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WipEout HD: How'd they do it?

Ryan Fulton — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:34:48 -0500

Now after playing WipEout HD you may ask yourself, how did they manage to keep the game running at a crisp 1080p with 60 fps? Well the answer isn't a demonic compact, nor is it wizardry of any sort. Ok maybe it's technical wizardry, but that's not really what I had in mind.

You see, rather than being rendered in true 1080p at all times, the game's engine uses a dynamic output that scales based upon how much the system can handle at any given point. After it pushes out the best resolution it can while keeping the game at 60fps the data is passed along to the PS3's hardware horizontal scaler to make up the difference, all the while maintaining the amazingly fast pace of the game.

Pretty neat, huh? Please hit the link to get a far more technical walkthrough of the process.

PlayStation Store Update: Best. Week. Ever.

Ryan Fulton — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:08:41 -0500

With this weeks PlayStation Store update Sony seems to have gone out of their way to provide gamers with far more content than anyone who has a job and doesnt suffer from insomnia can handle. Including several highly anticipated titles, this weeks PSN store update may just (but hopefully wont) prove to be the biggest week that the service will enjoy. Now, lets make with the mind-boggling, thumb-destroying list.

WipEout HD: After what seems like a metric eternity, SCE Studio Liverpool has unleashed their much awaited futuristic racing title for the appealing price point of $19.99.
Burnout Paradise: Not to be contented with one robust racing title on PSN this week, developer Criterion has turned their disc-based title into a fully featured PSN title that carries a $29.99 price tag.
Megaman 9: Capcom brings back Inafunes titular little blue manservant for another round of stealing skills from the various and sundry bosses that have co-opted the Brady Bunchs opening title. Get down with Rockman for the moderate price of $9.99. (Or just play the demo repeatedly and imagine the enemies being different for free. And your parents said that your imagination would get you nowhere)
GEON Emotions: Bliss, rage, envy or fear use the power of your 8 emotions to purchase and play the title that XBL has had for the last year and a month. You can get in on some GEON for $9.99.
Various Rock Band songs: Rock out like Geddy Lee and Neil Peart with Rushs Moving Pictures. There are a few other songs too, maybe youre into them. If youre at all interested in this sort of thing you likely already know the pricing.

There are also a few demos this week including NBA Live 09 and, on the complete opposite side of the spectrum, NBA 09. As one could likely guess there are some videos that have been posted as well; Resistance 2 and Tomb Raider Underworld top the list. Backgrounds and such also make an appearance along with a few PSP games that made the cut this week: Untold Legends and Puzzle Quest. In a shocker to literally no one, there are still no PS1 classics worth writing home about.

So thats this weeks PSN Store update. Please be delighted, and if you dont mind give us a yell about what youre picking up. Youll likely catch me on WipEout HD.

GB Review: Wipeout Pulse (PSP)

Shiva Stella — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:37:59 -0500

Though it's perhaps not the definitive Wipeout experience, Wipeout Pulse is definitely an improvement on its PSP predecessor in almost every way, offering online multiplayer, customizable music options, seven race types, and even the ability to design your own ship, limited though it may be. It starts slow, and you might be perturbed by the campaign mode now and then as well as a few graphical and acoustic slips, but on the whole it retains the franchise's almost zen-like quality during high-speed, weapons-intense races along with the same futuristic style that fans love.

Click here for an explanation of our review and scoring format.

Wipeout Pulse maintains the feel of the Wipeout universe complete with a futuristic presentation, plenty of techno beats, and fun high-speed races that completely defy a storyline or setting. The essential gameplay aspects of Pulse are strikingly similar to those of its predecessors; the player's objective still being to survive an onslaught of vicious attacks while en route to the finish line for a medal. No significant tweaking has been given to the standard single-race - if you spent more than five minutes with the PlayStation's Wipeout XL then you'll feel right at home, which is a boon for franchise veterans looking for the same thrills they encountered in previous Wipeout games. The dark side of Wipeout racing has also been left intact, with players still blasting each other with three-pronged missile attacks, bomb trails, and the infamous earthquake while nudging opponents into walls or soaring across chasms.

