game-person, and I don't drive in real life; I have no frame of reference, for the most part, for any of the controls. Living in London really does mean never having to own a car, and I've always used that as the primary reason why I don't play racing games.
I picked up Wipeout HD based on the strength of the early, seizure-inducing screenshots of Zone mode. I wanted to play in levels that pulsed, moved, were constructed from the music that was playing.
When I heard that some things were being changed to prevent people with epilepsy having problems, I was a bit cross; I suffered from epilepsy as a child, and yes, flashing lights did cause problems - but I was also a computer user at the time, played no end of flashy-visual-games, and *never* had a seizure induced by a game; the way they induce you to have a seizure is with a pretty nasty, harsh set of flashing lights, and frankly it's always been amazing to me that those things don't just flat out cause *everybody* to have a seizure, it's pretty nasty.
Anyways, that's off topic. The intent was to say this: I now get Wipeout. I don't know what it is they've done differently - but whatever it is, it worked. I'm still not *good*, but after my first ten times around the first track in the game I was able to finally figure out how to race well enough to actually get a silver.
I really wanted to use the motion controls, assuming it would be easier to understand, but somehow I've ended up using the D-pad - which feels like I'm doing something wrong; here we are in the modern world, and I'm using a D pad to control a highly-tuned fast-paced first-person race game.
I can honestly say the game is amazing to look at, and brilliant at giving a sense of speed. I can't say I *understand* the controls, and I don't think they're well documented - I wish there was some kind of strategy guide built in to teach me how I should be racing this thing - but I *am* hooked.
Great game, and the closest thing I've seen to my golden childhood memories of a Psygnosis product in my life. Take all of your best memories of how games of that era were, and crystallise them into product - because that's what (I'll wager) we've got here, IMO - A wipeout that isn't as good as 2097 was, but as good as you remember it to have been.
Thanks a lot for this review Asterick! I bought Wipeout yesterday after reading this and I am very pleased. The graphics are amazing, the gameplay is fast and fun and the online works seamlessly.
Best of all though is the sound-track! This is some of the best Breakbeat music out there, and does a great job setting the tone.