The Weird Pixel

Review: Wipeout Fury DLC

By Olly - July 23, 2009 - 07:43 UTC

Sony Liverpool return with brand new Wipeout DLC that features new tracks, racers, trophies and more but is it worth it?

Game Length – Single player around 6-10 hours, plus online.

Replayability – Single player once done is done, but endless fun is to be had online!

Technical Aspects (Looks,Sounds,Controls) – By far the best looking downloadable game on the market, controls easy to get used to and with custom soundtracks what else could you want?

Online Capabilities – With ranks and plenty of game-modes to try out, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had.

Value For Money – For £7.99 you may think this is allot, but trust me its a steal!

Sony Liverpool have once again outdone themselves with this truly huge update of Wipeout HD. ‘Fury’ as the DLC is known almost doubles the size of the game, and incorporates a tonne of new features, tracks, racers and trophies. However this comes at a cost, as this piece of DLC (as large as it is) will set you back £7.99 almost the price of the full game!

Although all the new tracks and music come from the predecessors of Wipeout HD (Pure and Pulse) they are recycled into a form which is utterly breathtaking, the theme, styles and textures the guys at Liverpool Studios have recreated, make Fury feel new and fresh. First all though, you will be greeted by a hefty 700mb download off the PSN store, and thats ontop of the 100mb update Wipeoute recieved a few days ago, which encorporates a new home screen layout and a more in depth online experience. Once done, and installed Fury, you will immediately notice the difference. The entire user interface has been transformed and re-skinned, going as far as changing the intro movie, backgrounds and music. It truly feels like a whole new game experience to what it did before, although you still have the option to revert the menus back to the original state if you desire.

Next you have the option to take the plunge into the Fury experience or try out some of the new maps in the standard racebox. I opted into trying my hand at the new tracks in the original racebox mode, and it’s worth noting that everything is unlocked from the word go, including tracks from the original Wipeout HD. In my opinion its a shame that gamers dont have something to work towards, and thus may reduce the playtime users spend on Fury. Next I tried the new Fury campaign, which runs alongside the original. However Fury introduces new game-modes such as: Eliminator, Zone battle and Detonator, which all add a new spice to the experience.

First of all Eliminator, sets racers on a track on which they race an infinite number of times untill somebody reaches a pre-set score or total. Weapons are enabled, however racers can’t absorb them to redeem health like other modes, therefore adding a new perspective to blowing eachother up. Eliminator also feels more extreme and insane, allowing users to simply flip around and face opponents head on with a flick of the L1 button. Boom, Boom Pow! Next Zone battle, is exactly as it sounds, race to set a zone level first. However it introduces a boost system, which obviously allows you to gain an edge over opponents, it takes getting used to. Finally we have Detonator, this mode makes users blasts targets with a ship mounted gun. If they fail, targets will turn into deadly bombs.

All the new game-modes add a new sence of fun to the Wipeout series, and fit perfectly. However its the new tracks that make Wipeout a must buy. There are 4 more Zone tracks for you to sink your teeth into, although all are taken from previous Wipeout titles, and obviously come with the typical futuristic titles (Modesto Heights , Tech De Ra, Amphiseum and Talon’s Junction). These tracks, much like the original Wipeout circuits can be played in forward or reverse. All look stunning and add even more depth for Zone lovers. This is the same with all tracks included in Fury, they all look beautiful, especially Amphiseum (from Wipeout Pure). All run at a smooth 60fps in 1080p, however once there is a large amount of action on screen (especially in Eliminator) there can be some framerate issues, but not enough to swagger your gaming experience.

Overall, I think Fury is a must buy for all Wipeout HD fans, all the new features are so nice they actually end up making £7.99 feel cheap. Not only this but all the tophies and new ship models make sure the Wipeout fanbase have something to do for a long time to come. Wipeout HD is out on the Playstation Store right now!

                      

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