Wipeout Pure

As a huge fan of the original WipeOut games, I was somewhat disappointed with Wipeout 3. I enjoyed it when I first got it, but much like other fans, my thoughts always came back to a basic problem. Why did they change a good formula? Well, with the release of the PSP, my prayers were answered, and I've got my good old Wipeout game back. Revamped for the new portable system, this game goes back to the old gameplay style that I knew and loved, while keeping some of the production design elements that made the later Wipeout games so appealing.

Ah, gameplay, what a beautiful word. And in this game, it's simple, but fun. You've got a high speed anti-grav racing game that lets you pilot an advanced craft around a futuristic racing track, all the while with electronic and trance music playing in the background. Aside from being a basic flat out race, you can also mix it up a little with the various powerups scattered around the track.

They can do anything from disrupt your opponents steering to blow him up to give you an autopilot that guides you through the track automatically for a few seconds. If you get damaged, you can burn the powerup you're carrying to repair your ship. With several tournaments, and a zone mode that puts you in a race of ever increasing speed that doesn't end until you blow up. This game absolutely rocks, with a significant exception being the relative shortness of each track. There is only one major complaint I can make, and that's to mood and feel.

In the race, if you hit a wall right, or take a turn in a certain way, you can completely kill your forward movement. Personally, I don't like it, as it takes my high speed good time and promptly applies the brakes. But still, it doesn't happen often, and doesn't impact gameplay that much.

Visually much like every other PSP game, this title looks hot. It's well done, and the tracks are varied and beautiful, yet not so captivating that they distract you. On the audio side, this game doesn't have anything on Lumines, but it's still good to lisen to. Final Verdict? Great game, a solid launch title that resurrects one of my personal old favorites.