Gaming Trend

Gaming Trend Review

by Keith Schleicher

The original Wipeout was released for the launch of the Sony PlayStation.  It was a game that highlighted the strengths of the new system.  It had 3D graphics, nice looking textures, and dazzling lighting and particle effects.  While it might not look all that great in screenshots these days, Wipeout was a showcase game at launch.

Several iterations of the series have been released since them, but another Sony system launched with a Wipeout game.  The PSP system launched with Wipeout Pure, and it showcased the strengths of the PSP similar to how the original Wipeout did for the PlayStation.  Now a sequel has come to us in the form of Wipeout Pulse.  Does the PSP sequel zoom towards the finish line, or does it go off track?

Wipeout Pulse knows how to give some nice visuals.  Each of the ships has a different look to them.  Some have a streamlined look to them, while others have a square look.  All of them have a futuristic vibe though.  The textures give the ships depth and make it feel like you are racing in a sanctioned racing group, but they don’t have much detail.

The particle effects are used heavily in Pulse.  Each of the weapons uses particle effects, whether it is the trails from the rockets, the glowing orb of the plasma cannon, the shield surrounding your vehicle, or the power ups you can race over on the track, particle effects are heavily used throughout the racing.

Since the setting for Pulse is in the future, there is a new-age sci-fi techno beat that drives the music behind the game.  It makes sense because of the futuristic setting.  If you don’t like the music though, you can put MP3 files onto your memory stick and add those to the playlist.  Up to 30 tracks can be added to your playlist.

The sound effects match the action on the screen.  The Cannon sounds much different than the Repulsor or Leech weapons.  Explosions around you go out with a bang.  Still the weapons and explosions don’t have the punch that they should.  The voice that gives you information also sounds very soft so it is hard to hear.

Anyone who has spent some time with Wipeout Pure won’t have any problems with Pulse.  Steering is done with the D-pad or analog stick, while L and R activate the airbrake.  Using X accelerates, Circle absorbs pick-ups, Square uses your pick-up, and Triangle looks back.  The controls are simple to get the hang of quickly.

Where Pulse has issues is the steering.  The analog nub is small, so it takes a while to do small movements for slight turns.  If you move the analog nub all the way, it’s easy to end up in the guard rails.  You can use the D-pad for wide turns, but the analog nub has more accuracy, but it does take some getting used to.

Pulse is at its core a racing game.  With the futuristic anti-gravity racers, the races are fast and go by quickly.  There are several different kinds of races though.  There are the typical single races against multiple opponents or against a single opponent.  Tournaments of multiple races where points are given for where you place are available as well.  Time trials are solo races where you race against the clock.  The Speed Lap event is similar to the time trial, but you race to try to get a fast time for a single lap.  In the Zone events you try to steer your ship for as long as you can while the ship accelerates automatically.  Finally there is the Eliminator event where you try to get the most kills.

As you race around the track, there are two icons on the track to take note of.  A giant X gives you some kind of weapon or other useful item.  Racing over giant yellow arrows gives you a sudden burst of speed.  Knowing where these pick-ups are help you complete the race quicker.

The weapons and pick-ups add a unique flavor, and it can make or break a race.  Getting the right weapon at the right time can help you catch up or take the lead, but you also need to get ahead of your competition so that you don’t end up being the target of the weapons on the ship behind you.  Weapons include a locking missile, a cannon, a spread of three rockets, mines, and bombs.  Other non-weapon pick-ups include an auto-pilot, a temporary shield, and turbo.

These weapons and pick-ups have value besides using them for racing.  Each ship has an energy bar representing the shield energy.  As you collide into the side of the track or get hit by weapons, the shield energy drains.  You can absorb these pick-ups and replenish your shield energy, and knowing when to absorb energy and when to save the weapon for use against other racers can mean the difference between taking first place and not finishing the race at all.

To progress through the game you need to medal certain events in a grid.  Once those events are complete, the surrounding grid events are unlocked.  There are sixteen grids in all, with several events in each grid, so there is plenty of variety.  The maps you race on have their own unique features, but you will see maps recycled with different events on them.

The sense of speed you get really makes Pulse stand out.  The handling of the different ships around the curves and the speed down the straight aways really makes Pulse feel faster than traditional racing games.  The handling of these ships does take some getting used to because of how fast they go.  If you aren’t used to the speed, then Pulse will be a difficult game, but once you adjust you can earn the medals with ease until you get to the faster classes.

The biggest problem with Pulse is the fact that it isn’t that much different from Pure.  The weapons are almost identical, and the speed classes are identical.  Other than the tracks and the grid system, there really isn’t anything to differentiate the two games.

Pulse has sixteen grids with several events in each grid.  Once you complete the events in one grid you’ll be able to move on to the next grid.  Since you can try different events if you feel like you are having problems with one event, the frustration factor is lowered.  There are also several events to complete.  While some of the events don’t take long to complete, they can take several tries to complete.

Pulse also has a multiplayer mode, but this time it includes both Ad-hoc and Infrastructure modes.  Now you can play with a total of eight racers online.  With many games at the beginning of the lifetime of the PSP having only Ad-hoc play, it’s good to see more games with Infrastructure play coming out.

As mentioned before, the biggest issue with Pulse is that there isn’t much different between Pure and Pulse as far as the gameplay goes.  While you don’t expect there to be many differences in a sequel, you do expect something to stand out to make playing the sequel worthwhile, and there isn’t any compelling feature that stands out to make Pulse a worthwhile purchase if you already own Pure.

Wipeout Pulse is a very good game with great production values for a portable system.  Futuristic racing fans will enjoy what Pulse brings to the table.  Unfortunately, you might be better to wait for a price drop or pick up the original Pure if you can find it, as both games are too similar to each other to give Pulse a recommendation.

Gaming Trend Score

78

1. Graphics: 80
2. Audio: 74
3. Controls: 86
4. Gameplay: 75
5. Value/Replay: 75
6. OVERALL:78