Zone racing perfection.
By Yak

First off let me admit that I have been a Wipeout fan since day one. F-Zero on the SNES got me into futuristic racers, and when the original Wipeout came out on the PS1 I loved it to bits and played it to death. Since then each new outing of the series has been eagerly awaited and snapped up on release day by me. I'm pretty much in line with the majority of Wipeout fans in that I was a little disappointed with the game's PS2 version, which just didn't have the same hook as the PS1 versions - for me the best version has always been Wipeout 2097/XL. So I awaited the launch of Wipeout Pure with a mixture of keen anticipation and a degree of trepidation. Would it continue to go further off the boil, or would the team find a return to form?

Wipeout Pure. Pure adrenaline or pure shit?

Graphically Pure is stunning. The interface is smooth and stylish (even more so, in my opinion, if you change from the default skin to the "Hacker" alternative skin provided). Load times are tolerable (although I still can't quite get used to having loading times on a handheld) and when you see the track for the first time you will be amazed at what’s coming out of such a tiny handheld device . The tracks are full of colour and detail and lovely alpha effects... neons glow, light flares wonderfully as you speed out of a tunnel, translucent plasma trails follow the ships. One of my favourite touches is the smoke that covers the track when a weapon detonates - it's opaque and temporarily obscures the track in a sphincter-tighteningly realistic way.

Wipeout! It might have nothing to do with high-speed racing. But
it’s sphincter-tighteningly funny.

There are three distinct graphical styles to the tracks - the main in-game tracks are more "realistic" in style, but it is possible to unlock "Classic" tracks. These are re-creations of tracks from previous Wipeout games - but rendered as "simulations", in a very “Tron” style, which looks fantastic. Even the weapons effects and explosions go all "old-skool" on the Classic tracks - a really nice touch.

Then there's "Zone" mode, one of the best features from the PS2 version, which I am very glad they brought across to Pure. Again, the Zone tracks are rendered in an abstract style - this time everything looks white and crystalline and pure... appropriately, as Zone is a bit of a Zen treat. No enemies, no weapons, just you and that crystalline track... and a bunch of boost pads. Oh, and no brakes. You can't slow down. The idea being simply to hang in there as long as you can as your craft gets faster and faster until you're screaming along at terrifying speeds. It's an exhilarating experience and really does take you into the Zone.

There’s nothing quite like the sheer thrill of being
in the Zone.

Audio is excellent, with a goodly roster of quality electronica, as we've come to expect from Wipeout games. I don't think it's quite up there with the awesome tracklist from 2097/XL but it's still plenty tasty. You'll be wanting to put on some headphones or plug your PSP into the stereo to hear it properly mind - the PSP’s internal speakers don't do it any justice at all. The in-game effects suit the action well - I particularly like the Doppler-shifting bleeping of mines left floating on the track.

It is clear that the team *have* returned to form - the gameplay is much more pure and oldskool than in Wipeout Fusion on the ps2, and harks back to the glory days of 2097. It's challenging - no breezing round tracks and unlocking everything after only a go or two like in Ridge Racers, for this you need proper Wipeout discipline - you'll have to spend time putting in the practice and learning how best to fly each track. You'll also need to try the other ships too if you want to take gold in every section of the game. Progress is achieved by winning tournaments in each class, and also by winning gold medals in tournaments, individual races, in the Zone and in time trials.

A purple glow like that would tend to suggest some kind of weaponry. Unfortunately on this occasion, it would appear to be someone else’s up your arse.

The game is pretty weapon-heavy - not to everyone's taste, but it's not so weapon-centric as to obviate the need to race well too; I think it's a good balance. The only weapon I dislike intensely is the disruption bolt - most of the time being hit with one is fair and can even be quite cool with some of the visual distortion that occurs, but every now and again you'll get one which simply reverses the controls. And if that happens when you're in an insanely fast battle with the other racers you'll suddenly find yourself pointing the wrong way. And swearing. Lots. Luckily that weapon is rare so you won't get *too* pissed off with it, but I'd rather it not be in there at all - it can ruin a race in one go and isn't really necessary. But that’s a minor quibble.

One thing which is exceptionally cool about the game is that it features downloadable content, and before too long you'll be able to download extra ships and tracks to extend the lifetime of the game. I've been fortunate enough to have a preview of some of the downloadable tracks and they are stunning, as good if not better than the ones provided with the game by default.

Don’t accuse Yak of having tunnel vision – he just knows a good game when he plays one.

There’s also the potentially superb 8-player wireless racing mode - something I haven't had a chance to use myself yet. PSP owners are few and far between in the Welsh zone of launch-blighted Europe, but I am greatly looking forward to trying it out next time I get together with a few fellow early-adopters.

In all an excellent game by any standards, and worthy of a system purchase specifically to play it if you're a Wipeout fan to begin with. Team Liverpool are to be respected for having listened to criticism of Wipeout Fusion on the PS2 and have done their utmost to please fans this time round. In my opinion they have succeeded admirably, and Pure has earned its place as the game which spends the most time sitting in my UMD drive.

May 2005

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