Wipeout HD Blu-Ray Review

CommentOctober 24th, 2009 20:50

TGL’s Shane Willoughby has his retinas burned by Wipeout HD’s sheer 60fps visceral inconsideration.

The Playstation Store has really started to show its muscle of late. After an undeniable shaky start, the store has evolved and visibly moved forward. It now encompasses some genuinely enjoyable and value for money original titles. Wipeout HD is, in my opinion, a real flag ship title for the store and as a result, it is probably the best title available on the Playstation Store. Sure, Pain has its quirks, Fat Princess is un-putdown able, Super Stardust is a visual treat and FLOwer is a beautiful facile gaming indulgence, but for all their attributes, Wipeout HD excels just that little bit more if only for its balls up, no strings attached, instant racing thrills. Wipeout is back and it’s as brutal as ever. Its popularity on the PSN has been recognised by Sony’s decision making suits and thanks to titles such as Pain before it, Wipeout HD has broken free of the digital confines of the PS Store and you can now head down to your local retailer and buy a physical tangible copy of the title on Blu-Ray. The Blu-ray has just hit Irish stores so it’s worth reminding ourselves why Wipeout HD is a game worthy of your time, money and retinas.

First things first, the Blu-ray cut of Wipeout HD is the most complete version of the game yet. It contains any addition DLC’s developed for the title with a particular impetus but on the Wipeout Fury expansion which was released on the PS Store in July this year. With the Fury expansion included the game now in all includes 47 trophies, 16 tracks and dozens of ship models to expand the look of your 12 teams of AG Systems, Assegai Developments, Auricom Research Industries, EG-X Technologies, Feisar, Goteki 45, Harimau International, Icaras, Mirage, Piranha Advancements, Qirex Research and Development, and Triakis, the majority of which I’m sure many Wipeout purists are familiar with. Nothing feels tagged on here and the developers over at Studio Liverpool have really put together a stunning compilation for this Blu-ray edition of the game. Granted it is just a compilation. Nothing about this is actually ‘technically’ original. Most of the tracks and music used in the game are in fact, updates of the PSP incarnations of Wipeout Pulse and Pure. If you’ve played Wipeout on PSP then there’s nothing that new here for you. But shrouded in glorious HD, this compilation would be a shame to ignore.

Visually, this title actually rocks. It’s so colouful, sharp and visually unforgiving. Your eyes will hurt. But when that starts happening you know that you’re playing it right. This title was originally delayed because it failed epilepsy tests for god’s sake. The sheer speed and pace of the title is complemented by Studio Liverpool’s dedication to pushing the title to the immediate stretches of high definition and making the game perform flawlessly at 60fps. No lag, no jumping, no slow down, nothing. It’s a marvel and a joy to wiz around the track with so much going on without any issues. It’s such a thrill ride and it’s not for the faint hearted. It’s difficult and frustrating but you’ll never put it down. And there are some really tough but rewarding trophies in there to be found. Online play is similarly frantic. Though I think it would have been interesting if Studio Liverpool played around with the online element a little bit more. It’s a little tame by comparison to the single player and campaign modes. Split screen is a real joy here, surprising fun. This is great because people don’t play split screen as much as they used to. And it’s a great compliment to original PSN titles like Super Stardust, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, Pixel Junk Eden and Calling All Cars. They’ve got me playing the lost art of two player all over again.

All the classic Wipeout modes are included including a few of new ones. There’s 8 in all; Single Race, Tournament, Speed Lap, Time Trial, Zone mode, Eliminator, Zone Battle, and Detonator. Everything’s here people. Studio Liverpool has really just tested the water with want they can do with the PS3 and this is a great entry level start. Wipeout is a tried and tested franchise for Sony and its future is bright based on this offering. Pick it up on the PSN or in the shops and don’t expect to pay more than €25 for it. This is real value for money folks and you’ll enjoy every sense popping and retina melting moment of it.

[TGL SCORE 9/10]