By Michael Pugliese - February 27th, 2008
Developed by Sony Studio Liverpool and published by SCE for PSP.
One of the games I brought home with my sparkling new PSP system back in 2005 was
WipEout Pure, the newest entry at the time to a highly-regarded series I had never played. It turns out that as an introduction to both the series and new handheld, I couldn’t have chosen a better title. It sported fantastic visuals, an awesome soundtrack, and great pick-up-and-play gaming that I kept going back to long after its release. Fast-forward to 2008 and a new
WipEout game,
WipEout Pulse. After many hours of playing this new installment I was happy to find some fantastic visuals, another awesome soundtrack, and most importantly great pick-up-and-play gaming that keeps me going back.
I am continuously surprised at the graphics that talented development teams like Studio Liverpool can squeeze out of Sony’s handheld. Everything about WipEout Pulse is stylish. From the menus to the vehicles and tracks, things are clean and crisp. Bright colours bring the 12 different tracks to life and really look as I imagine race tracks in 2207 may very well look like. What really is astonishing is the sense of speed portrayed during each one of the races, even in the slower speed classes. WipEout Pulse is definitely a title to be used for showcasing the PSP’s graphical prowess.
Accompanying the pretty pixels that move so quickly across the screen during each race, the soundtrack shines as another of Pulse’s high-points. Featuring bass-heavy techno, break beat, and house tracks from artists such as Aphex Twin, Loco Dice, Stanton Warriors, and Kraftwerk, the music perfectly sets the tone for the fast-paced futuristic action happening on screen.
The racetracks themselves are designed with only speed in mind, and speed is definitely a difficult thing to control at times. This isn’t a bad thing mind you, but some tracks will require a few attempts to make it through alive, let alone in a qualifying position. Controlling the ships through the many hairpin turns scattered throughout each level can be a daunting task, and often requires the player to memorize these trouble spots to make it through unscathed. I often found myself repeating a race once or twice before learning the track well enough to place well.
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