WipEout (Series)

Wipeout (trademarked and often referred to as WipEout) is a futuristic Anti-Gravity (AG) racing game developed by Studio Liverpool (prev. known as Psygnosis). The basic concept of WipEout is to deliver a fast-paced and action-rich racing experience, in addition to high quality graphics and music by popular artists from the "Electronic" genre. The whole WipEout Series contains 9 games across 10 Platforms, including Windows, Mac, and obviously Sony's Playstation.

Studio Liverpool has been closed in 2012, which basically meant the end of the WipEout series. Although, there are still rumors going around that the series may be continued. As of October 2015, "Formula Fusion" is looking forward to be the "unofficial" successor to the WipEout series, with ex-employees of Studio Liverpool working on the game.

Games marked with a Star(★) are recommended games and games marked with a Sun(☀) are very beginner-friendly.

WipEout

Developed by Psygnosis and originally released on Playstation and PC in 1995. One year later WipEout also got released on Sega Saturn, lacking a few visuals, but running a little faster than its Playstation counterpart. The game was put up on PlayStation Network in 2007. WipEout was the first game of the franchise and an immediate success. While the game was sold in stores, there were also Playstation Setups in various night-clubs that focused on electronic music to show off their original target audience. The game received a good rating both from the community and critics, who gave it an average rating of 8/10. It features a fast-paced, arcade racing experience. By piloting their craft over power-up pads found on the tracks, the player can pick up shields, turbo boosts, mines, shockwaves, rockets or missiles, to protect the player's craft or disrupt the competitors' craft.

Championship

WipEout's F3600 AG racing series (2052-2084) takes place in the year 2052, two years after WipEout 2048's unofficial A.G.R.C. The F3600 Racing Series was the first official international racing championship held by the Anti-Gravity Federation, a federation formed by Pir-hana to host races and championships around the world.

The F3600 Championship features a total of 4 teams and 7 tracks (the seventh track is unlocked after finishing the game). Each team has two pilots to choose from and features different ships with different handling.

Tracks

• Altima VII (Canada)
• Karbonis V (Japan)
• Terramax (Germany)
• Korodera (Russia)
• Arridos IV (United States)
• Silverstream (Greenland)
• Firestar (Mars; secret track)

Teams

• AG Systems
  • John Dekka
  • Daniel Chang
• Auricom
  • Arial Tetsuo
  • Anastasia Cherovoski
• Qirex
  • Kel Solaar
  • Arian Tetsuo
• FEISAR
  • Sofia de la Rente
  • Paul Jackson

During the racing series in 2056 AG Systems pilot Daniel Chang becomes the first fatality in AG-Racing history, which leads to the F3600 series being suspended for two years for investigation purposes.

Wipeout 2097 ★

WipEout 2097 was released on Playstation in 1996, following several releases in 1997 (PC), 1997/98 (Sega Saturn), 1999 (Amiga) and 2002 (Mac OS). The gameplay doesn't differ much from the previous game, except for new ships, weapons, tracks and one additional team (Pir-hana). Aside from the usual tactical aspects of racing, Wipeout 2097, unlike its predecessor, offered the chance to eliminate competition (or at least subdue them temporarily) by the use of weapons. Each craft had a shield energy quota, and when this quota reached zero—either from damage sustained from weapon attacks, or impact from other craft or the edges of the circuit—the craft would blow up. The biggest weapon introduced in Wipeout 2097 was the Quake Disruptor, which has been a series hall mark ever since. This weapon causes a quake to thrust a destructive wave down the track that damages the ships it smashes into. The lack of a split screen two player option on the PlayStation version was seen as a serious flaw by many gamers. Mirroring the trend of many PlayStation games early in the console's life, Wipeout 2097 offered only a console link-up section requiring players to have access to a link cable, two television sets, two PlayStation consoles, and two copies of the game.

