WipEout Pure Review (no fat)

Game Description

Just as the other WipEout games your objective is to race and win at any cost. Along the way, you might decide to avoid or destroy your opponents. Master your skills at high speed in 16 tracks with different ships and numerous weapons to blow up the opposition or even yourself. Wipeout Pure is a combination of all WipEout games released earlier and its apparent purpose seems to be bringing back the fan base the game once enjoyed.

WipEout Pure Gameplay

A major difference between Pure and the earlier WipEout games is the fact that there is no longer pit area to recharge your shield. Now you have the ability to absorb your weapon, diverting its power to the shield. This is a useful add-on especially when the race gets tough.

The single player modes in WipEout Pure are the classic time trials, story mode and others that are usual to the series. The story mode gets interesting, challenging and alternately a little boring, depending on the race. There is also a new four-track “Zone” mode. Here you will go solo around a track as your speed automatically increases as you try to survive; an endurance trial.

WipEout Pure Multiplayer Gameplay

Thankfully, the multiplayer game doesn’t have to be unlocked, so you can set up a wireless network immediately: just host a game or join a game to start the madness. As always, multiplayer gameplay can burn fun-filled hours with friends with perfect ease.

WipEout Pure Controls

Wipeout Pure handles beautifully. It doesn’t matter if you use the analog stick or the D-Pad to steer as you get used to it quickly and master it soon. A new feature in controls is the appearance of a “sidestep” maneuver. You tap “air break” in quick succession and your ship strafes to the side. It’s a great way to avoid last minute dangers like a rear missile that was launched dangerously close.

WipEout Pure Audio

Most of the sound present in WipEout Pure is new. However, the game is not completely pure in terms of new sound effects. Sound effects sound menacing and powerful, just as they should. You can even hear a robotic voice announcing weapons that have been deployed during the race giving you the sense of an AI onboard your ship. Although the sounds are good, the effects lack quality on the whole.

If its any consolation, the music makes up for the loss pretty well. The soundtrack features a combination of rock and techno that adds up to the feeling of the game perfectly, creating a futuristic effect. You can hear a lot of drum’n’bass, break beat from artists that aren’t really known by many people. There are 19 tracks present in the game. None of them stands out much but the overall mood of the game is catered to quite fittingly.

WipEout Pure Graphics

The game borrows elements from previous titles but even those are “upgraded”, so to say. This is by far the best looking WipEout game in the series. You can see an incredible panorama around the tracks that almost distracts you from the game. For instance, there is a tourist mode where you can just cruise around watching the sunset. The graphics are breathtaking. Never before had there been such effort put into ensuring the feeling that the track is a part of a city and the action takes place right in the heat of it. You can see ships flying above and groups of fans cheering as you pass by, settings in forests or even in the middle of clouds on a stage of the game. The four classic tracks in the game have been given new makeup to ensure that they not only fit well with WipEout Pure but also retain their nostalgic value.

WipEout Pure also presents incredible visual effects like the bloom techniques, which seems impossible for a handheld system. Lighting effects are present all through the game giving life to the images.

The weapons also fall under the category of improved and improvised arsenal. In fact they turn out far better than in any other game in the series. The problem occurs during some of the more exciting moments in the race; when there are a lot of details and effects going on at the same time, the frame rate is a bit unstable.

WipEout Pure- Final Thoughts

Wipeout Pure stands out in the PSP industry as one of the best games. The graphics are great, audio effects and soundtrack are spot on, gameplay is captivating and wi-fi action provides replay value. Perhaps the very best in the WipEout series so far, WipEout Pure is an addictive game… watch out.

WipEout Pure Cost

Wipeout Pure currently retails for $39.95.