Wipeout 2048
Wipeout 2048 | ||
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Designer(s) Karl Jones | | |
Programmer(s) |
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Artist(s) |
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Series | Racing | |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Wipeout 2048 is a
The game was designed as a testbed for the PlayStation Vita. During development, Studio Liverpool staff sent feedback about aspects that could affect the Vita design to Sony. Some of their suggestions, including the addition of a rear touchscreen and two separate joysticks, were added to the Vita.
Wipeout 2048 preserves some technical aspects of its predecessor game
Gameplay
Wipeout 2048 is a
During races, numerous weapons may be picked up by flying the vehicle over coloured weapon pads. Yellow pads equip the player with offensive weaponry that can be used to destroy other racers whereas green pads provide defensive weapons such as mines, shields, and speed boosts.[8] Game modes including one-on-one races, tournaments, time trials, speed laps, and Zone mode—which revolves around survival as the player's ship automatically accelerates to extreme speeds—have been carried over from Wipeout HD.[9]
The online
Development
Conception
Studio Liverpool's
Design
The Wipeout 2048 development team recognised the PlayStation Vita and the PlayStation 3 are different. Lovegrove said designing for the Vita's smaller screen made it easier to develop, avoiding earlier problems of designing a game targeted for an
Although Wipeout 2048 and Wipeout HD have a shared
To accommodate the visual fidelity, the team compromised on the frame rate. Roberts said the decision was made early in development since they initially expected the PlayStation Vita could run PlayStation 3 assets at 30 frames per second (fps).[14] The team used code from Wipeout HD as a reference to make the development process more efficient; the art and technical teams of Studio Liverpool worked in parallel. Lovegrove agreed 30 fps was always the goal because the team wanted to prioritise visual quality. In a Eurogamer interview, Roberts said Studio Liverpool was one of the first developers to use a dynamic framebuffer on the PlayStation 3: an algorithm that reduces resolution when the game engine is stressed, maintaining performance and optimising the frame rate. The technique, known as resolution throttling, was carried over from Wipeout HD to Wipeout 2048: according to Roberts: "If you are dead set on locking frame-rate and resolution your whole game is (graphically) restricted by the worst-case scenario".[14]
Release and reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
UGO | B[31] |
VentureBeat | 65%[32] |
Wipeout 2048 was released as a launch game for the PlayStation Vita in early 2012.[17] It received generally positive reviews. It has an average score of 79 per cent at Metacritic, based on an aggregate of 63 reviews,[16] and was Metacritic's 20th-highest-ranked PlayStation Vita game of 2012.[33] The game was nominated in the Best Handheld Game category at the 2012 Golden Joystick Awards.[34] Wipeout 2048 was the second-best-selling PlayStation Vita game in the United Kingdom at the time of its launch, behind Uncharted: Golden Abyss.[35][36]
Critics praised Wipeout 2048's graphics and visuals, calling them a showcase for the PlayStation Vita's power.
Willington noted the
Critics enjoyed Wipeout 2048's use of the PlayStation Vita's analogue control sticks.[28][29][27] Jeuxvideo.com's Goyon praised the optimisation of the Vita's gyroscope and touchpad features, and the effective use of the analogue stick.[28] According to Parkin, the technical impediments made it a learning curve for the developers; he said they did not intend to reduce the manoeuvrability of the PlayStation Vita's analogue stick in contrast to Wipeout HD.[27] Digital Spy's Mark Langshaw found the PlayStation Vita's analogue stick to be smooth and responsive, although he questioned its accessibility for players unfamiliar to the series. He enjoyed the use of the gyroscope and touchpad to manoeuvre and collect power-ups, respectively, but said the touchpad does not have the same level of accuracy as its physical alternative.[29] The gameplay was well regarded, including its replay value and balanced difficulty.[20][22][23] Game Informer's Dan Ryckert considered the replay value moderate; although its analogue stick does a "good job" of controlling the ships, it has a noticeable lack of traction.[23] According to Hindman, the game would have benefited from a customisable control configuration and the three default setups are unsatisfactory.[21] Willington cited Wipeout 2048 as the best handheld Wipeout, praising its tight controls and variety of content.[30] Edge praised the multiplayer mode, saying it "adds weight and value to the package" and gives a unique slant to the Vita's online potential.[22] Shea and Bailey noted the reduced frame rate of 30 fps, a step down from the franchise's traditional 60 fps.[19][9] Jeff Gerstmann of Giant Bomb thought the frame rate occasionally affects gameplay and speed but said it was mostly stable.[17] Ian Dransfield of Play praised the replay value and multiplayer functions, saying; "It's the sort of game you’ll find yourself coming back to again".[18] David Meikleham called Wipeout 2048's balanced difficulty consistently excellent, praising its long campaign as "surprisingly hefty" and not an "on-the-go time-waster".[20]
Although Wipeout 2048's gameplay was mainly well received, its long loading times were criticised.[9][18][19] Gerstmann noted technical problems, particularly its loading times.[17] IGN's Cam Shea called the 30-second loading time frustrating "when all you want to do is race"[9] and Gameplanet's Adam Goodall described the long loading times as awful but said it is not enough to make the game a failure and that the overall game experience is "deeply satisfying".[26] GamesRadar's Kathryn Bailey said the online mode is well-executed, highly accessible and a "credit to Wipeout". She said its user interface is clean and shiny, and called the touchscreen-based menu system "a pleasure to behold".[19] The Guardian's Simon Parkin criticised the protracted loading times, saying a pause at least twenty seconds too long has a negative effect in the era of "insta-fix mobile gaming on the rival platforms".[27]