F5000 League

WipEout 2097 takes place in the F5000 AG Racing League (2085-2115). In 2095, the team Goteki 45 was funded, though does not appear in the game, as well as Icaras (2109) and Assegai Developements (2113). 2097 Pirhana make their first appearance in the game series, even though the team has already been funded in 2044 and appeared in the 2048 A.G.R.C. Pirhana relocates to Brazil in 2115, while in the same year Quirex is renamed to Quirex Research and Developement

In WipEout 2097 the player can only select a team, instead of a particular pilot, with one ship representing the team. (Probably because the teams now have more than just two active pilots)

Tracks

• Talon's Reach (Canada)
• Sagarmatha (Nepal)
• Valparaiso (Chile)
• Phenitia Park (Germany)
• Gare d'Europa (France)
• Odessa Keys (Black Sea)
• Vostok Island (South Pacific)
• Spilskinanke (North America)

Teams

• FEISAR
• AG Systems
• Auricom
• Qirex
• Piranha (secret team)

WipEout 64

WipEout 64 was exclusively released on Nintendo 64 one month after the release of its unofficial rival F-Zero X. Thus suffered from comparisons to said game by critics and the community. Still, the game received an average rating of 8/10 with most of the critics praising the game for its visual quality. WipEout 64 is basically a copy of 2097, but with a few small additions such as Split-Screen Multiplayer and the Challenge Mode – where the player has to complete sets of challenges in predefined classes and tracks by either getting the fastest time (Time Trial), the highest placing (Race), eliminating the most opponents (Weapon), or getting all these objectives altogether (Super Combo). Available in Wipeout 64 is an unlockable weapon power-up called the "Cyclone", obtained by completing all 6 Weapon Challenges. This power-up strengthens your weapons. There is also the inclusion of an elimination counter that gauges how many opponents were eliminated in a race by the player.

Most of the tracks in Wipeout 64 feature mirrored layouts of circuits from select tracks in Wipeout and Wipeout 2097, set in different locations. Some conversions are not perfectly accurate, as some corners were eased or cut entirely, elevations were changed, and there were no split track sections. The only truly original circuit is the hidden Velocitar track, obtained by completing all 6 Race Challenges.

Tracks

• Klies Bridge (Greenland)
• Qoron IV (Unknown ocean)
• Sokana (Unknown volcano)
• Dyroness (Unknown city)
• Machaon II (South America)
• Terafumos (Unknown construction site)
• Velocitar (Lunar Simulation Environment, Texas; secret track)

Teams

• FEISAR
• AG Systems
• Auricom
• Qirex
• Piranha II (secret team)

WipEout 3 ★☀

Wipeout 3 (released as Wip3out in Europe and Japan) is the fourth game in the series. While not much of the gameplay has been changed, some new gameplay elements were introduced. Each craft is now equipped with an energy shield that absorbs damage sustained on the track; if the shield is disabled, the player's craft can be knocked out of the race. Shields are regenerated in a pit lane that is set apart from the main course. The less time spent in the pit lane, the less the shield will regenerate.

In addition to shields, each racing craft contains air brakes for navigating tight corners, as well as a "hyper-boost" option. Players can activate the hyper-boost to increase their speed, but the boost drains energy from the shields, making the craft more vulnerable. Using special speed pads on the course allows players to increase their speed without resorting to the boost.

Scattered across each raceway are weapon grids that bestow random power-ups or items. Wipeout 3 adds new weapons in addition to the five retained from previous games. Several weapons are defensive; for example, the gravity shield protects the craft from attacks and collisions for a time period. Offensive weapons are also available; craft can use rockets, missiles and mines to disable competitors. Players can use an auto-pilot power-up to safely coast through difficult turns.

Wipeout 3 was the first Wipeout game to take advantage of PlayStation controllers with analog sticks, used to offer smoother control of the player's craft.

F7200 League

WipEout 3 is set in the F7200 Racing League (2116-2155). For the first time since the A.G.R.C., the whole League is held in a single location (Mega City). On July 8th 2127 Pierre Belmondo, leader of the Anti-Gravity Federation and AG Racing Pioneer, dies at the age of 123, just after witnessing the birth of his great-great-granddaughter Natasha.

In 2132, Overtel Corporation gains full control over the F7200 Commission. In doing so, Qirex is reorganised as an independent entity. Advanced Targeting Systems Ltd., Kramer Ordnance, and Incendiary Projectile Supplies Inc. merge to form Triakis Industries.

Five years after, in 2137, the Goteki 45 base office at Makana is bombed by an unknown party. Goteki 45 shuts down as a result. Also Xios International is founded in Finland. Icaras shuts down in 2140, following the death of Burnston Burns. All their resources and assets are subsequently confiscated by FEISAR.

