wipEout 2048 Preview

By Martin Robinson Published 2 June, 2011

Back to the future.

If there is one game that has defined the PlayStation brand throughout the ages it's wipEout. Psygnosis's 1995 original arrived alongside Sony's very first console, bringing with it a promise of the future - a vision that was as chic and urban as the twenty-somethings the game's marketing sought to seduce.

More recently wipEout has come to define Sony's first steps into a more digital age. wipEout HD and wipEout Fury brought that future to life in vivid 1080p and at 60 fps, all at a cut price and without the need for a bothersome Blu-ray.

So it's heartening to see Studio Liverpool's racer resuming normal duties in its debut outing on the NGP. wipEout 2048 explores reaches of the handheld that the rest of the current line-up has yet to discover, all the while delivering the closest approximation of an existing PlayStation 3 title. Even better, it does this at the same time as giving the series perhaps its most serious makeover since its inception.

Set four years before the very first wipEout, this a game cast in that most pervasive of cinematic molds: the gritty reboot. Yes, it seems that Christopher Nolan's fingerprints reach all the way to the raceways of the future.

As a prequel wipEout 2048 thrusts a strange new aesthetic on the series, its races taking place before the abstracted backdrops of HD and Fury took hold. A track that zips through a near-future New York shows this off best, the track dancing between the high-rises of Manhattan before making for the city's skyline.

There's a thrilling and surreal edge to the experience of coursing through a familiar backdrop at impossible angles, and Studio Liverpool's track designers play well to this particular novelty. The rhythmical weave of New York's circuit has a show stealing virtuoso moment as the track scales a skyscraper before taking a violent vertical plunge towards the streets.

It's a stomach churning set-piece reminiscent of the first wipEout's gravity-defying leap on Altima VII, and it suggests that Studio Liverpool has cast a fond glance at the series' past while defining its future. That much is explicit in the fact that 2048's championship will climax with a race at Altima VII itself, the game's ending coming at the very moment that the series began.

The development team has clearly got one eye on the future, too. wipEout 2048 does an incredible job of fulfilling the hazy notion of a handheld PS3 in all but name that accompanied the announcement of the NGP. At Sony's recent preview event there was a version of wipEout HD running on the PlayStation 3 for an easy reference point, and 2048 came out favourably from direct comparisons.

The fidelity and sparkle that's ensured wipEout HD is still a visual standout in the PlayStation 3 library is in evidence here. Texture models are crisp and defined and they're maintained to a distant horizon, while depth of field and dynamic lighting bring 2048 in line with its console sister. Indeed, the only area where 2048 takes a hit is in its frame rate, which sees HD's 60 fps halved.

It's not enough of a hit to prevent the two games from playing nicely with each other, and 2048's the first game to offer cross-platform play between the PlayStation 3 and the NGP. At the moment it's confined to a one-on-one demonstration in a controlled environment, but it's impressive nevertheless, and should provide a springboard for what's shaping up to be a varied online suite.

How the game makes use of the NGP's Near application and its other networking abilities remains to be seen – and that's an aspect that's being kept under wraps for petty much all of the handheld's properties right now. However, its straight-up multiplayer features are a more open commodity.

More on WipEout 2048

Mixed in with the regular racing will be objective-based multiplayer. It's a new twist on an old standard, with each player given an objective that'll remain secret from the competition. These could vary massively in tone: do a barrel roll mid-race, for example, kill a certain amount of people or – most devilishly – don't finish first.

The ensuing clash of motivations in multiplayer racing could make for some spicy encounters, and there's a hint of the open-minded chaos that defined some of Project Gotham Racing's online modes.

A fundamental rethink of the strategic backbone of wipEout plays well to this. Power-up pads are now split into two groups, with red pads providing offensive items while green ones cater for a more defensive strategy. Tied into this is a rethinking of the shield; it's now on a dedicated button and is fully rechargeable.

Such minor changes combine with wipEout 2048's other minute revolutions to create the freshest take on the series in some time. Just as Sony's first PlayStation found the perfect partner in wipEout, the NGP now has its own marquee racer to show the world what it's capable of. The future, it seems, is now.

Picture of Martin.

About Martin Robinson

Martin is Eurogamer's features editor with responsibility for commissioning, editing and often writing our feature and preview content. He's also passionate about driving games.

Read more articles from Martin by visiting the Martin Robinson archive page.

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Comments (43) Latest comment 12 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • LazyDan #1 12 months ago

    Cross platform play between the NGP and PS3? That's an awesome idea - something Nintendo should be doing too.

