TGS 2007 WipEout HD: Hands-on

Sharp, slick and running in 1080p. But how does it play?

Once the racing apple of Sony's eye, the WipEout series has most recently found solace on the PSP with a couple versions of the seminal hover-racer making their way to the platform (if you include Pulse, coming in Fall). However, WipEout HD is the first proper console version the PS3 has seen, and it's a strong case for why the PSP's nub will just never be as appropriate for racing as the Sixaxis' proper sticks.

The first thing that struck us were the liquid-smooth visuals. WipEout HD is running in full HD - hence the moniker; that is, 1080p and it is almost flawless and thankfully anti-aliased. We say 'almost' because there are still a few graphical quirks that need sorting out before the game's release down the track. We'll delve into that momentarily.

More importantly, how does WipEout HD play? The simple answer is, almost identically. This is because all of the tracks in the game, including the two playable ones at the show, were taken directly from the PSP version and all five games in the series. This may or may not be a deal-breaker for some of you, since there's not really a whole lot gameplay-wise that'll come as a revelation to you if you've invested some time in WipEout through the ages.

That said, the steering now feels distinctly more forgiving, thanks to the analogue sticks. With careful braking and a good sense of physics, it's no mean feat to start nailing the opposition out of the gate on your first or second run through. There are a couple new additions to the gameplay to help sway your purchasing decision toward the affirmative - Mag Strips will lock your vehicle onto a clean racing path, new hazards, walls and objects can be activated to mix things up a bit, and Sixaxis controls have also been implemented for those with a taste for pain. There are also seven play modes and three difficulty levels.

The ever-critical multiplayer element is perhaps where the real pot o' gold lies. Thanks to the PSN, up to 8 players can compete in single races, tournaments, elimination and team races with a lot of stat tracking and the promise of plenty of DLC in the future. The game also features a degree of customisation, but we haven't experimented with this as yet. Stay tuned.

When doing a tight turn with your airbrakes, assigned to L2 and R2, there was a fair bit of screen-tearing at times. It's a small irritation, but hopefully it'll be sorted eventually. Elsewere, while the game runs like a block of butter on a hot skillet, the trade-off is that the environments and trackside details and architecture are fairly minimal. Of course, it's debatable how much attention you're really going to be paying to the background and textural details when you're blitzing the turns and firing off homing missiles like a madman.

Beyond this, the menu interface is classic (read: quirky) WipEout all the way, playing off interlocked, geometric 2D honeycomb shapes. The soundtrack also doesn't stray far from its electronica roots, but we're not sure if there are licensed tracks this time around. The game will also support full 5.1 audio, too.

While no release date has been set, Sony has promised the game will make its way to the PSN before the end of 2007. The game is looking dandy right now and we can't wait for a more extensive hands-on soon.

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WipEout HD Release TBA