Wipeout 3

The venerable Wipeout series is kept alive in Wipeout 3, and the legend just got better with fantastic new course, great details, and solid hovercraft racing dynamics.

The venerable Wipeout series is kept alive in Wipeout 3, and the legend just got better with fantastic new course, great details, and solid hovercraft racing dynamics.

Whip Out
For PlayStation owners who lusted after the cool racing look and feel of Star Wars Episode 1: Racer, there was absolutely no need. You had a perfectly good racer already, one that has just been vastly improved. Wipeout 3 is by and far the best hovercraft racing game around. For those of you not familiar with the Wipeout series, it involves futuristic racing set in fantastic course with a full compliment of hair-raising turns, gut-dropping ramp jumps, and breakneck speed. Add to that volatile mix a full compliment of cool weapons that you pick up (or actually, run over) which range from track-bending Quake Disruptor to Multi-Missiles, to Force Wall stops, and you've got one thumb-numbing mind-bending racer.

The overall sensation of speed is what counts, and Wipeout hits the high note every time. Blazing through tracks will result in major collisions, and a major collision will slow you down - or take you out of the race. You shields (which can be replenished in the pit) also give power to your Hyper Thrust, a speed burst that will help you out on straightaways. But if you abuse the Thrust, a direct hit could pop your shields and disable you ship for good.

There's a ton of options to keep things interesting as well. You can race in the tournament mode to unlock other racing classes and ships, you can race a friend, or you can go for time trials and Eliminator events where you have to wipeout a certain number of enemy ships within a predetermined amount of time. You can also turn off the weapons and checkpoints for straight racing.

Fast Action Hero
Keeping the tradition of its design-intensive racers alive, Wipeout 3 features icons and vehicles designed by the UK's top graphic artists. The sleek craft are only part of the total package - there's exciting track layouts, and detailed special effects (when you send out the Quake Disruptor, the whole arena in front of you lifts in a giant energy wave). Even better are the minor track nuances, like flocks of seagulls that take off when you hit their part of the track, and urban landscapes so dreary and desolate you feel that you've seen the future - and it sucks.

The sound is the same techno-house mix that it's always been, which is good if you liked it, but annoying if you didn't. The tracks explosions and vehicle collisions sound okay, but a little lukewarm for such a great game.

Control is the game's one flaw. Although taking the tight turns and intersections are possible, it will take patience, practice, and some serious handbraking. Even with that, minor bumps in the Venom and Rapier classes will leave you in the dust - with little hope of catching up to the pack.

Speed Your Pants
But don't wuss out and let a little thing like skill get in your way. Master the controls, beat your friends a few times, and get back on the track as soon as you can, because the reward with Wipeout 3 is that you'll be immersed in one of the best racers on the PlayStation this year.

Comments [0]

post a comment

Post a Comment