POSTED 24/2/12


WIPEOUT 2048

Sony

Oh pointy racer, pointy pointy. Outpoint our foes, outpointy-pointy...

We still remember firing up Wipeout for the first time on the original PlayStation and being transported into wow-ee shoom-shoom nirvana. There was something about its combination of hardcore racing, slick graphics and ‘bangin’ choons’ that just gelled. Compared to this Vita launch remix, admittedly many years on, that original Wipeout was poo.

All the core aceness remains. Race that way really fast, if something gets in your way turn – be it with the analogue stick or via airbrakes if the situation’s a bit more necessitous. Collect power-ups both defensive and offensive (they smell funky), deploy them as damageously as possible, win the race/time trial/combat and then gloat, all accompanied by a relentless doof-infused soundtrack boasting the likes of the Chemical Brothers, Deadmau5, FSOL, Orbital, The Prodge, Underworld and Kraftwerk. Yep, those wacky German pioneering electropop funsters Kraftwerk, who are the operators of their pocket calculators.

There’s a substantial solo campaign on offer, plus various online options as well. Probably the most ‘look at moi!’ feature though is the cross-platform crosspollination thing that allows Vita players to race against PS3 Wipeout HD owners. Noice!

On the downside, load times border on ludicrous, whilst attempts at utilising Vita’s whizz-bang controls like motion sensing and the touchy-feely screen are failtacular when compared to classic stick wiggling with button stabbingness.

Proving the analogy, “Wheels? Where we’re going we don’t need wheels”, which didn’t exist until we just typed it but obviously owes somewhat of a debt to some old doctor or other, Wipeout 2048 delivers near-perfect and incredibly exciting racing via vehicles that float in space. So what if they’re not cars? This is the future, people, plus they’re speedier than a box full of Concordes and almost as pointy pointy. Get this!

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