WipEout HD is a great game despite its difficulty.
WipEout HD has been hyped for a long time now, and from the perspective of a first time WipEout-er (WipEoutee?)it surely delivers. The graphics are stunningly polished, the gameplay incredibly fast and intuitive, and the thrills sharp enough to keep you on the edge of your seat even while you're gritting your teeth. It is a truly good game that remains addictive even when it is punishingly difficult, and WipEout HD is such a game.
WipEout's graphics are simply the best on the PSN. The ship models are easily the most gorgeous part of the presentation in my opinion, showcasing almost as much detail as most CG renders. The environments look good too, and they fly by thanks to a nice sense of speed. One of the most impressive parts of the graphical presentation is the fact that WipEout runs in a silky smooth 60 frames per second at all times.
Throbbing techno music plays a large part in making WipEout HD what it is. The beats are strong enough to drive you forward, but not enough to distract you from the race at hand. I was honestly hoping for the Zone mode to sync up with the music a little more, but after the epilepsy tests failed this mode has been neutered a little. It's still a pretty hypnotic mishmash of bright color and sound, but I was hoping for the colors to be a little crazier still.
Arguably the most important part of any racing game is tight controls. WipEout makes the crafts control mostly spot on. I still find myself bashing into walls every now and then, but as I mentioned before I am a WipEout novice. I actually adapted quickly to the controls, as they are perfectly mapped on the PS3 controller and very intuitive to use.
As far as downloadable games go, you could do a lot worse than WipEout HD. Great graphics and sound, a sleek presentation, and solid gameplay round out a pretty lengthy racing game. Trophies add continued replay value (seriously, I dare you to get them all), all around making WipEout a great value for the money. So in conclusion, is WipEout HD worth adding to your collection? Most certainly.
Graphics: 9/10: Very sharp, even when compared to most full reatail games. The fact that this is PSN only, and less than a 1GB download, make the graphics all the more impressive.
Sound: 8/10: Driving techno that won't get stuck in your head.
Gameplay: 9/10: The controls are mapped very sensibly. Sixaxis options don't work very well though, especially for the harder races.
Entertainment: 8.75/10: This game could keep you glued to your seat despite the often high difficulty.