Three years later Van-Über Racing Developments is founded in Germany by former AG racing champion Wolfgang Van-Über. Qirex is taken over by Tigron Enterprises in 2149, the commercial arm of an underworld criminal syndicate which overthrows the Russian government. This is the result of years of financial trouble for Qirex as a result of the departure of Overtel as parent company and the recent depression in the Russian industrial sector.

One year later Assegai Developments is aquired by Pirhana, while The F7200 Commission announces plans to upgrade the league again to F9000. This approach sees dramatic changes to AG racing, most notably the emphasis on aggression and violence. Race tracks are chosen by popular vote over the next few years.

AG Systems declares bankruptcy in 2155. As a result, AG Systems' racing division is taken over by G-Tech Systems. Shortly after, EG-R Technologies is founded in China.

Tracks

Instead of being based on real world environments, all the tracks in the game are based in a fictional location named Mega City.

Special Edition added 8 more tracks, all of which are from the two previous games.

Standard tracks

• Porto Kora
• Mega Mall
• Sampa Run
• Stanza Inter
• Hi-Fumii
• P-Mar Project
• Manor Top
• Terminal

Only in Special Edition

• Talon's Reach
• Altima VII
• Sagarmatha
• Phenitia Park
• Terramax
• Gare d'Europa
• Odessa Keys
• Arridos IV

Prototype Tracks

In addition to the 8 standard tracks, there are four secret prototype tracks (six in the Japanese version and Special Edition). The four standard prototypes are made in wireframe rather than fully rendered. The two secret prototypes appear like normal tracks. They are unlocked by getting all the 64 gold medals in each speed class.

Standard prototype tracks:

• LS101/NP62
• LS102/MG71
• LS103/AW72
• LS104/AW73

Secret prototype tracks (Only in the Japanese version and Special Edition):

• LS105/GP02
• LS106/GP73

Teams

• FEISAR
• Goteki 45
• Auricom
• Piranha

• Qirex
• AG Systems
• Assegai
• Icaras

WipEout Fusion ☀

WipEout Fusion was released on Playstation 2 in 2002 and was the first WipEout game developed after Psygnosis got bought by Sony and renamed to Studio Liverpool. Not only does Fusion offer an enhanced visual style. Many gameplay additions and changes have been made. Tracks are changed somewhat from previous Wipeout games. Each track in Fusion is now a group of 3 tracks, each of which can be run in forward or reverse mode. Many tracks also contain a "trackless" section, generally a wide tree or boulder-strewn field which offers several paths for pilots, making navigation tricky. Several tracks feature split sections, in which there are multiple paths for players to follow. A few tracks also contain shortcuts, which are hidden behind false walls, or require a turbo boost power-up to successfully navigate.

AG League mode has had some changes to it from previous Wipeout titles: instead of having league challenges which encompass the entire set of tracks in sequence, there is a progression of leagues, each with a selection of between 3 and 7 tracks. The outcome of each race is scored by points, which are awarded for both finish order and eliminations. Total points determine the winner of the league. A win on a given league challenge unlocks the next (more difficult) league, or in some cases, a personal challenge against one of the pilots of a new team. Beating a pilot's challenge unlocks the team for which that pilot flies.

Challenge mode, which was introduced in Wipeout 64, has been enhanced in Fusion. Each team has its own set of 6 challenges, selected from race, time, or elimination. Each challenge must be completed with a medal to unlock the next challenge in the sequence, and the final challenge for a team must be unlocked with a gold medal in each of the other challenges. Zone mode makes its debut appearance in Fusion, although it is locked until 30% of the game is completed.

Fusion features an increase in the use of weapons; weapon pads are more plentiful, and the AI pilots seem considerably more aggressive with weaponry than in previous Wipeout incarnations. New weapons have been added to the game, including the proton cannon, grav stinger, flamethrower, and gravity bomb, as well as super weapons. Each team possess their own super weapon, which becomes available for that team's pilots when player obtains special super weapon licence, awarded by completing that team specific challenges in the Challenge mode.

Another fairly large change from previous Wipeout titles is the addition of craft upgrades. AG League races, in addition to points, also net the player credits based on performance in race (finishing order), damage (to other craft), skill, and time. These credits are used to upgrade the top speed, thrust (acceleration), lateral stability (handling), brake force, weapon power, and shield strength of a single craft. The upgraded craft is available in Arcade mode as well, but is only available to the pilot whose craft has been upgraded; the other pilot, even on the same team, must have his/her craft upgraded separately. Upgraded crafts are not used in Challenge mode; each challenge is played with the basic, unmodified craft.

