Yeah, so this is a new series I'll be doing, about some of the great things and not-so-great things in games. First up is WipEout HD for PSN. Let's kick it off with ten things that suck about it... It was hard to come up with 10 things to hate about such a kick-*ss game xD
Things to hate:
1. Difficulty
I dunno about you guys, but I found that Novice AI was a bit TOO easy at times, so I decided to step it up with Elite AI - and WOAH!! Never have I had my ass rammed off the track so many times by 7 other ships within 5 seconds of starting 0.o
If you're looking for fun, maybe you should stick to Skilled AI....
2. Campaign gets repetitive
Well, clearly - if there is only like 5 modes, and 8 tracks, you'd eventually run out of fresh ideas for campaign mode - about half way through, it pretty much feels the same thing drags on... and those 8-track tournaments.... T.T
3. Auto Pilot HATES you
Oh, I'm not kidding: this power-up was designed by Satan himself. Not only is it pointless and lazy - it will 9 times out of 10 try to murder you, your friends, your entire family, and your whole damn block. Seriously, it will intentionally swerve you AWAY from speed panels, and after that will either sway you off the track, or into the conveniently placed stack of bombs or mines. On one account, I distinctly recall it missing a double speed panel, 3 other speed panels, into an enemy plasma, and then right into some mines - all within its 5 seconds of control. Do yourself a favor and convert it to ship energy, but oh wait - it doesn't even give you much of that either... What a stingy power-up.
4. Barrel Rolls cost a LOT of ship energy
Obviously, the best part of ANY spaceship game is barrel-rolling, but even if it costs ship energy, you don't care - because the resulting speed boost and neat flip make it worthwhile, right? WRONG - you'll be doing these addictive little rolls so often (mostly on Chenghou Project), you'll be distracted from the energy meter, which is at critical level when you are mid-barrel roll and heading towards an unavoidable bomb. Oh f**k.
5. Pilot Assist also HATES you
Obviously, beginners will use pilot assist until they get their bearings on the game - but what will you do in that time?? SURE, it helps you stay clear of edges, and prevents unnecessary damage - but at what cost? I'll tell you, the cost is giving up TOTAL control of your ship, letting it sway all over the track at some points, missing MILLIONS on panels and right yet again, much like auto pilot, into enemy fire.
6. Turning is a bitch....
You gotta admit: the turning is a bit off, especially in compulsory turning levels like Sebenco Climb. That's when you get officially stuck, and actually consult the controls menu to see if you are missing something vital: and that's when you realize what "airbrake" meant, and you felt stupid. Just me, then? Ok... :D
7. Once you go Phantom, you never go back
Try going to the last campaign tournament in Meltdown, and then go to the first ever single race event. Wow. The difference between Phantom and Venom is so large, Venom seems like Matrix-time!! Venom is almost virtually unplayable after you've tasted the sweet ecstasy of Phantom... It's so damn slow, you're bored out of your mind!!
8. Trophy Whore Hell
Some of the trophies are ridiculously hard: beating one of the developer's bloody time is bad enough, and even the Zone Zeus trophy 0.o.... I'm just not good at committing myself to it for THAT long, I'd get a seizure!
9. Failing a Zone Mode event with half a zone left
Why, god - WHY?!?!?
10. It's addicting as f**k!
Wow man, I've lost quite a few hours of my life to this game - lost or gained, it still takes over my afternoons when no mates are doing anything, and I'm stuck in myself... Try not to get sucked in, pace yourself: try to take the epicness in small doses ;)
Now let's end on a bright note.
Things to love:
1. The graphics
For such an "old" game, it still looks pretty damn sweet, eh? The colours, the motion blur, the scenery: tres magnifique! (that IS french, right??)
2. Musical score
Well all be damned if this wasn't mentioned in WipEout HD!! You practically start drumming the songs when you barely realize it, it sticks with you, which is epic xD. The music compliments the tracks in a weird way, in that beating techno, modern/futuristic voodoo that you do do.
3. Extensive Campaign
Yeah, I did mention that it gets kind of repetitive, but if you LIKE the game itself, it is a privilege to get to play more of it!! Even if you hunt for trophies, completing Campaign Mode on Elite will certainly get you going for hours, not to mention the DLC pack which adds to this experience!