  • Razzajazz #2 12 months ago

    F'ing YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is all. :)

  • charliepreed #3 12 months ago

    If there is one thing that defines Playstation, it's a cross platform game that came out on PC and Sega Saturn too.

    No, wait. That makes no sense...

  • charliepreed #4 12 months ago

    If there is one thing that defines Playstation, it's a cross platform game that came out on PC and Sega Saturn too.

    No, wait. That makes no sense...

  • Beano #5 12 months ago

    Only 30 fps???... noooo......

  • captain_Carl #6 12 months ago

    Hollyyyyy shit. So bought

  • gamingdave #7 12 months ago

    Looking nice. The idea of setting this as a prequal and the multiple objectives in multiplayer (like RISK) sound good. Can we stop with the PS3 comparisons though.

    "wipEout 2048 does an incredible job of fulfilling the hazy notion of a handheld PS3 in all but name that accompanied the announcement of the NGP. At Sony's recent preview event there was a version of wipEout HD running on the PlayStation 3 for an easy reference point, and 2048 came out favourably from direct comparisons."

    It may look comparable on such a relatively small screen (compared to how most view thier PS3s), but it's running at a 1/4 of the PS3s resolution and at half the frame rate. It isnt a portable PS3 just as the PSP wasnt a portable PS2.

    I'm not saying it isnt potentially a great device, and I'm really looking forward to E3 next week, but lets not repeat the "real next gen" mistakes again EG.
    Edited by gamingdave at 02/06/11 @ 17:46

  • dannyclyro #8 12 months ago

    30fps? No sale. Wipeout is much better at 60fps, I don't care what wee extras or tracks they include, 30fps is a step backwards.

  • nburcomb #9 12 months ago

    Awesome Liverpool Studio!!! :)

  • Gojiratron #10 12 months ago

    I still play Wipeout 3 SE on the PSP a helluva lot and this would without question be the first game I would purchase for this system.


    Tilt and touch can fuck off though.

  • Bartacus #11 12 months ago

    This machine kicks the Nintedoh 3ds into the long grass.

  • Benno #12 12 months ago

    awwww i'll miss the 30fps

    dont care about playing against ps3 owners much, but i guess its an interesting design choice i'd like to see get popular

  • Beano #13 12 months ago

    Or DLC pack for Wipeout HD maybe?

  • Sharzam #14 12 months ago

    Wipeout on the boring old PSP is ace fun. So the fact there is one in the NGP launch line up is a very good sign. I have said it all long if the price is right i will get one, however the long term future of the NGP will be determined by the games and they need proper suited portable games such as Wipeout not full on console experiments like uncharted and god of war.
    Edited by Sharzam at 02/06/11 @ 19:43

  • MeBrains #15 12 months ago

    wish they were still called psygnosis though... studio liverpool does not have the same ring to it... :|

    but who cares?!?! :D

  • pac666 #16 12 months ago

    Nice to see an old friend back.

  • ChocNut #17 12 months ago

    I'm very excited aout this new direction.

    Day one purchase on vita for me.

  • Miths #18 12 months ago

    I've been playing a bit of WipEout HD Fury in 3D the last two weeks, and cutting the framerate in half doesn't actually pose a major problem at all to my eyes.
    Not that I had really expected it would, as I usually find (a rock steady) 30 fps works perfectly well for console games, including racing games (oddly enough I generally need around 40-50 fps to perceive most PC games as properly smooth, but I imagine that could have something to do with the much closer distance I sit to the screen).

    Anyway, I imagine it's doubtful I'll be buying an NGP (the PSP I bought a couple of years ago has rarely been used, nor have I ever done much gaming on my iPod Touch), but does this "2048's the first game to offer cross-platform play between the PlayStation 3 and the NGP" suggest that there will be a PS3 version coming as well?
    I certainly hope so.

  • Azazel #19 12 months ago

    I loved the original Wipeout. Wasn't chic or urban though. More shabby and rural.

  • Rens11 #20 12 months ago

    Best news all week!

  • mumblyjoe #21 12 months ago

    With this and uncharted the NGP is looking like an easy purchase

  • GitSomE_UK #22 12 months ago

    I love Wipeout love, love, love it.... but... I'm not so sure I can justify the PSP2.

  • reeferchief #23 12 months ago

    This sounds fucking awesome, definitely 8/10 material.
    Edited by reeferchief at 02/06/11 @ 23:39

  • Mister-Wario #24 12 months ago

    This NGP is shaping up to be one damn sexy device.

  • Softie2k #25 12 months ago

    UK development scene - Driving games or Quirkiness.

