Version needed: 1.00
Players: 1-8
Wi-Fi Compatible: Ad Hoc (downloadable content using Infrastructure mode)
As one of the first racing games for the PSP, Wipeout Pure stands out above the rest because of its futuristic appearance and originality. For those that are new to the series, Wipeout Pure is about being the first to the finish line while blowing up the opposition if they try to get in your way.
Everything about the game looks futuristic; the menu screens, the locations, even the techno music adds to the feeling of being in a highly advanced world. All the vehicles have given an ultramodern appearance and have a slim design to complement the slender width of the racetracks, which makes each race more of a challenge. Once you’ve earned a few gold medals and unlocked a few tracks you’ll notice an increase in difficulty, as later tracks have more twists and turns and takes real skill to manoeuvre your ship effectively.
Time trials is a great place for gamers that are new to the Wipeout series to start at because, using your ghost vehicle from your previous laps, you can compete against yourself to become better. After a few laps, you can feel your speed and handling beginning to improve and with a bit of practice, you’ll know when the best time is to use speed boosts.
Studio Liverpool has taken advantage of every feature of the PSP. Multiplayer sees the use of the wi-fi feature of the PSP, which means you can link up to eight PSP’s and race against your friends. This brings diversity into the game, as you’ll have the opportunity to race against a wide range of opponent levels. The zone levels are arguably the best part of the game. Zone works like an endurance test; you try and pass through each zone without crashing to score points. They have their own tracks instead of the ones used in single race and tournament mode. As you progress in the zone your ship’s speed becomes faster, and it becomes increasingly difficult to manoeuvre around the twists and tight corners. This is very challenging and takes a lot of practise, but after seeing your ship explode several times you might finally manage to achieve that gold medal you’re aiming for.
During first class, you can travel up to speeds of around 300 km/h. On paper this sounds as though the track might start to look a bit blurred, but while playing it feels like the average speed of an ordinary car game; it isn’t really that impressive. Because of this, you should be able to fly through first class and advance to second class where it really starts to pick up.
There is no downloadable content as of yet but Studio Liverpool has said that there will be new tracks, music and vehicles to look forward to. Being able to download these features will cover the shortage of hovercrafts, as there are only eight to choose from, and the choice of music available is quite small; after you’ve raced a few times, you’ve heard them all, but these downloadable features have been promised so there isn’t really anything to complain about.
There are five single player modes, four multiplayer modes and a whole load of gold medals to collect, which should be enough to keep you going; its wireless multiplayer and its downloading facilities should also give the game a much longer shelf life.
With its futuristic visuals, it makes you think ‘this is what the future of handheld gaming is all about’. Wipeout Pure is a very original game and makes a great impact as a launch title.
Overall: 93%
Posted on 10/10/06 by Steph
Linear Mode
