PSP Game Profile: Wipeout Pulse

Sony’s Liverpool studio made the megaton announcement this week that they are hard at work on a sequel to the massively popular Wipeout: Pure on PSP. The first Wipeout was one of the standout launch games for the PSP when it was released in North America just over two years ago, and many PSP owners (including ourselves) have fond memories of playing this game to death while waiting for the next must-own title to arrive. Well, the wait for quality PSP titles eventually ended, but that does not make Pulse any less eagerly anticipated. Wipeout: Pure had style galore, and from the first screenshots below, Pulse will follow in the same tradition. This game literally has us salivating in anticipation, and we promise to bring you more once we get our hands on additional details.

What? Precious little is known about Wipeout Pulse following the first official announcement this week that it is in development. However, Studio Liverpool has boasted that the game will feature a total of 24 tracks (plus downloadable material once the game goes gold). Gameplay will remain faithful to the Wipeout formula, however developers have added a new gameplay element called the “Mag Strip”. These portions of the track will lock the player into place, allowing for spectacular loops and stunts.

Perhaps the biggest bombshell in this week’s announcement is that Pulse will feature online multiplayer for the first time, allowing players to take on an undisclosed number of strangers over infrastructure, as well as the usual ad-hoc multiplayer modes.

When? Wipeout Pulse is already out in EU territories, but Studio Liverpool is taking their time with the North American release. We will get it on February 12, 2007.

Who? The game is being developed in-house by Sony Studio Liverpool. Interestingly, other than the Wipeout franchise, the only other notable titles to come out of this studio have been the Formula 1 games for PSP and Ps2. Our Liverpudlian friends certainly seem to know what they are doing when it comes to moving things around a track really fast.

Wipeout Pulse Screens: