Mind Wipe
WipEout HD is so very, very close. We go hands-on with a near-final version to give you the nerdgasm.
Published: September 12, 2008
It's entirely possible that no game in the history of video games has given fans the kind of blue balls that WipEout HD has. Announced, given a release date, then delayed again and again, the game has actually become the equivalent of vaporware for certain parts of the internet, relegated to jokes akin to Duke Nukem Forever -- a game that's supposedly coming yet nobody has seen anything of it.
We're here to tell you, right here, right now, that WipEout HD is coming. It's real, it'll arrive on the PlayStation Store in the next few weeks and we've played the hell out of all the modes now, including the WipEout Pulse-style grid-based progression system, tore around the game's eight tracks pulled from both Pulse and the original PSP WipEout game WipEout Pure. We've unlocked Trophies, we've raced online against other players. It's fast, it's gorgeous, and it's coming oh so soon.
Ordinarily, we'd just refer you to our previous coverage of the game to discuss some of the basics, but seeing as we haven't actually written a preview of WipEout HD (we know, it's confusing to us too), we'll dig into things a little. If you've read about this stuff, bear with us; there may still be a few facts that you haven't heard about yet.
WipEout HD is, well, WipEout in HD. Trite though the description may be, it's entirely accurate. The very same tight controls and ridiculous speed found in the last two PSP games have been merged to create something like a best-of edition, culling the best parts of each of the games into a stopgap solution for those starved for WipEout's particular brand of anti-grav racing. The PS3 version, beyond getting the kind of 1080p/60fps upgrades that one would hope for a game going from PSP to PS3, is getting a few other improvements. The HUD offers a few different versions, including a 3D-ish one. Despite being a downloadable title, WipEout HD is actually being treated as a full game, which means, yes, a Platinum Trophy for those crazy enough to earn all the other Trophies (and believe us, it's not going to be easy).
The build that we played wasn't all that different from past experiences. The only real difference that we noticed was that the HUD had changed ever so slightly to accommodate the numerical values of what a power-up would give if banked to restore shield energy or unleashed as an attack. It's situated at the top of the screen on either side of the readout that displays what kind of weapon picked up and shield energy. Handy, to be sure, but WipEout HD is packed with stuff to let users get, at a glance, as much info as possible.
It's also easier on newcomers. Pulse's attention to the pitch of the craft in coming off jumps is intact, but there's been another addition: a driving aid that keeps players off walls. It's obviously something that will have to be disabled to get the full experience, but after watching new players carom off walls until they exploded enough times, this will likely be a welcome addition to those trying to see what all the hype is about.
That hype has been built off the back of the core game, which hasn't really changed since the first game: drive (or, uh, fly? Hover?) as fast as possible, fire off weapons whenever you can hit something (or bank them to keep from blowing up), and cross the finish line first. It's far, far more difficult than it would seem -- especially on the faster speed classes -- but with the new aids and a slow, deliberate progression through the game's time trial, speed lap, zone and combat modes, things are quite a bit more newbie-friendly than they were in games past. That's a good thing -- especially because everything is now playable online the second you start it up.
Online play was one of the few areas we hadn't really been able to experience, but at a recent event here in the city, we finally got a chance to square off against seven other journo buddies in a friendly little game of "blow the other guy up first." Now remember, the idea is to finish first, of course, but WipEout HD does indeed support Trophies, some of which are online-only goals. It just so happens that blowing a couple of guys up in a race will net you a shiny virtual award too.
Playing against a bunch of other folks online worked exactly as you'd expect; join (or host a race), ready up and then wait for the clock to tick down and the game to start. It was smooth, lag-free (except for some issues that popped up at the venue in getting that many PS3s online) and played just like the game did offline, which is to say it was fast, rewarded quick steering and memorization of tracks and gave us a warm, fuzzy feeling when we managed to scream around a track without hitting a wall -- and zoomed into first place in the process.
