Published by: SCEA
Developed by: Studio Liverpool
Score: 85

Wipeout Pulse came out earlier this month on the PSP only to realize that it would be going up against Sony’s first party juggernaut, God of War. It’s sad actually, because this is actually a good racing game for the PSP. And Sony needs the games especially since the DS has nothing of real importance coming out or on the horizon at the moment.

Wipeout Pure launched alongside the PSP in 2005 with some pretty decent reviews placing itself amongst the top 3 games with Lumines and Ridge Racer. Pure brought some excellent graphics which truly showed off what the PSP could do and with the high speed at which the game plays it was even more critical that this aspect be shown off. With a variety of features and developer support Pure had a good run, so now Wipeout Pulse takes over and I can safely say that it picks up the baton as the premier racer on the PSP and in fact improves upon its predecessor.

Pulse uses a grid system as the primary single player now. In essence the grid consists of 10 events which will vary from zone, time trials, single races, to tournaments. This system actually works a little bit better because you actually get a feel for each track rather, learning where certain speed and weapon pads are. The time trials will allow you to work out a decent plan for the races with you only having to account for handling other racers. There is time trial and speed laps which are basically your typical “race around a track as fast as you can” events. Zone returns once again and is still sets the tone for high speed in Pulse. For those who never tried it, Zone allows you to choose your craft (all have the same stats) and you are placed into an all single colored version of a track. The idea is to keep going around the track as many times as you can. Sound easy right? Not really. As you keep going, the speed increases, and soon, speed pads become your enemy as you’ll reach speeds up to 700 km/hr and by then hairpin turns become damn near impossible to make without hitting something. And at high speeds, any collision starts taking off huge chunks of your ship’s shield. In essence it becomes a survival mode…and it’s great.

There is quite a selection of crafts to choose from, they are separated into different teams who can associate with. The more you win or complete events using a particular team, the more loyalty points you get. These in turn can be used to unlock skins and other items. Rather than you competing in various events to gain these items like in previous Wipeouts, it’s strictly controlled this time around by the loyalty system. So, if you like testing out different crafts, then it sort of feels stifling because you really can’t get everything without settling down.

The difficulty can get a little intense especially after a few grids. Eventually the speed starts taking a toll on you and even making a slight mistake can sometimes warrant restarting the race. And with most racing games that feature some sort of tournament, there seems to be a static situation with the placings. What do I mean? Well, it seems that top 3-4 finishers never dip down below those places. It just feels odd that you can screw up terribly and finish in 8th place whereas your “rivals” never will. The system operates on the gold, silver, bronze award system like most racers, though it never requires you to get all gold in everything or to even finish every event on a grid, it still felt a little awkward to move on not exactly performing at my best in “easier” grids. Of course you may feel differently and want to get to the high speed classes like Rapier or Phantom and blaze on though, it’s really a matter of opinion.

If there is one feature that I love about Pulse, it’s the online mode and readily available downloadable content. For the infrastructure online mode, once you have your PSN name and password, you’re good to go. Races consist of up to 8 players in tournament or single race modes. From the times I was able to get a real game going it was a satisfying experience, with virtually no lag. Now, you may be asking, “able to get a real game going?” Okay, here’s the problem, there isn’t a huge population playing the game. Whenever I played the game, the other three people in the match were usually the only other 3 people playing the game at around 4PM in the US. This isn’t actually the game’s fault or the developer’s, but it’s actually disappointing because I did want to test my skill against more people instead of the one guy who sucks and the one guy who wins the race and goes to make a sandwich while I’m still finishing the first lap. Downloadable content was a major factor of Pure that gave it some extra replay value and Pulse isn’t any different. At the time of this writing, the game has already been out in Europe and has already received some downloadable content. The only difference this time around is that you’re going to have to pony up some cash first before Sony will give you the goods. However, if the support is strong enough and continues just like Pure, then you might not be as resistant to the sacrifice.

Pulse is definitely beautiful, though you may never notice. Like F-Zero, the Wipeout series is in a genre which requires even more concentration than the typical racer. When going over 500km/hr, it’s hard to take in the lights and sights of the futuristic locales, and it becomes even less noticed when you’re trying to evade missiles, mines and other hazards. Nonetheless, the PSP is used well by Pulse. Everything looks slick and well polished and animated. At times, however, the frame rate can drop especially when opponents in the same area are deploying particle heavy weapons such as plasma or shockwave. It doesn’t take too much away and it’s fairly brief, but it can be a little distracting when it’s down to the wire.

Techno music is still the source of the Wipeout series’ soundtrack. The music does go alongside with the presentation, but doesn’t seem as gripping as Pure. There is a fairly steady stream of consistent rhythms and beats, but it doesn’t seem to have varying areas that may get you into the groove of trying to..err…wipe out your opponents. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still great, but just not better. If that’s not good enough for you, then you can always upload your own MP3s and use them in game. In that case, the soundtrack becomes a moot point. Sound effects are great as usual, having a variety of effects from different weapons. Even using the PSP’s speakers you can hear a shockwave coming through as it gets closer. Before each race you have a new disembodied voice describing the track and its origins, etc. Though you probably won’t care much because story is the farthest thing Wipeout is about, but it’s still a nice touch.

If you played Pure on the PSP and loved it, then this is a no brainer, you need this game. On the other hand, if it wasn’t your cup of tea, then you won’t like this either. Pulse isn’t a major improvement to the Wipeout series; of course there never really was a need for a real improvement. What Pulse is more than anything, is another Wipeout game that keeps a tradition of excellent racers going.