WipEout HD is chaotic, aggressive, tactical, and addictive. As such, it's one of the best reasons to play your Ps3.
Not enough can really be said about what makes WipEout HD so incredible. Looking at the game from a design standpoint, the concepts behind WipEout are cool. This is a game that runs smooth and fast, and 60 frames. Each turn is a chaotic fight to stay on track (especially when trying to avoid missiles, or pilot assist is off). This is really when WipEout HD is at its best. Each of the tracks are beautifully designed, and most of them are truly breathtaking with fantastic art design, and good detail. Looking from the highest point in any of the levels, you get that same feeling as if you were at the top of a roller coaster, in sheer anticipation of the outstanding experience that is to come.
As a racer, this game has more than enough to stand against the likes of Burnout or Gran Turismo in terms of controls and overall feel. This is simply the fastest games can possibly get. The controls are excellent and easy to get a grip on. The L2 and R2 buttons on the Dualshock controller are perfect for controlling the airbrakes, which are absolutely essential in taking sharp turns without losing too much steam. With four different speed types, the latter of which get really damn fast. There is the ability to turn on pilot assist, which does a pretty good job of automatically controlling the airbrakes, without feeling too intrusive. The game never feels like it's playing itself here. WipEout HD gets the speed, controls, and overall feel down perfectly, resulting in one hell of a good time.
Of course, it's not just the racing that creates such an aggressive experience. The weapons available in WipEout are awesome. There are of course a few duds, such as the machine gun, or the shield, but there are definitely some very strongly designed destructive pieces. The plasma is very tough to aim, but nearly eliminates any opponent it comes into contact with. The rockets are strong, and have a great effect. Dealing with weapons are what makes WipEout so good. For example, there were many times where I was in first place, and had a cannon. I decided to hold off on absorbing it for energy. This turned out the be a great idea, because 10 seconds before the finish line, a dastardly enemy decided to pass me. I blew him to pieces, and won the race. Deciding what to do with weapons, when to use them, or avoiding them altogether to use speed launchers, makes this a tactically advantaged racer. We usually associate "tactical" with "slow", but this is proof that it doesn't always have to be.
The presentation is very strong, both in its visuals, and in its sound design. The game's soundtrack is perfectly pieced together, with techno artists such as Kraftwerk helping out. All of the songs are recycled from the PsP titles, but I'm not complaining. The music is never loud enough to overshadow the experience, yet it kicks in at just the right moments to provide a nice rush of adrenaline. The futuristic effects, and the sexy voice of the race guide are nice touches.
The graphics in WipEout are outstanding. The art is like a mix of Speed Racer, minus the vibrant colours, and the lame effects. This is a very clean looking game, with great textures and contrast. The fact that there is so much detail at a brisk 60 frames is nothing short of remarkable.
There are a ton of game modes to deal with in WipEout HD. Of course, there are single races and time trials, but there are tournaments, which are 12 races stuck together, with points alotted to finishing higher up the chain. Heading into the final races, and knowing you're only in 5th or 6th place, things get real serious. It's either live or die. This is a great rush. Zone mode is nothing like ever seen before. The levels take a new art style, sort of like Rez HD, or Tron. The ship keeps going faster and faster, until you eventually crash and burn. Brilliant stuff. Getting into the higher levels, with the ship going super fast, it's pure craziness.
There are a lot of multiplayer options, too. The game supports up to eight players, and you can go through any of the 16 tracks, in several of the game modes. There was never any lag or glitches in my experience online. The matchmaking and lobbies are all really streamlined and easy to navigate, and overall, multiplayer is fun, and is destined to take up your time. My only gripe is that it can be difficult to find a full game.
Buy WipEout HD. It's a chaotic, aggressive, and fun racer, with great graphics, sound, and tons of content. The fact that it's only 20 bucks should sky rocket it to the top of your list. It only takes up 1GB of space, it supports trophies, competitive and smooth multiplayer (and split screen), and an incredibly addictive campaign. If you have access to a funded PSN account, you'd be a complete moron to avoid it.