While Pulses basic gameplay aspects might have been overlooked, Sony still managed to differentiate Pulse from its Wipeout brethren by updating the franchises mode offerings. The traditional campaign mode for single-player features the usual seven base race teams vying for supremacy of 12 distinct tracks, with each anti-gravity vehicle sporting its own stats (speed, handling, thrust, etc) and now a loyalty bar that players fill each time they ride with a certain team; obtain enough loyalty points and the game rewards you with a bonus, though other than this free skin gift the bar serves no purpose. The campaign mode is much less linear than in past Wipeout games, though this admittedly comes with some caveats. The mode is split into sixteen sectors, each with four grids, while each grid contains anywhere from eight-sixteen blocks or "racing events" that are unlocked by completing an initial one or two events for that grid. A racing event may contain the usual single-race, zone (in which you fly through a track until you explode, attempting to hit a certain zone count), tournament (short series of single-races), or time trial or it could feature a head-to-head round, speed lap (in which you beat the single best lap time), or eliminator match.

The eliminator race type is a great addition to the series and has players racing to a kill-count instead of the finish line, and while the usual campaign eliminator round has a kill-count of 10, it is possible to up that to 25 for a gold in the game's racebox mode, which enables players to create their own instant matches or additional campaigns (other than that, though, it's practically useless). While the campaign mode is slightly different from what fans are used to, and therefore a bit refreshing, it does get annoying when you're forced to play through events you dislike just to open up the next single-race, zone, or eliminator match, as that amounts to a waste of time for those of us who'd rather race as opposed to perfecting our time trial records. Add to this the fact that the game starts off very slowly for the first four hours and you can accurately estimate the level of frustration you're in for.

The control scheme is carried over from Wipeout Pure and is still as simplistically designed and easy to grasp for newcomers, with D-pad/analog controls managing turning, L/R the left/right airbrakes, X acceleration, and square weapon usage. The absorb ability that allows you to replenish your vehicle's shield (life) is yet another carry-over, followed by the weapon/item (turbo) speed pads that should be recognized instantly by fans as they sport the same X-weapon and arrow-speed design elements, while track design contains the standard loops, tight corners, gaps, and tunnels that you'd expect from almost any racing game.

Sony's biggest sell-point for Pulse is that it features a multiplayer mode that meets Pure's ad-hoc offering and then bests it with online (infrastructure) play, but that's not by very much. The primary hitch is that there are few race customization options here, especially when compared to the almost pointless racebox mode. The only race types for infrastructure include single-race and tournament, which is a shame considering what fun it would be to slaughter opponents online during 25 laps of eliminator. The lack here is a huge missed opportunity and is highlighted by the other "customization options" for infrastructure, which include the ability to select from a handful of tracks and to turn weapons on/off. The attention that racebox received over infrastructure is mind-boggling. Another key issue is that there are very few people playing online, which is sad for a game that's been out for less than a month. Pulse's replay value, which could have been raised significantly by a decent infrastructure, takes another hit from the limited track offerings; the game boasts 12 unique tracks, and while it also utilizes a "black" and a "white" version of each for a touch of variety, that doesn't necessarily up the count to 24 as most of the variations come in race direction and the inclusion of "hidden" areas.

Though most of Pulse's presentation is on par with the rest of the series, showcasing a smooth framerate, mediocre visuals and race tracks heavy on the gray palette, there are some graphical and audio catches during explosions or when a lot of action is occurring on-screen at once, which appears to be more than the game can handle. Additionally there are some clipping issues when the player gets caught in an earthquake attack or lands on his vehicle's nose and has to wait patiently for the game to set him right-side up, after which hes probably lost the race. There's also not a lot of graphical flash except for weapons fire and the destruction of enemy ships, but while that's bearable it's a little more difficult to come to terms with the lag that rears its ugly head precisely as the player approaches a barrage of ships blasting each other into bits. Fortunately the lag is minimal during online play, and in fact its more common in offline races, but this might be because I've yet to play through an eight-person match.

Wipeout Pulse does contain one saving grace: its soundtrack customization. Pulse moves light-years beyond Pure in this area, as it enables gamers to include up to 30 of their own mp3s (depending on card size, of course) in the track list. This absolutely saves the game for those with low tolerance levels for electronica, as track offerings are less than inspiring and pale in comparison to song lists from previous installments. The ambient noises - the hovering of your anti-gravity craft, the thump and skid sounds as you dance near the edge of the track - are intact and functional for most of the gameplay, with the highlight being weapons fire, but there are a few audio catches during intense ship battles as noted above, as well as times when your ship will silently explode to poor background music.

