Wipeout HD is a 2008 racing video game created by Studio Liverpool and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the eighth version in the Wipeout series and the first to appear on this platform. The game was first made available digitally on the PlayStation Network in September 2008. A major expansion pack called Wipeout HD Fury was released in July 2009, followed by a retail version sold in Europe in October of the same year.
The game involves players competing in the FX350 anti-gravity racing league. It includes tracks from earlier games in the series, Wipeout Pure and Wipeout Pulse for the PlayStation Portable, but with improved visuals that display 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. The game also supports stereoscopic 3D. Studio Liverpool developed Wipeout HD to show that downloadable content could be used for larger games, not just smaller ones. The release was delayed for several months because the game failed some epilepsy tests.
Wipeout HD and its expansion pack received positive reviews when they were released. Critics praised the game’s high-quality visuals, smooth frame rate, and techno soundtrack, which many considered a key feature of the Wipeout series. The game faced controversy after the Fury expansion pack was released because some players complained about long loading times caused by in-game advertisements. Wipeout HD and the Fury expansion pack were later offered for free as part of Sony’s "Welcome Back" program after the 2011 PlayStation Network outage. The expanded Fury version and the later game Wipeout 2048 were remade for the PlayStation 4 and released together as Wipeout Omega Collection in 2017.
Gameplay
Wipeout HD is a racing game where players compete in the FX350 anti-gravity racing league. The game includes eight tracks from earlier games, Wipeout Pure and Wipeout Pulse, but these tracks have been updated with 1080p visuals and displayed at 60 frames per second. Players control anti-gravity ships owned by racing teams. The base game (without the Fury expansion pack) allows up to 12 teams to participate, with six ships each. It includes trophy support, an online mode for eight players per race, and eight race tracks.
The game has five race modes. The first is a single race where the goal is to finish first for a gold medal. Finishing second gives a silver medal, and third gives a bronze medal. Tournament mode includes four races, and the player with the most points wins. Time trials and speed laps require completing three or one lap in the fastest time. Zone Mode challenges players to survive as their ship speeds increase rapidly. In addition, the game includes "Photo Mode," which lets players take screenshots after a race and adjust settings like exposure, saturation, lens focus, or add effects such as depth of field or motion blur.
Each ship in the game has unique traits, such as speed, acceleration, maneuverability, and shield strength. Ships have energy shields that absorb damage, but energy decreases when the ship collides or is hit by weapons. If the shield runs out, the ship explodes, and the player is eliminated. Players can restore energy by collecting weapon pickups. Defensive weapons include shields that protect the ship temporarily, land mines, and stationary bombs. Offensive weapons include machine guns, missiles, rockets, and a "quake," which causes an earthquake that damages opponents ahead of the player. All ships have air brakes to help maneuver through turns at high speeds.
The Pilot Assist feature helps new players by automatically steering the ship away from walls. However, this feature is inconsistent and not ideal for competitive racing. Players control their ships using the motion-sensitive Sixaxis controller on the PlayStation 3. Motion control has two options: pitch and steering, or pitch only. The first option lets players fully control the ship by moving the controller, while the second option only allows raising or lowering the ship’s nose, with steering controlled by an analogue stick or D-pad.
A major expansion pack called Wipeout HD Fury was released worldwide on July 23, 2009. It added four new race tracks, four "Zone Event" tracks, 13 new ship models, and three new game modes: Eliminator, "Zone Battle," and Detonator. The pack also included an 80-event campaign mode, a redesigned menu, new trophies, and six new music tracks. Eliminator mode, taken from Wipeout Pulse, involves destroying opponents to earn points and complete laps. "Zone Battle" is an eight-player version of Zone Mode, where players must fly over zone pads to gain speed and reach a target first. Detonator mode lets a single player earn points by shooting mines scattered across a race track.
Development and release
Wipeout HD was created by Studio Liverpool, a game development company from Liverpool, England. The team aimed to use the PlayStation 3's advanced graphics power to make the game run in full 1080p resolution and at 60 frames per second. In a later interview, the game's director, Tony Buckley, explained that the team decided early in development to make the game available only through the PlayStation Store. This choice was meant to show that downloadable games do not have to be small or simple.
