What was the first thing I did after pledging allegiance to the PS3? I went to the PSN store and downloaded Wipeout HD. The metacritic score on this game is pretty high, 1UP gave it 100 and IGN gave it 90. I've been salivating for months over Wipeout's arrival, so the minute it appeared on PSN, I was playing it within an hour.
My immediate impression after looking at the first track was: Wow, my HDTV has never looked this good before! I don't even have a 1080p TV and this game looks better than any other game I've played to date on either the PS3 or the XBox 360. The screens are crystal sharp and the tracks pulsate with vibrant color. At the end of the race, you can go into Photo mode (which is how I took the screenshot above) and explore every little facet of the track.
I'm a big Wipeout fan, having played Wipeout Fusion for the PS2 and Wipeout Pure on the PSP. A lot of the tracks in Wipeout HD are taken from the PSP editions, but they look so fresh with the updated graphics, I didn't mind at all. The vehicles in HD have the same mechanics as they did in the past, with one exception: you have to hold down the circle button when you fly over a weapon icon to grab the weapon. I did not do that at all in Pure, whether you had to or not in Fusion, I don't recall. It makes things a bit more difficult, as I don't want to take my finger off the X (speed) button for a second, so I sort of mash X-O together at the same time. The AI in Wipeout HD is much more formidable on HD (versus Pure), even at the lowest Novice setting. The AI vehicles really use their weapons to slow you down, and their driving skill around the track is awesome. There's a Pilot Assist feature in the options which you can turn on to avoid crashing into walls. I resisted this at first, thinking that I was expert enough, but then I realized to compete against the AI, I really did need it. Yeah, I'm a wimp!
The tough AI in Wipeout HD is more of a plus, as it really challenges you to learn the nuances of each track and pick the right vehicle for the race event (time trial, speed lap, race, circuit, etc). It certainly makes the game more addicting and adds replay value.
If you're into futuristic racing and you have a Playstation 3, this game is a must-buy. Nuff said.
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