F9000 League

Fusion is set in the F9000 League (2156-2170). The former F7200 Commission is renamed the F9000 International Federation of Anti-Gravity Racing. As AG-Racing is getting more and more aggressive and focused on weaponry rather than racing, people begin to develop mixed reactions. In 2162, the Anti-Gravity Purity Coalition is formed by hardcore AG Racing fans as a resistance organisation aimed to undermine the League, claiming it's been spoilt by the excessive use of weapons and elaborate track designs. Two years later, in 2164, the Temtesh Bay Disaster occurs when the recently introduced explosive missiles causes the collapse of the mine section at Temtesh Bay, killing six pilots and entombing many others for days. Three pilots later withdraw from the F9000 League. Auricom withdraw from the F9000 two years later, in protest over the League policies, shortly after they win the 2168 season with their lead pilot, Pascale Rouser.

Tracks

Unlike the previous games, each track takes on a Ridge Racer-esque style by grouping each track into 3 different courses, these can be driven forwards or backwards.

• Florion Height (Nevada, United States)
• Mandrashee (China)
• Cubiss Float (Switzerland)
• Alca Vexus (Mexico)
• Vohl Square (Russia)
• Temtesh Bay (Australia)
• Katmoda 12 (Moon)
• Devilia (planet Novon; Challenge mode only)

Teams

Out of the eight teams that appeared in Wipeout 3, only three make a return in Fusion. Every team now has something called a Super Weapon Licence, which unlocks a team's respective Super Weapon. Also, each team is represented by two pilots (as per as per the original WipEout). Craft upgrading is also introduced, and allows the players to tune the craft. The 8 teams included in Fusion, as well as their pilots are as follows:

• FEISAR
  • Daniel Johnson
  • Carlos Beneto
• Van-Über
  • Songen Grey
  • Nami Mishima
• G-Tech
  • Roberto Sergio
  • Naomi Turner
• Auricom
  • Pascale Rouser
  • Franco Gonzalez

• EG-R
  • Paul Cheung
  • Alex Reece
• Tigron
  • Omarr Khumala
  • Sveta Kirovski
• Xios
  • Natasha Belmondo
  • Zala Wollf
• Piranha
  • Myima Tsarong
  • Jann Shlaudecker

Leagues

As outlined, the core AG League mode features a progressive set of leagues. Completion of all ten unlocks a custom league feature. The ten leagues are named as follows:

• Chronos League
• Rhea League
• Oceanus League
• Thethys League
• Hyperion League
• Themis League
• Lapetus League
• Cruis League
• Thea League
• Metis League

WipEout Pure ★☀

WipEout Pure is the sixth installment in the series (also the first time available as a launch-title for Sony's Playstation-Consoles) and was released in 2005 on Playstation Portable (PSP). The developers expressed a desire to return to the handling of Wipeout 2097 and to make various changes to the track design. Most notably, the pit lane for recharging shields is absent, with the player instead being able to replenish energy by absorbing the currently-armed weapon. The return to the style of past games and streamlining of the gameplay makes up the "pure" essence of Pure.

FX300 League

WipEout Pure is set in the FX300 League (2197-"present"). After a huge downfall of AG-Racing after the F9000 League in 2170, the FX300 League was the first professional League to be held after almost 30 years. This is also the third time in the history where an entire AG Racing League is held in a single location, this time the artificial island of Makana. Because of traffic problems to the small island, the AG Racing Commission begins the construction of tracks outside Makana in 2200 to be included into the League. This is one of the preparations for the FX400 League.

2202, the team Mirage is co-founded by Sheikh Mani Zayed and Mirage Anti-Gravity Excellence Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This is the professional racing division of the company. Goteki 45 also returns to the AG-Racing League and becomes the host teams of the FX300 League. In 2206 the final season of FX300 AG Racing League is won by Triakis. However, because of their reverse-inertia deceleration system, they are stripped of the title. This is later awarded to AG Systems.

Tracks

In similar conditions to Wipeout 3, all the tracks (Except Omega League) in Wipeout Pure are located on one location, in this instance the man-made island of Makana in Hawaii.