Sony included two other incentives, a free skin editor available on wipeout-game.com and a photo mode, both equally unimpressive. The photo mode is an unnecessary trinket only accessible from the pause menu while the skin editor is plain and cumbersome; its much easier to just download skins from the site than to bother with the online editor. There are also several expansion packs available (or soon to be) for those craving new vehicles, skins, and tracks, but while they add some variety and replay value to Pulse, an expanded infrastructure mode would have made them a greater asset.

Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Studio Liverpool
Release: Feb 12, 2008
MSRP: $29.99
E10+

New Screenshots of WipeOut HD for PS3

Shiva Stella — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:40:00 -0600

PlayFrance has posted some new imagery of WipeOut HD for the PlayStation 3, which you can view at the link.

WipeOut HD contains a mixture of tracks, weapons, and vehicles from previous games in the franchise along with new trinkets, including a radar to let players know the location of enemy ships as well as a gauge that warns gamers when they're about to be blown to bits by an opponent. Handy, that.

The US release is still listed as TBA.

New Visuals for Wipeout Pulse on PSP

Shiva Stella — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:33:37 -0600

Sony has published some new screenshots of its Wipeout Pulse for the PlayStation Portable, and while that might not appear immediately intriguing all the images were taken with an in-game screenshot capture feature (photo mode) that'll enable players to snag their own shots and share them with friends.

Hit the link or the jump to view the imagery.

SCEE Announces WipeOut Pulse (EUP), First Imagery

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 15:27:00 -0500

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has announced that it's bringing WipeOut Pulse to the PSP this fall. The title is being developed by Studio Liverpool and "arrives with a full tank of innovation, bringing stylish new tracks, futuristic ships, high-tech weapons and an impressive 7 game modes to the high-octane speed, adrenaline-drenched, anti-gravity 800 kilometres per hour action youve come to expect from the series."

Here's the word from SCEE:

The wait for WipEout Pulse has been well worth it as Studio Liverpool has been hard at work developing a range of futuristic new features. There are 8 teams including the new EG-X outfit, while new weapons provide all sorts of devious ways to send rivals into a spin. Tracks now contain the brand new Mag-Strip feature which causes ships to become temporarily locked to the tracks surface. This feature offers a huge variety and dynamism in track design and adds incredible racing conditions such as loops, vertical drops and 90 degree angled sections.

Race head-to-head at eye-watering speeds on magnificently-rendered reversible tracks built into a variety of stunning landscapes. Create your own multiplayer events in Ad Hoc and Infrastructure modes and experience it all to the exhilarating beat of a thumping, fully-licensed soundtrack featuring the latest big names in dance music (full track-list to be announced). There is even the possibility to play your own mp3 files direct from your memory stick! Finally, a wealth of extra downloadable content will be made available at launch and post launch, including new tracks, ships and tunes to add to your racing soundtrack, and if youre really impressed with your skills- you can take a snapshot of your ship at any time using Photo Mode and post it online!

Key features:

Latest incarnation of the iconic, stylish and futuristic anti-gravity combat racer: an awesome follow-up to WipEout Pure on PSP
Upholds the brand heritage and refines all the best elements of the franchise to deliver an exhilarating racing experience loaded with hi-tech weapons, hi-octane speed and futuristic adrenaline-fuelled combat
7 diversified single player and multiplayer modes, including wireless multiplayer mode via Ad Hoc and Infrastructure Modes
Downloadable content available at launch and post-launch: new circuits, ships and music tracks
Pumping soundtrack licensed by a range of top artists including Mason, Loco Dice and Stanton Warriors
8 teams including the new EG-X team and 24 new exhilarating tracks
New Mag-Strip track feature: Allowing for a huge variety and dynamism in track design including loops, vertical drops and 90 degrees angled sections
Snap a photo of your ship at any time in Photo Mode and upload online to show the world

Naturally the game is a PSP exclusive and is only set to launch in Europe this September; Sony is remaining silent on the topic of a stateside release, but we'll keep you updated.

First images are included below.

Originally written by Shiva Stella

Delta Pack 2 Released For Wipeout Pure

Tim Grube — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 23:43:00 -0600

This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

Wipeout Pure is still an addicting game. Im glad Sony is still supporting the title by releasing new tracks and whatnot. Today, they sent over an email informing us that Delta Pack 2 is now available for download. . Now that Delta Pack 2 has been released, completing the Delta series, a Delta Tournament can be unlocked.