Wipeout HD was first announced in 2007 during the E3 gaming event. At that time, it was described as a game that could only be downloaded and would include remastered versions of older race tracks. It was also revealed that the game would support high-definition visuals in 1080p. Later that year, at the Tokyo Game Show, Sony told reporters the game would be released by the end of 2007 and would include two additional game modes. However, these modes were not included in the final version. The game was not released in 2007, and development continued into 2008. The release date was finally set for late September 2008.
The delay from the original summer release date was reported to be caused by a technical problem during development. David Reeves, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said the issue was a problem with the game that needed to be fixed. Later reports suggested the game had failed testing related to health concerns, such as epilepsy, and would need to be redesigned before release. A representative from Sony explained the delay was due to improvements and added features, including reverse tracks, four new ships, two new heads-up displays, a two-player offline split-screen mode, and trophy support. Sony also stated they take consumer safety seriously and confirmed that changes were made to reduce the intensity of visual effects in the game's "Zone Mode." Tony Buckley later confirmed that while the tests were difficult to interpret, the team addressed the concerns and added features to improve the game.
In 2011, Wipeout HD and its Fury expansion pack were offered for free through the PlayStation Store as part of Sony's "Welcome Back" program, which followed a major outage of the PlayStation Network.
A later update that included the Fury expansion pack also added in-game advertisements that appeared during loading screens before races. This change was criticized by some players and news outlets because the ads nearly doubled the time it took to load levels. Players could not start a race until the ad finished playing. The advertisements were removed after many complaints. Some players also expressed concern about ads being added to a game they had already paid for.
Reception
Wipeout HD received positive reviews when it was released. It has an average score of 87% on Metacritic, based on 51 reviews combined. It also ranked as the 14th highest-rated PlayStation 3 game of 2008 on Metacritic. The game was nominated for "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design" at the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards and was also nominated in the racing category at the 28th Golden Joystick Awards.
Critics praised the game's graphics and visuals. Martin Robinson from British IGN said the game had the most advanced graphics seen on a downloadable title and praised its futuristic design, noting the smooth 1080p visuals and 60 frames per second. Chris Roper from American IGN highlighted the lighting effects and detailed ship and track designs, calling the visuals impressive in 1080p and 60 frames per second. Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer said gameplay is usually more important than graphics, but he emphasized that the visuals were a key part of the game. Guy Cocker of GameSpot said the high-quality 1080p graphics would please both new and returning fans. He also noted that the game’s strong visuals required a long development time. Tom Orry from VideoGamer.com praised the smooth 1080p visuals and detailed HD graphics, saying the game’s presentation was powerful. Locke Webster from UGO Networks said the visuals and features made the game worth the cost of a downloadable title.
Gabe Graziani of GameSpy praised the game’s polished visuals and smooth frame rate, saying it updated earlier Wipeout titles to HD "magnificently." Jesse Costantino of Game Revolution said the game joined a top group of current-generation racers because of its 1080p visuals and consistent 60 frames per second. He also praised the detailed environments, which felt like real-life tracks. Frédéric Goyon of Jeuxvideo.com said the game’s visuals were unusually impressive and noted its unique color choices. Ryan Davis from Giant Bomb praised the transition to HD, saying he wondered how the series handled graphics without 1080p visuals before this game. He also praised the ship designs and stable frame rate. Terry Terrones of GamePro said the game looked visually stunning but called it "essentially a pig with lipstick."
The game’s techno soundtrack and audio were also praised. Robinson said the techno music was an important part of the Wipeout series and noted how the music changed when players performed airborne jumps. Roper said the soundtrack was always a key part of the Wipeout franchise and said the music in Wipeout HD fit well with the visuals and racing experience. He noted that few sound effects were used, but appreciated the ones included. Cocker said the soundtrack was enjoyable for fans of electronica and liked that players could import their own playlists, adding variety. He also praised the mix of techno, dubstep, and drum and bass music. Orry called the soundtrack "brilliant" and praised the ability to use custom music. Goyon praised the electro-style music, saying it matched the futuristic setting and enjoyed the option to use custom playlists. Davis noted the absence of famous artists like The Prodigy, Daft Punk, or The Chemical Brothers, who were in earlier Wipeout games, but said the game still had "plenty of chilly synths" and strong background beats.