Standard tracks

• Alpha League:
  • Vineta K
  • Modesto Heights
  • Chenghou Project
  • Blue Ridge

• Beta League:
  • Sinucit
  • Citta Nuova
  • Sebenco Climb
  • Sol 2

• Classic League:
  • Karbonis
  • Sagarmatha
  • Manor Top
  • Mandrashee

• Zone Tracks:
  • Pro Tozo
  • Mallavol
  • Corridon 12
  • Syncopia

Expansion tracks (available as DLC)

• Gamma League:
  • Exostra Run
  • Ubermall
  • Staten Park
  • Sebenco Peak

• Delta League:
  • Iridia
  • Anulpha Pass
  • Koltiwa
  • Khara Descent

• Classic League 2:
  • Altima VII
  • Odessa Keys
  • Porto Kora
  • Vohl Square

• Omega League:
  • Burgertown
  • Cardcity Run
  • Paris Hair
  • 123Klan

NOTES: The Delta tracks are sponsored by Puma in the European version. The Omega tracks are only available in the European version.

WipEout Pulse ★

WipEout Pulse was released in 2007/08 for Playstation Portable (PSP) and on Playstation 2 in 2009. The gameplay is similar to the previous games, with little to no changes at all. Yet Pulse delivers a number of new variations on this basic formula: while the game only has 12 tracks, these can be played both forwards and backwards; the race direction is marked by the suffix "White" or "Black" on the race's title (i.e. "Talon's Junction White") and may show subtle variations depending on which way they are driven. Certain circuits also have "Mag-Strips" on some portion of the track, which lock the player's ship onto the track and allow for roller coaster-esque loops, sideways U-turns, waterfall-like sheer drops, and so on. It also completely revamps the standard method of game progression.

The game features a number of extras. Players can take screenshots of in-progress races at any time from the Pause menu. Players are rewarded for using the same team's ship over and over via the Loyalty system which unlocks new ship skins. The default skin for each team is Classic. Players are able to create custom skins for any ships at the game's central website using an Adobe Shockwave-based client, which can be downloaded to the PSP by the creator and/or the public at large. Lap times and other records can also be uploaded to the game's website which features a global ranking leaderboard. (Note here that the skin editor does not exist anymore as the website was shut down).

FX400 League

Pure is set in the FX400 League (2207). The FX400 is, and will probably be the last documented League in the WipEout universe.

Tracks

There are a total of 16 tracks in the game, including the 4 extra tracks available as DLCs.

Standard tracks

• Talon's Junction
• Moa Therma
• Metropia
• Arc Prime
• De Konstruct
• Tech De Ra
• The Amphiseum
• Fort Gale
• Basilico
• Platinum Rush
• Vertica
• Outpost 7

Expansion tracks (available as DLC)

• Edgewinter
• Vostok Reef
• Gemini Dam
• Orcus

Teams

• Main contestants of the FX400 AG Racing League:
  • Assegai
  • Qirex
  • FEISAR
  • AG Systems
  • EG-X
  • Goteki 45
  • Triakis
  • Piranha

• Expansion teams (available as DLCs):
  • Mirage
  • Icaras
  • Harimau
  • Auricom

WipEout HD/Fury ★☀

WipEout HD was released in 2008 as a digital download title on Playstation Network and released on Disc in 2009.

There are five main race types in Wipeout HD: Single Race, Tournament, Speed Lap, Time Trial, and Zone. Single Race is a straight-forward start-to-finish race against seven other competitors, while Tournament is a series of consecutive races won by having the highest aggregate score. In the Speed Lap and Time Trial modes, the player races alone in an attempt to beat the clock. Finally, the unique Zone mode, first introduced in Wipeout Fusion, automates the player's acceleration control, progressively moving the craft at higher speeds. As the player's craft automatically passes through higher "zones", or categories of speed, the player must continue to navigate the course until their energy runs out and the craft explodes. The audio/visual atmosphere during Zone mode differs greatly from regular play. The environments are stripped of texture and are replaced by simple colour palettes that change as the player reaches new zones. Graphic equalizers appear on the race course and in the surrounding scenery, displaying waveforms for the currently playing audio track.

Each race type can be found in the single-player Campaign mode, which is a series of 87 different race scenarios. As the player progresses from easier events to harder ones, tracks and teams are unlocked for use in the separate Racebox mode, in which players can play one-off arcade-style races, either in single-player or two player split-screen modes. Whereas gameplay settings in Campaign mode are predetermined, they are completely customizable to the player in Racebox mode.

