This summer we've been graced with a trifecta of AAA titles from Sony, welcomed with open arms by the PSP community. Alongside sequels to Pursuit Force and Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, we now have the sequel to the PSP's first stellar title WipEout Pure, in the form of WipEout Pulse. A return to that classic anti-gravity racing that has been with the PlayStation since day one, the question emerges as to whether Pulse can really meet and importantly outdo the prominent benchmark set by Pure.

The first thing that will hit you when you boot up the UMD is the visual design. Far removed from the almost blindingly white menu screens of Pure, Pulse is like the evil twin to its angelic sibling, booting into screens of total blackness. Pulse ventures into a desolate totalitarian future where 'Big Brother' watches your every move, with track deign and location taking obvious inspiration. Graphics are a significant improvement over Pure. Pulse is softer around the edges with less jaggies poking out and the frame-rate issues have also been addressed, resulting in a game that runs smoother than ever. In a title all about slick and fluid motion, it couldn't be better.

Soundtrack is the typical electronic fare, Aphex Twin, Stanton Warriors and the like. Whilst some of the older, more 'aggressive' music from earlier games like Prodigy's 'Firestarter' would have worked well in the new darker environment, there's fortunately the ability for custom soundtracks to pick and chose to your tastes.

Controlling a ship in WipEout has never exactly been the friendliest to new users; the all-important air-braking always takes some getting used to. For previous followers of the series though, you'll notice it feels that little bit tighter and like you're genuinely hovering rather than sliding this time around. You are also able to perform barrel rolls off jumps with a flick of the analogue nub, for that extra speed boost.

There's 12 new tracks to tackle in this instalment, each making use of the new Mag-Strip feature. Allowing you to climb walls or take steep drops, it's not simply used as a gimmick like the loop the loop in a Hot Wheels set. Rather it makes way for more organic track design, crawling up walls and back on itself like a creeping vine. Track design feels distinctly different to Pure with the blue skies traded for a dystopian world, not dissimilar to the cityscape found in Blade Runner. Each track has a distinct feeling of oppression, although it really just works to separate Pulse from the often picturesque world of Pure.

Returning from Pure, Zone mode has a larger presence this time around. Pitting you in a craft without brakes where the speed is ever increasing, you must steer your way around the course with the use of air brakes as many times as possible. Now a significant part of the single player events, you are no longer racing on custom tracks. Instead you are competing on many of the already existing tracks, but given a makeover to appear very flat and fluid. It makes it all the more challenging having to revisit tracks at a higher speed with less control, but also teaches you how to better control your craft at high speeds around each circuit.

Eliminator mode also makes a welcome return, last seen in WipEout 3. More combat-focused than the other game modes, some will love it, but others might prefer straight out racing. If you don't like it though, you're not forced to play it, so it really is a welcome inclusion. It's a lot of fun still and a refreshing change from shaving precious seconds off your lap time to take your frustration out on the opposition.

The best improvement over Pure has to be the restructuring of the single player game. Rather than simply competing in tournaments, you enter each set of events with the ability to choose which event you want to compete in. Starting with a limited choice, the grid begins to unlock as you win other races. To continue to the next cup you need to reach a certain point limit by winning races. 3 points for first, 2 points for second and 1 point for third. Unless you are scraping by on Bronze, you will normally be skipping over a few events. This gives you greater choice to select the events that suit the way you like to play. If Zone events just aren't your thing then you can basically skip over them entirely and still reach the higher levels of the game. If you prefer perfecting your every move then the time trial and speed laps might just be your thing, or else you might take pleasure in the head-to-head racing and elimination modes. It's really up to you. Further rewarding you for doing things the way you chose, you also receive loyalty points for the craft you use each race. The better you race, the more points you receive. The more points you gain, the more you'll unlock. It really reaches out to the fans, whilst still catering for those just out to skim the surface.

Photo mode is a nice inclusion, allowing you to take spiffy looking shots around the track and save them for wallpapers or precious memories. Studio Liverpool has grossly overlooked a major component of this, in that you are never shown a replay of your race. This means you either have to pause the race at the precise moment or take a snap from the computer controlled post-race gameplay. It's a nice idea, but poorly executed.

The online component of the game is as top notch as ever. Multiplayer is slick and smooth, an undisturbed joy to play. With plenty of modes, you really can't ask for more. Whilst there are no downloadable packs from Sony as yet, we can be sure to expect the same high quality content in the near future that we did with Pure. For now you'll just have to look at creating your own content in the form of custom skins for your craft. If you're feeling lazy though, there are plenty of fantastic designs out there to download amongst the fan community.


Action shots from within the game
Pulse is undoubtedly better than Pure. It's slicker, faster and all around better looking. Still WipEout Pulse isn't necessarily the essential purchase that Pure was at launch. Pure is still a fantastic game with a huge amount of content the average player is more likely yet to see. If on the other hand you played the hell out of Pure, are new to the series or just looking for an upgrade, you can't go past this instalment for the best anti-gravity racing around. It's really a game designed with the fans in mind. It excels over Pure in ways only followers of the series will truly appreciate. It's still a great choice for newcomers to the system, certainly showing off all that the PSP can offer.

Studio Liverpool really just needs to work on the user friendliness of the customisation and editing tools. Apart from that, there's not a lot to complain about. This is the best WipEout game on the market.