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Stunning 4K remastering; hundreds of vehicles, tracks, and race modes; incredibly soundtrack
Weapons rarely of use in races; unclear weapon selection; WipEout 2048 controls feel sharper than rest of collection
The word 'omega' comes from Greek, the last letter of the language's alphabet. It's globally synonymous with finality, the end of all things, making this an ominously-titled release for Sony's futuristic, high-speed racer.
It may well be the last we see of the series, too – previous entries in the classic series, a fixture on every PlayStation console to date, were developed by Sony Studio Liverpool, formerly Psygnosis. However, Sony shuttered the developer in 2012, with this collection handled by a triumvirate of UK-based Sony Xdev Europe and Clever Beans, and Sweden's EPOS Game Studios. If it does prove to be the final lap for Sony's most confusingly capitalised title though, it's going out on a high note.
The concept of Omega Collection is sound, following in the footsteps of other remastered trilogies of PlayStation classics – think Jak and Daxter Trilogy, Ratchet and Clank, or the upcoming Crash Bandicoot compendium. However, while those other retro re-release were welcome returns of long-unavailable home console classics, this is repackaging slightly rarer titles.
This delivers upgraded versions of WipEout HD, its sizable Fury expansion, and WipEout 2048. The latter was a launch title for PlayStation Vita, while the former was an existing remastering of the even earlier Pure and Pulse, both originally released on PlayStation Portable. Yes, this means half of Omega is a remaster-of-a-remaster – but what a remaster it is.
WipEout has always dazzled visually, and that remains the case here. While WipEout HD previously maxed out at 1080p, here everything is bumped up to 4K. The detail on everything from the series' signature anti-grav ships to the intricate backgrounds of each track is simply stunning, and everything runs incredibly smoothly in even the fastest races. If you have a display capable of Ultra HD, Omega Collection is glorious to behold. It's almost difficult to believe that most of the content here originated on handhelds.
Unlike Jak and Ratchet though, Omega Collection presents as more of a melange of its constituent elements than distinct games. Campaign modes are packed in for each title, but a sleek, minimalist menu design shared across all three games makes them feel like part of a shared experience. Progression through each in turn feels quite natural, too – 2048 sees you advancing through sequential races and challenges, branching off occasionally but always earning experience to level up your rank, while HD and Fury break their content down into race brackets and modes. It's a smoothly integrated total experience, that makes this cluster of games feel like more of a cohesive whole.
Unlike most racers, WipEout has always featured elements of combat, with weapons picked up as you zoom around. Outside of combat events though, they're of little use – WipEout is so ridiculously fast, you're better off mastering speed-boosting techniques such as mid-air barrel rolls, which give you a surge of acceleration when you land, or handling tricks like side-shunting with a double tap of the air brakes to better navigate a tight corner.
Another detriment to the combat side of races is that weapon pick-ups aren't terribly clear. Perhaps it's our recent obsession with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and its super-clear race UI clouding our impressions here, but it's far less apparent which weapon you've picked up. An omnipresent announcer booming "Cannon!" or "Missile!" when rivals collect a power-up also confuses – do I have a weapon now? No, you probably don't.
2048 also features defensive weapons absent in the rest of the collection. It's one of the few elements that reminds players this isn't actually one cohesive title – get too used to using them and you'll feel their absence when tackling some of HD's tougher races. Mechanically, we found the 2048 side of the game offers smoother controls than HD/Fury too, with even the most basic ships handling far more intuitively. The latter's controls aren't bad by any measure, but occasionally feel jerkier, especially around corners or through narrow tunnels.
These relatively minor differences can't detract from everything Omega Collection offers as a whole though. With literally hundreds of vehicles, race teams, courses, and modes to unlock, there's an almost bewildering array of content to play through. Coupled with the mesmerising, trance-inducing soundtrack – another staple of the WipEout series – new or returning players will find themselves completely immersed in this racing future.
It's still sad that Psygnosis/Studio Liverpool is no more, but if Omega Collection proves a test-run for the new developers to handle a brand new, original WipEout, then the franchise looks to be in good hands.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