The Delta Tournament will provide a four track race including all the Delta League tracks (Iridia, Anulpha Pass, Koltiwa, Khara Descent). Have fun!

GH Review: Wipeout Pure (PSP)

Tim Grube — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 20:10:00 -0600

This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

Wipeout has been a hit or miss franchise ever since its PSone days (Only one on the Sega Saturn). Ive always enjoyed the series, but after the third one it started to go down hill. Sony and Studio Liverpool wanted to bring back the excitement for the launch of the PSP and overall Im impressed with the outcome.

One word can explain Wipeouts visuals gorgeous. This title has to be the best-looking PSP game as of yet. Id also come to say that it is the best-looking Wipeout title Ive ever seen, even topping the PS2s Wipeout Fusion. Studio Liverpool spent a lot of time trying to make its first Wipeout title on the PSP beautiful and they fully accomplished that. The shadows, the ships flying above, and the explosion impacts from the missiles that are fired from your ship are absolutely flawless.

Before you start a game, you must start a brand new profile that will allow you to pick a default tag name that it attaches your statistics too. This tag is three letters in which I picked, Tim. Very original, eh? Anyhow, once you complete a race you can go back to the main screen and check your score in the high score tables. After creating a profile, you can select the following modes to play in: Single Race, Tournament, Time Trial, Zone, and Free Play.

The modes are all linked into the high scores table. Single race allows the gamer to race against the opposition using the ship, track, and speed class of your choice. This option is mainly just a quick race if you want to not get involved with the tournament stuff. Time trial is another quickie that allows you to just time yourself on the track with no one around. Zone is a more interesting mode; as you speed through the track youll pass certain zone segments with a designated count (say, 1, 2, 3, etc). The count (and speed) rises the farther you go until your ship explodes. If you survive at a high zone (or count), you earn extras for the game. Free play is very basic and just allows you to play a track with no rules. As for the main enchilada, the tournament mode is pretty well-rounded. The gamer will have a chance to battle it out against several racers and the goal is to reach a higher position to earn higher points. The lesser your rank, the fewer points you receive at the end of the race. Although, you will get frustrated with the computer AI during several of the races, so just hang in there. This is fully explained in The Bad & the Ugly.

The ship selection is fairly ok. You can select from eight teams: AGS, Assegi, Auricom, Feiser, Harimau, Piranha, Qirex, and Triakis. Each teams ship has its own advantages like handling, thrust, top speed, and shield. Hopefully, Sony will release more vehicles for download when they begin offering their downloadable content package.

The games background music is backed by several electronic producers and DJs. You have talents such as Tiesto, Jay Tripwire, Stanton Warriors, Cold Storage, and Freq Nasty. A total of eight licensed songs appear in the soundtrack and will keep your energy filled from start to finish. The weapon explosions also push out some sound power that is clear and crisp. Not much announcing goes on in the race except during the start and if your health bar is a bit low. I wasnt too worried about that because your mind is set in this trance state while flying through the levels at an incredible rate of speed.

When I last played Wipeout Pure a few weeks ago in Washington DC, the games controls werent all too great. They lacked in response. Well, Studio Liverpool fixed the problem and the controls are very stable now. Very responsive and wont lead you into the wall unless you just suck at handling the ship. Overall, a big improvement from the last time I had my hands-on.

As a secondary backup to its killer single-player mode, you have the multiplayer area. Unfortunately, Studio Liverpool didnt include online play but only LAN play. So you will need to have your friend next to you with their own PSP to be able to play in multiplayer with them.

The major gripe to me in Wipeout Pure is the lack of multiplayer options. Gamers have the ability to play against one another if they are in the same area as you. Unlike NBA and Twisted Metal, you will not be able to play online with other people across the globe. Also, no downloadable content just yetbut it is expected very soon. No official date has been announced.

The computer AI is extremely difficult and if you dont make it in the top three, you will need to start the race over to be able to win an award to unlock the next challenge course. Its a bit frustrating knowing that youre in seventh place on the last lap and realizing that you will need to start the race over to once again get owned by the computer. If the computer AI was just a tad bit easier, things would be a lot more balanced.

Id almost go without saying this, but a drop of framerate on certain levels have come up that I have noticed. Although, it didnt hinder my ability to race, it did catch my eye making me wonder. Again, this isnt something to be alarmed about because it isnt a big issue when Ive only seen it a couple of times.