  • RobTheBuilder #26 12 months ago

    30fps... damn it

  • Stockings #27 12 months ago

    I much prefer these street and city environments, much better than the weird neon tubes and such.

  • CamberGreber #28 12 months ago

    How about Adding a Working Brake it's been holding back the series since 1995.

  • 3william56 #29 12 months ago

    ^^ Where we're going, we don't need no brakes...

    Dude - the whole point of WO is that every course, every bend can (with appropriate Ninja position and timing) be taken flat out. There's air brakes of course, but they're just a rocket sled power slide in disguise. Once you suss this (taking the hairpin in Gare d'Europa without touching the sides for the first time was my moment of joy), the whole thing just comes alive in ways no car racer will ever match.

    NGP looks like a stunning piece of kit if the price can be kept down. Although the native screen is fairly low res, it has a HDMI port. The real ace in the hole would be if it can do a decent resolution for a HDTV. Then, you have a fully portable home console for the size conscious in Japan, and instead of being a big/expensive handheld it becomes a small/cheap home console with portability as well. Looking at the 4 core Tegra demo on Android recently, it looks well within the capabilities of a handheld nowadays.

    But guys... Vita? Really? Sounds like a diet crispbread.

  • 3william56 #30 12 months ago

    Just looking at the NGP vids on PS Blog, something occurred to me. What's big, shiny, has 2 sticks, a touch screen, motion control and is debuting at E3? Ninty's new console controller, apparently. And yet, a simple piece of bluetooth or Wifi sync would have the NGP doing exactly the same thing. Pricey, sure, but 2 touchy screens, with all the sticks, and serious grunt onboard would make a heck of a PS3 controller...

  • PixelPirate #31 12 months ago

    Whats that Peppy?

    "do a barrel roll"

  • KrazyFace #32 12 months ago

    I've always been in love with the sheer coolness of the wipEout brand. In fact future racing has always been a soft-spot for me as a gamer on the whole so games like the XG series and F-Zero were always competing for my attention, but wipEout's always been the benchmark. I'm a massive fan of HD and Fury too so this looks like it'll be high on my list for when the NGP hits the street. Can't wait!

  • PixelPirate #33 12 months ago

    Analogue sticks aren't really analogue.

    The NGP sticks will obviously have poorer fidelity than a real joypad, just like PSP (iirc PSP was 16-way with two levels of pressure).

    I don't see anything there that isn't wide speculation, with no facts to back it up. Until we get a decent hands on preview at E3 we wont know for sure.

  • carlitoswagon #34 12 months ago

    /Dusts off ps1 and copy of original.

  • RealityCheque #35 12 months ago

    I may have to get myself a PS2 and Wipeout Fusion again. I can't afford another current gen console but £25 for the best racing game I've ever played seems like a bargain.

  • Rens11 #36 12 months ago

    @reality cheque

    If I was you I'd pick up a ps1 and get wipeout, wipeout 2097 and wipeout 3 should be even cheaper and regarded as much better than fusion by most people!

  • Eighthours #37 12 months ago

    Hang on... so if this offers cross-platform play with PS3, this must mean the game will be available on PS3 too, right? But no mention of this?

  • mojo_x #38 12 months ago

    Who put San Francisco Rush in my Wipeout? Why does everything need to look 'gritty' / 'real' / 'down with the kids' these days? Wipeout was all about design over aesthetic ffs. Massively disappointed. This was going to be my ticket to the NGP midnight launch. Fix this please Sony.

  • jonfon #39 12 months ago

    What? No mention of the soundtrack? In a Wipeout Game? Boo!!

    (I still can't listen to P.E.T.R.O.L. when driving the car because the urge to hit the horn to fire off a missile or try and take bends flat out whilest fumbling for an air break is overwhelming).

  • danclarke #40 12 months ago

    The more I see of the line up the more skeptical I become. Yes, I'm sure it looks great, but we've been here with the original PSP haven't we?

    No disrespect to the wipeout guys, but I'd just find it a lot easier to get excited about the NGP if there was something totally unique on it's way instead of 'console games in your hands'.

  • JammyB #41 12 months ago

    Sorry but those screenshots are incredibly disappointing. The art direction is so dull. The guy above got it right - it looks like SF Rush and not like the Wipeout we all know and love. Surely there are still some ex-Designers Republic employees around who they could have hired for this? I'm sure the game will be great, but without that design aesthetic it's just not Wipeout for me.

  • snick #42 12 months ago

    The wipeout PSP games lost all the 2097 handling which from my perspective was THE definitive version. Having said that I've not got a PS3 so I might be talking out of my ass.

  • Mr_Bogus #43 12 months ago

    30fps
    /loses interest