Wipeout Pulse is the follow up to the hit PSP launch title, Wipeout Pure. The game steps up in every aspect, from graphics to gameplay to the addition of online multiplayer. This game is deep, very deep. Here is a breakdown of some of the facets of Wipeout Pulse for the PSP:

Presentation and Graphics: I wouldn’t say Wipeout Pulse has the best graphics we’ve seen on the PSP, but it’s right up near the top. Each of the game’s 12 reversible tracks look great as you speed through with a terrific frame rate. Each ship in the game has it’s unique look and feel, which is accentuated by the online skin editor. You can unlock new skins by playing through the game or make new skins yourself online. These user-created skins can be taken online as well to show off to the world during races. 9 of 10

Sound and Music: The soundtrack in Wipeout Pulse is top notch. Sixteen tracks are included with the game from some of the biggest names in the electronic music industry. My personal favorite is the Aphex Twin track. Don’t like house music or the game’s selections? Load your own. You can add up to 30 MP3 files to the MUSIC folder of your Memory Stick Pro Duo for use in the game. So if you want to race to Carrie Underwood or the Wu Tang Clan, it’s up to you. 10 of 10

Gameplay: If you’ve never played a Wipeout game before, you take control of a anti-gravity racing ship and speed your way through various tracks in multiple events. Not content with sharp turns and rolling hills, the team at Studio Universal added Mag-Strip sections on the track to keep your ship close to the ground for loops and 90 degree drop offs. Many game types feature weapon pickups where you can try to take out other ships to gain better position. You can either use the weapons against your opponents or absorb them to heal damage done to your ship.

Wipeout Pulse features 7 distinct game modes: Single Race, Head to Head, Time Trial, Speed Lap, Tournament, Zone, and Eliminator. The first 5 are self explanatory. In Zone mode, you begin the race just below the slowest racing class in the game, Venom. As you proceed through, your vehicle increases in speed class to Flash, Rapier, and Phantom (with sub levels in between). Each level increase means your speeds go from 450 km/h to upwards of 800 km/h. The goal here is to clear as many zones of the track as possible before your ship is destroyed from running into the walls. This is personally my favorite game mode. The other new mode, Eliminator, has you pitted against 7 other opponents trying to destroy each other. Weapons in Eliminator are much more powerful than other modes, with the goal not to finish the race, but to destroy as many opposing ships as possible

The game’s Campaign mode features 16 Grids, each comprised of numerous events. As you complete more events, further grids are unlocked. If there’s a particular game type you don’t like, you can skip most of them and still progress through the campaign. Or if you don’t like any of the Grids, the Racebox mode will allow you to create and customize your own for play anytime

Wipeout Pulse also features a new Photo Mode where you can save replays and still shots of your races and upload them to the web to share with friends. 9.5 of 10

Multiplayer: New to the PSP Wipeout scene is the inclusion of an 8 player online multiplayer mode. You can go online and race with anyone around the world in Single Race or Tournament modes in both Ad-hoc and Infrastructure Wi-Fi modes. So if you don’t have friends around with the game, hop online at any Wi-Fi hotspot and get your race on. One of the biggest features of the online mode in Wipeout Pulse is the ability to use your PSN login. Having everything centralized to one login across both the PS3 and PSP is a huge plus. A demo game sharing mode is also available. I would have really liked the inclusion of Eliminator mode in multiplayer. 9.5 of 10

Lasting Appeal: The Campaign mode should provide at least 12-15 hours of gameplay, with more available through the Racebox where you can create your own Grids. Add on the 8 player online multiplayer and you’ve got a ton of content to keep you busy. Studio Universal has also announced plans for downloadable content to add more ships and tracks to the game, which will further increase the replay factor. 9 of 10

Final Word: Wipeout Pulse has more content packed in than any other PSP game to date. With great graphics and gameplay coupled with hours upon hours of racing action, you’ll be popping this UMD in your PSP for a long time to come. If you’re a fan of face-paced racing games, this is an absolute must buy.

Overall: 9.5 of 10

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