There's really not much more we can say about the game at this point. It's all but done, runs beautifully and breathes new life into the accomplished Formula One Championship Editon engine. Take a gander at all the screens and movies we've kicked up and we'll have a full review of things in just a few weeks.
We're here to tell you, right here, right now, that WipEout HD is coming. It's real, it'll arrive on the PlayStation Store in the next few weeks and we've played the hell out of all the modes now, including the WipEout Pulse-style grid-based progression system, tore around the game's eight tracks pulled from both Pulse and the original PSP WipEout game WipEout Pure. We've unlocked Trophies, we've raced online against other players. It's fast, it's gorgeous, and it's coming oh so soon.
Ordinarily, we'd just refer you to our previous coverage of the game to discuss some of the basics, but seeing as we haven't actually written a preview of WipEout HD (we know, it's confusing to us too), we'll dig into things a little. If you've read about this stuff, bear with us; there may still be a few facts that you haven't heard about yet.
WipEout HD is, well, WipEout in HD. Trite though the description may be, it's entirely accurate. The very same tight controls and ridiculous speed found in the last two PSP games have been merged to create something like a best-of edition, culling the best parts of each of the games into a stopgap solution for those starved for WipEout's particular brand of anti-grav racing. The PS3 version, beyond getting the kind of 1080p/60fps upgrades that one would hope for a game going from PSP to PS3, is getting a few other improvements. The HUD offers a few different versions, including a 3D-ish one. Despite being a downloadable title, WipEout HD is actually being treated as a full game, which means, yes, a Platinum Trophy for those crazy enough to earn all the other Trophies (and believe us, it's not going to be easy).
The build that we played wasn't all that different from past experiences. The only real difference that we noticed was that the HUD had changed ever so slightly to accommodate the numerical values of what a power-up would give if banked to restore shield energy or unleashed as an attack. It's situated at the top of the screen on either side of the readout that displays what kind of weapon picked up and shield energy. Handy, to be sure, but WipEout HD is packed with stuff to let users get, at a glance, as much info as possible.
It's also easier on newcomers. Pulse's attention to the pitch of the craft in coming off jumps is intact, but there's been another addition: a driving aid that keeps players off walls. It's obviously something that will have to be disabled to get the full experience, but after watching new players carom off walls until they exploded enough times, this will likely be a welcome addition to those trying to see what all the hype is about.
That hype has been built off the back of the core game, which hasn't really changed since the first game: drive (or, uh, fly? Hover?) as fast as possible, fire off weapons whenever you can hit something (or bank them to keep from blowing up), and cross the finish line first. It's far, far more difficult than it would seem -- especially on the faster speed classes -- but with the new aids and a slow, deliberate progression through the game's time trial, speed lap, zone and combat modes, things are quite a bit more newbie-friendly than they were in games past. That's a good thing -- especially because everything is now playable online the second you start it up.
Online play was one of the few areas we hadn't really been able to experience, but at a recent event here in the city, we finally got a chance to square off against seven other journo buddies in a friendly little game of "blow the other guy up first." Now remember, the idea is to finish first, of course, but WipEout HD does indeed support Trophies, some of which are online-only goals. It just so happens that blowing a couple of guys up in a race will net you a shiny virtual award too.
Playing against a bunch of other folks online worked exactly as you'd expect; join (or host a race), ready up and then wait for the clock to tick down and the game to start. It was smooth, lag-free (except for some issues that popped up at the venue in getting that many PS3s online) and played just like the game did offline, which is to say it was fast, rewarded quick steering and memorization of tracks and gave us a warm, fuzzy feeling when we managed to scream around a track without hitting a wall -- and zoomed into first place in the process.
There's really not much more we can say about the game at this point. It's all but done, runs beautifully and breathes new life into the accomplished Formula One Championship Editon engine. Take a gander at all the screens and movies we've kicked up and we'll have a full review of things in just a few weeks.