4. Mario Kart on Crack?!?!?
C'mon, who HASN'T made this comparison... The good music, big variety of tracks, weapon power-ups/speed boosts? it all adds up - imagine any one of your favourite kart racers, put them in a rave party and pimp them up to space ships with anti-grav capabilities. Yeah. 0.o
5. Offers a little something for everyone
I mentioned the difficulty settings and Pilot Assist: this can also be good for whoever you are. It fits beginners, since they use Novice, and most likely Pilot Assist. For casual/experienced players, there is Skilled, and Pilot Assist is your choice, and same for Elite, although Pilot Assist might not be on. Whatever your play style, WipEout HD has it.
6. Takes advantage of six-axis motion control
I dunno if you've tried it yet, but using the six axis to steer your space ship around the track gives the game more depth than I thought possible. Something about it just screams "CLASSIC!!" You can even adjust how sensitive you want the motion control to be!
7. It's free!
Well, not anymore... But if you were lucky enough to join Playstation Plus in the first month, you got this masterpiece for not even a penny. Not bad for paying nothing, eh?
(Well, except annual subscription fees >.>)
8. It's EPIC.
It has a certain ambience that can only be witnessed first hand, when you play the game yourself. You feel as if the game is RIGHT. It certainly is my favourite racer, and I haven't always been a fan of racing games!!
9. It's in 3D, biatch!!
If you are one of those lucky smeggers who shelled out a fortune for a 3D TV, and were wondering what games are in 3D for your PS3, then look no further: thanks to the latest patch, WipEout HD is in 3D if you own a TV. I don't have one, but I've heard that the experience is out of this world!
10. Multiplayer
Online mode is fun and competitive: you can race in most modes, it is fun to yell over the mic as you barrel roll over your opponent to your victory lap! The real defining multiplayer for me is split screen:it is just more fun for me, though ^^
I definitely recommend you get this game, it'll change your opinion on racers forever! Thanks for reading, hope to get more segments out soon!
So tell me guys, what do you love or hate about WipEout HD?
Microsoft announced its financial results for Q3 of fiscal year 2026, including an update on its gaming Xbox business and more.
Not looking good. Hopefully Asha Sharma is able to turn Phil’s disaster around.
To me it's still quite remarkable how they can cash-in 5.3bn in revenue in a single quarter, since their hardware is basically dead.
The stock mark is what makes Microsoft remarkable, They have convinced every institutional and retail investor to just keep piling money into them. Like many big tech giants they are just a big growing pyramid scheme. As long as people keep dropping money into ETF's that cover the market Microsoft will always be liquid. At the same time it is completely stifling innovation and competition. People need to start being more discreet in how they invest their money as it's killing the system.
Riiiiight because people will just flock back to them for one or two games per year.
15+ years of bad performance is what they call irreparable in business. It is time for them to sell off the assets and get out of entertainment.
These declines are on the back of extra revenue received from releasing games like Forza horizon 5 on PlayStation. So I’m being sarcastic here when I said they should go back to exclusives. Killing off a revenue stream from Ps5 sales will only make things worse
The charity event will be streamed live from Gamescom in August.
Thanks to the slip-up of an artist working on the title, we now have more evidence that a new Injustice game is in the works.
The only thing that's bad about Wipeout HD is the Beat Zico trophy. I would have a plat if it weren't for this damn trophy. I applaud anyone who actually did it. I used to be a pretty hardcore Wipeout guy, but there's no way I could do it now.
I love the game but it's hard as hell.
Not to mention that the online, from the last time I played, was virtually dead, which is unfortunate. Though, with PS+ I'm hoping we have more players.
It's a great game, love it plenty.
Things to love for me -
1) Difficulty
Yeah you had it as a negative, but for me it's a positive, because I platinumed the game, and the sense of reward is fantastic. I've played against the best of the best and done OK (didn't beat them though) and the challenge is great.
2) Zone Mode
Zone mode is the most amazing game mode ever. The whole track pulsating to your own beats, going at supersonic speeds - amazing.
3) Kart racing feel
Yeah I have to agree with you here, well said. It's got all the right qualities of an arcade racer, and in fact I would say the weapon/skill balance is perfect in wipeout.
As far as repetitiveness goes, Wipeout HD Fury's campaign completely alleviates this problem. Three new game modes mean that particular campaign is packed with excitement.
Also I think you are being far too unfair on autopilot. Autopilot just could be one of the most useful powerups there is. It just takes a little skill to use. And sure, it misses speed boosts, but when you are on autopilot it gives a boost to your top speed anyway (it moves faster than you ever could, even if you drove perfectly). It's really useful to turn on if you're heading towards a tricky section at high speed, and is actually useful for retaining control if there are some unavoidable mines in your way.