Overall, Wipeout Pure is pure satisfaction. You will not go wrong with purchasing this title on launch day. Even if you want to rent it, you will enjoy every aspect of the title. Although the multiplayer options is bit lacking you will still have several months of gameplay time in single-player mode. Sony has mentioned downloadable content, but only time will tell to see what those items will be. I guess they will be skins, tracks, and possibly extra vehicles. Sony did a fantastic job and this is a must-have title for PSP owners.

Very addicting and the tracks will keep you twisting and turning from start to end.

The best looking PSP title thus far. The environments are jaw-dropping.

Excellent soundtrack backed by popular electronic producers. Needs more though.

Single player mode will keep you busy for a bit. No online for multiplayer.

All you have is single player mode. Multiplayer will require a friend close-by.

GH Preview: Wipeout Pure (PSP)

Shiva Stella — Wed, 02 Mar 2005 05:20:58 -0600

This preview was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

Ive never been one for racing games, but when Wipeout XL released for the original PlayStation many years ago, I was immediately addicted. No longer was racing about modifying your cars, scheduling tune-ups, visiting the virtual garage, or running qualifying laps so you can start off the next round in first-place only to lose it twenty seconds in. The Wipeout series has always stressed its twist to racing, employing futuristic racing environments and sleek, super-speedy vehicles of death. The music wasnt so bad either, featuring the earliest bits of techno and becoming one of the first titles on the market to use modern, "real" music in its soundtrack. All in all, a difficult but gratifying and fast racer thats still one of my favorites.

So you can imagine my delight in hearing that another Wipeout title would be hitting the PlayStation 2, entitled Wipeout Fusion. Unfortunately the game suffered from a slow release and wasnt exactly met with enthusiasm. Indeed, it seemed as though Wipeout would become another dropped series, at least until we received word that Sonys Studio Liverpool was working on a PSP rendition for the handhelds launch. This new version, Wipeout Pure, seeks to reclaim the franchises top seller position by including an enhanced aspect for the series: multiplayer and portability.

Wipeout Pure will consist of five racing modes, including Single Race, Tournament, Free Play, Time Trial, and Zone Mode (for single-player only). Single Race and Time Trial are rather self-explanatory, but Tournament allows players to join a league and then compete against other leagues, Free Play is your basic "learn the course" mode, and finally Zone Mode utilizes custom-built tracks and constant ship acceleration for that extra thrill.

The game will feature 16 total tracks, with four from previous installments in the series and four especially tailored for the Zone Modes speed racing. As far as race classes go, the expected ones are present: Vector, Venom, Flash, Rapier, and the fastest class available, Phantom; each craft receives a rating between 1-5 for the following areas: thrust, speed, shield, and handling. Another racing class option involves tournament play, where gamers can opt to join a league from the available list: Feisar, AG Systems, Auricom, Qirex, Piranha, Assegai, and the new Triakis and Harimau. Each league has its own unique racecraft with specialized characteristics. Weapons will of course be included, ranging from missiles and rockets to mines, bombs, and of course the classic "quake" that literally shakes up the track. For the winners gold, silver, bronze trophies and unlockables abound, including downloadable content like new tracks, menu skins, and music.

If the single-player option has you burnt out you can always attempt some multiplayer action. Ad Hoc Mode allows two or more PSP units to hook up via Wi-Fi for local multiplayer gaming, and the mode supports up to eight racers. This is perhaps the least-known area of the title, but upon its release well see how well it was utilized.

For the presentation-oriented, youll be pleased to hear that Wipeout Pures soundtrack is receiving yet again the modern techno twist, featuring roughly 20 songs that can be played randomly or in a selected order. Thankfully players will be able to deselect songs from the playlist if any particular ones displease. The visuals themselves seem very nice, with weather effects like rain and snow included. Each track receives its own unique design (or in some cases, re-design) and it comes as no surprise that the racecraft are all stylishly designed too. As for the framerate, so far there have been no negative reports of the game not keeping up with players, and thats the safest cue that Wipeout Pure is an astonishing racing title for the PSP.

It remains to be seen how the handling a racing titles most important aspect functions, or how updated the visuals will be, but if the gameplay is modern enough then Wipeout Pure will be one of the more interesting titles at the PSPs launch. Well be sure to keep you updated on this futuristic racer as March 24 draws nearer. Until then, be sure to visit our gamepages to stay updated on all of the PSPs offerings.