It’s interesting – despite not featuring actual gameplay content from the original 90’s games, there’s a fair whiff of nostalgia for those titles in Omega Collection, from old returning artists to the special pre-order artwork for some retail copies, which makes the game look like a PlayStation 1 title. Like always, the music blends seamlessly into gameplay, and there’s actually been a handful of times I’ve had to pause the game to look up the track on Spotify for later listening. WipEout is well known for helping to popularise electronic dance music artists, and some of them return here, with familiar tracks from The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers, alongside newish artists like ADDIKTON and CODE:MANTA. Omega Collection also adds a new, revamped soundtrack. It’s fast-paced, teeth-grittingly tense and an insane amount of fun. But, it’s also a game that rewards practice and technical skill, especially if you find the ship that’s right for you, as you learn to airbrake, barrel roll and memorise every shortcut in every track. When you’re new to the game, you’re constantly fighting not just other ships but the track itself, learning how exactly to pilot around without grinding into walls with every turn. Power-up pads along the circuits can provide defensive or offensive help – like speed boosts to get the edge on competitors (or sent you flying off the track, if you’re not careful), or offensive weapons that can maim or outright destroy and permanently remove other players from a race. Set in the future, the games follow a series of violent and insanely high-speed racing tournaments, in anti-gravity ships that float with zero friction along the track. If you’re not familiar with WipEout, it’s the pure video-game translation of adrenaline. That being said, now we’re playing with the power of PS4 (and even moreso with PS4 Pro), and WipEout Omega Collection brings enhanced visuals, a frame-rate as smooth as a shaved pick-up line and classic split-screen local multiplayer. If you own and have clocked the PS Vita version like I have, be aware that you are essentially getting the same content here – all the tracks, events, manufacturers and vehicles from WipEout 2048, WipEout HD and HD’s expansion Fury. Now, it’s time for the rest of the world to finally get up to speed, as WipEout Omega Collection brings this entire package over to PS4. A shame, as not only was it a hugely fun game in its own right, but the developers were even able to add in the entire content of WipEout HD and Fury for free if you already owned the games digitally – a fantastic deal. While its developers, Studio Liverpool (formerly Psygnosis), have now closed, they did release their magnum opus in the form of the excellent WipEout 2048 in 2012… onto the PlayStation Vita, thus ensuring nobody played it. During the PS1 and PS2 eras, WipEout was synonymous with Sony, bringing high-speed futuristic racing like F-Zero, combined with the power-ups and strategy of Mario Kart, all to the beat of awesome electronic soundtracks. The WipEout franchise stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Crash Bandicoot as one of the original flagship titles for the PlayStation, despite originally appearing on the Saturn and PC alongside its initial release.
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