In addition to offline play, Wipeout HD offers an eight-player online mode. A lobby system allows players to search for and join either Single Races or Tournament races. Should a player's craft explode in an online race, it will reappear on the track moments later (as opposed to forcing the player to drop out of the race as in offline play). Voice chat is also supported.

A new introduction to the series is the Pilot Assist feature. Intended for players who are new to the series, it is a passive auto-piloting feature that assists players by nudging them away from the edges of the track or from the walls, though its effects at higher speed settings are less desirable. Wipeout HD allows players to control their craft by using the motion-sensitive features of the Sixaxis controller. Motion control comes in two variants; pitch and steering, or pitch only. The former allows the craft to be totally controlled by moving the controller, while the latter only allows the nose of the craft to be raised or lowered by motion control with the steering either controlled by analog stick or D-pad.

Also carried on from Wipeout Pulse is Photo Mode, which allows the player to take screenshots of the game and save them to the PlayStation 3 hard drive as full 1920x1080 resolution images. These photos can be manipulated before being saved, with editing functions for exposure, saturation, lens focus, depth of field and motion blur parameters. Accessed under the Photo folder in the XrossMediaBar, these images can then be transferred to PC, used as wallpaper, sent to friends, and so on.

Wipeout HD features 38 Trophies, which range from the simple – such as merely using the Photo Mode – to the difficult, such as reaching the high-speed Zone 75 in Zone Mode. Twelve of the trophies are hidden, with no description on how to obtain them visible to the player, while the final of the thirty eight trophies is a Platinum Trophy entitled "Transcendence", obtained when all other trophies have been collected (excluding additional content trophies).

WipeEout HD Fury

An expansion pack for Wipeout HD entitled Wipeout HD Fury was released on the PlayStation Store worldwide on 23 July, 2009. The pack consists of eight new tracks, 13 new ship models, and three new game modes: Eliminator, Zone Battle, and Detonator. The add-on also includes a new 80-event campaign mode, a redesigned menu interface, 13 new Trophies, and six new music tracks. Four of the new tracks included in the Fury pack are from the PlayStation Portable Wipeout games (The Amphiseum, Talon's Junction, and Tech De Ra from Wipeout Pulse; Modesto Heights from Wipeout Pure) and include accompanying "reverse" tracks. The remaining four tracks in the expansion pack (Pro Tozo, Mallavol, Corridon 12, and Syncopia) are taken from Wipeout Pure and are playable exclusively in Zone, Zone Battle, and Detonator events.

The DLC is already included in the On-Disc version of the game.

FX350 League

WipEout HD/Fury takes place in the FX350 League. The FX350 is the developmental ground for pilots transitioning from the FX300 to the FX400 League. It is also a proving ground for the team's prototype ships.

Tracks

• Wipeout HD:
  • Vineta K
  • Anulpha Pass
  • Moa Therma
  • Chenghou Project
  • Metropia
  • Sebenco Climb
  • Ubermall
  • Sol 2

• Wipeout HD Fury:
  • Talon's Junction
  • The Amphiseum
  • Modesto Heights
  • Tech De Ra

• Zone-only tracks (available within Wipeout HD Fury):
  • Pro Tozo
  • Mallavol
  • Corridon 12
  • Syncopia

Teams

There are 12 teams in the full Wipeout HD game. All the teams are taken from Wipeout Pulse and share the same statistics from the game.

• FEISAR
• Qirex
• Piranha
• AG Systems
• Triakis
• Goteki 45
• EG-X
• Assegai
• Mirage
• Harimau
• Auricom
• Icaras

WipEout 2048 ★☀

WipEout 2048 is the latest installment of the series and was released in 2012 as a launch-title for Sony's Playstation Vita. It is also the last title issued from Studio Liverpool before its closure on 22 August 2012. Wipeout 2048 is set in the near future, and relative to previous games, takes place much earlier in the Wipeout timeline, as the new sport of anti-gravity racing is beginning to emerge, making it a prequel. Tracks are also wider than previous entries, which the team hopes will allow for greater use of combat. The game makes use of the new input methods of the console, with the touch-sensitive screen used for firing and absorbing weapons, and the rear touchpad used for acceleration; it will also feature optional tilt control improved from Wipeout HD using the accelerometers and gyroscopes. The microphones can also be used for voice-activated weapons.