Willington found the lengthy load time plagued the game and was "totally at odds" with the normal pace of gameplay.[30] Gaston said the loading time is "simply unforgivable"; he routinely waited over 50 seconds for a selected race to start, which minimised the ability to comfortably play "on the go".[5] Walton also found the long loading times infuriating for a handheld game, and said having to wait more than 40 seconds to start a race is far longer than it should have been.[24] Although Furfari found the game had one of the longest loading times on the PlayStation Vita, he said it is not a "deal breaker" and that Wipeout 2048 is one of the few racing games for the console he recommended.[31] Although Haley noted the substantial loading times, he said it is a common feature in PlayStation Vita launch games.[32]
References
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (13 February 2012). "Shippin' Out Feb. 12-18: Twisted Metal, PS Vita games". GameSpot. Fandom. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "Wipeout 2048 JP release pushed to January, Gravity Daze down for February". VG247. 9 November 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "WipEout 2048 Review". Eurogamer. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Massongill, Justin (6 June 2017). "Wipeout Omega Collection Launches Today". PlayStation Blog. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Gaston, Martin (13 February 2012). "WipEout 2048 review". VideoGamer.com. CandyBanana. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ CBS Interactive. 2 June 2011. Archivedfrom the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- PlayStation Blog. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- Siliconera. 22 August 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Shea, Cam (13 February 2012). "Wipeout 2048 Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Kuchera, Ben (2 June 2011). "Hands on with Sony's NGP: the system, the games, the size!". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ Chester, Chris (2 June 2011). "NGP's Wipeout 2048 has cross-play with PS3 Wipeout". Destructoid. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- Siliconera. 19 June 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- PlayStation Blog. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Leadbetter, Richard (31 March 2012). "Tech Interview: WipEout 2048". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
- ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (30 November 2014). "WipEout: The rise and fall of Sony Studio Liverpool". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- ^ CBS Interactive. Archivedfrom the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ CBS Interactive. Archived from the originalon 7 August 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ a b c Dransfield, Ian (16 February 2012). "Review – Wipeout 2048". Play. Imagine Publishing. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ GamesRadar. Future plc. Archived from the originalon 28 September 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Official PlayStation Magazine. Future plc. Archived from the originalon 22 February 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Game Revolution. AtomicOnline. Archived from the originalon 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Wipeout 2048 review". Edge. Future plc. 14 February 2012. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d Ryckert, Dan (13 February 2012). "Wipeout 2048 review". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ CBS Interactive. p. 2. Archived from the originalon 15 February 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ a b North, Dale (13 February 2013). "Review: Wipeout 2048". Destructoid. Destructoid LLC. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d Goodall, Adam (27 February 2012). "WipEout 2048 review". Gameplanet. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f Parkin, Simon; Cowen, Nick; Ditum, Sarah; Boxer, Steve (13 February 2012). "PS Vita launch titles – reviews". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d Goyon, Frederic (13 February 2012). "Test WipEout 2048 sur Vita". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). Webedia. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d Langshaw, Mark (15 February 2012). "'WipEout 2048' review (Vita)". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Willington, Peter (13 February 2012). "WipEout 2048 review: Not so humble beginnings". Pocket Gamer. Steel Media. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ UGO. UGO Entertainment. Archived from the originalon 19 February 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d Haley, Sebastian (18 February 2012). "Wipeout 2048 boldly stays where it has always been before (review)". VentureBeat. p. 2. Archived from the original on 25 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- CBS Interactive. Archived from the originalon 7 February 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ Nunneley, Stephany (23 August 2012). "Golden Joystick Awards 2012 finalists announced". VG247. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- GamesRadar. Future plc. Archived from the originalon 11 April 2017. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- ^ Liebl, Matt (27 February 2012). "PlayStation Vita titles dominate UK Top 40 Software Sales charts". GameZone. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
External links
- Official website – UK (archived)
- Official website – North America (archived)