For multiplayer, the game will also feature cross-platform online racing, with the cross play multiplayer allowing players from the PlayStation 3 version of Wipeout HD/Fury to play the HD/Fury tracks against those on the handheld console. Online multiplayer will be based on the campaign structure, featuring missions that each player must undertake, such as sticking to the top tier of the course or finishing in the top half of the leaderboard; these missions will allow novice players to progress as well as unlock new content.

WipEout HD/Fury DLC

On 19 June 2012, Studio Liverpool released the first major DLC for Wipeout 2048, the Wipeout HD/Fury DLC. It contains all the ships, tracks, and Campaign events from the original Wipeout HD/Fury on the PlayStation 3 to be playable for the Vita version with the same graphics as 2048. This DLC completes the collection of ships and tracks for the Cross Play mode. The DLC can either be bought separately (HD or Fury packs) or bundled together. However, as a Cross-Buy DLC, for those who have already purchased the HD/Fury full game on the PS3 will receive both the packs for the Vita or vice versa for free.

A.G.R.C. League

WipEout 2048 is set in the A.G.R.C. (2048-2051), the first Anti-Gravity Racing Championship. As such, dedicated racing tracks are yet to be built, and so races take place in city streets. Set in Studio Liverpool's interpretation of New York City in the near future, races are be three-tiered, with lower levels showing off architectural details, while higher levels show off the modern, futuristic elements of the city.

Tracks

In similar circumstance to Wipeout 3 and Wipeout Pure, all the tracks are situated in a single location. In this case, they are all in the New York City-inspired Nova State City.

• Unity Square
• Metro Park
• Queens Mall
• Capital Reach
• Empire Climb
• Rockway Stadium
• Downtown
• Subway
• Sol
• Altima

Wipeout HD/Fury DLC

• Vineta K
• Anulpha Pass
• Moa Therma
• Chenghou Project
• Metropia
• Sebenco Climb
• Ubermall
• Sol 2
• Talon's Junction
• The Amphiseum
• Modesto Heights
• Tech De Ra

Teams

All the original teams make an appearence in Wipeout 2048, along with a precursor to the Piranha team, Pir-hana.

• FEISAR
  • FEISAR Speed
  • FEISAR Fighter
  • FEISAR Agility
  • FEISAR Prototype

• AG Systems
  • AG Systems Speed
  • AG Systems Fighter
  • AG Systems Agility
  • AG Systems Prototype

• Qirex
  • Qirex Speed
  • Qirex Fighter
  • Qirex Agility
  • Qirex Prototype

• Auricom
  • Auricom Speed
  • Auricom Fighter
  • Auricom Agility
  • Auricom Prototype

• Pir-hana
  • Pir-hana Speed
  • Pir-hana Fighter
  • Pir-hana Agility
  • Pir-hana Prototype

For the first time in the series, each of the teams has a ship made with specialty in a particular race type. There are 20 ships in the game, divided into four categories: Speed, Fighter, Agility, and Prototype.

Speed ships are the fastest of the ship classes, but have poor health and weak firepower. They can't pickup Quake and Bombs due to their smaller figure.

Fighter ships, on the other hand, excel in health and firepower at the cost of speed and handling. They can't pickup Mines because of their aggressive manner.

Agility ships have better handling than any other ship classes, but are not particularly fast. They can't pickup Bombs, which might cause them to interfere their handling.

Prototype ships are ships with unique features. Prototype ships can only be unlocked by completing Prototype Challenges that become available as the player ranks up, Each Prototype Ship Has Special Abilities And Weaknesses.

Trivia

• Although this is the last game of the Wipeout series as of February 2012, it is the first in the Wipeout storyline.

• The intro shows the evolution of racing from the post-war to the AGRC days with vehicles using FEISAR's colour pattern. However, the company wouldn't be founded until 2036.

• Fictional vehicles from MotorStorm: Apocalypse make brief cameos in the same intro's 2025 scene, such as the Patriot V8 XR, the Wulff DT566M, and the Ozutsu Blacksun J-GT.

• This game features weapons capable of destroying ships, barrel rolls, and Mag-Strips before they became available in the previous entries (2097, Pure, and Pulse respectively), meaning they were probably banned when the AGRC ended in 2050.

• Upon closer inspection, ships in Wipeout 2048 have gearboxes equipped as in modern automobiles. While the ship shifts gears, the game camera shakes a little. Ships may have "infinite" gears, however, due to the fact that they continue to shift gears even if they're running at top speed, most likely resembling the CVT system. There seems to be no explanation for this.