Wipeout Omega Collection

We're going to start this otherwise glowing review with a complaint. Why? Because we really wish that this was a new Wipeout game. Since Sony shuttered Studio Liverpool - formerly known as Psygnosis - there hasn't been anything new released in the much-loved racing series. This is nothing short of a shame as it's one of our favourites, and the absence of one of the genre greats on PlayStation 4 has left a hole in the console's lineup that this remastered collection is looking to fill. Wipeout Omega Collection thus brings a huge amount of high-speed content to Sony's console, and if you've got a PS4 Pro and a suitable screen, then you can even enjoy this futuristic racer in 4K/60FPS.

But before we get into what this collection has to offer, and even how it looks and feels to play, let's get the basics out of the way. Wipeout is an anti-grav racer where players pilot ridiculously high-powered ships around twisting tracks, picking up weapons and blasting their foes, zipping between speed boosts, and generally trying to keep it together as the races get progressively more intense. One element that perhaps represents the series better than anything else - beyond the setting and genre - is the pumping soundtrack, with the original PSOne game capturing the attention of a new generation of gamers thanks to pulsating tunes that tapped into the rave culture of the '90s. The music, the setting, the violence: it all combined to give Wipeout an edge, setting it apart from the competition and leading it to the cult status that it still enjoys to this day.

The core elements that defined the series endure, and Wipeout Omega Collection does a fantastic job of accentuating its qualities, and it does so with shiny versions of the most recent releases in the series. Wipeout 2048 launched on PS Vita back in 2012, and it's the first thing you're invited to play when you boot up the game. Then there's Wipeout HD, which is almost a decade old and first landed on PS3, and included tracks previously seen in PSP games Pure and Pulse. Alongside the already remastered tracks of old came the then new tracks found in expansion Fury HD. Simply put, there's a lot here for players to get their teeth stuck into.

The way it has all been pulled together works really well. 2048 is a great starting point as the in-game action pre-dates the rest of the series, and there's a really nice blend of futuristic elements and more recognisably contemporary backgrounds. We then fast-forward a few decades for Wipeout and Fury, and things look altogether more metallic and futuristic. All told, it's a great collection of content that does a fantastic job of summing up what the whole series is all about.

The Omega Collection might offer a generous assortment of tracks and racers (with 26 reversible circuits, and 46 ship variants), but the first thing that will strike you is just how good it looks on PS4. Epos Game Studios and Clever Beans have done a fine job of modernising the game for a new generation. That said, nostalgic fans will also enjoy the work that has gone into updating these tracks, and it's no exaggeration to say that it all looks freshly-minted, a true modern-looking racer packed full of interesting details and eye-catching effects that you're going to be too busy to take in any way. Still, it's nice to know that they're there.

There are multiple game modes across all three parts of the game, and you won't get bored quickly, and that's whether you're racing against AI-controlled opponents, yourself and your previous personal bests, or even going on endurance runs and staying alive for as long as possible while the pace quickens and you're thrown into hard left after hard right. The constant change of focus keeps things fresh, then, and because you're frequently faced with new challenges, it's easy to get lost in the moment and the time can really fly by (pardon the pun).

Events and new vehicles are unlocked over time, and there's plenty to do if you dig into the campaigns of all three. It's a game you could pick up and play for a few hours and have a great time with, but, equally, it'll also cater for those who develop a serious addiction. On top of that, the many tracks and ships are all unlocked in the Racebox, where you can access all of the various game modes - Single Race, Time Trial, Speed Lap, Eliminator, Zone, Zone Battle, Detonator, and Tournament - and set up local versus matches. Of course, while the race modes are always going to be the main attraction, the endurance races and chaotic combat events mix things up and provide variety. Finally, there's also the option to venture online, but this isn't something we've been able to test ahead of writing this review.

While there perhaps could have been more extras, the whole thing is wrapped up in a polished package, with a cohesive UI holding things together, and accessible settings on hand for those who like to tinker (or take advantage of drive assists, if you're more of a casual racer). When racing the visuals are striking, and the frame-rate seemed to hold very steady, with no noticeable drops at all, even in local split-screen (although admittedly, we only played a handful of local MP races, most of our time was spent hogging the big screen in campaign mode). Finally, the soundtrack is as toe-tapping as the series' legacy suggests it will be thanks to a soundtrack packing both new and returning tunes. With a good set of headphones and a 4K setup, you're going to get a mesmerising and intense experience.

But all the settings and trimmings are secondary to gameplay itself, and in this key respect Wipeout Omega Collection absolutely delivers. The transition from 2048 to HD and Fury is natural, and while things certainly look a little different on the track, it largely works in the same way, with players needing to hit speed boosts, grab offensive and defensive weapons (and, you know, use them effectively), and squeeze those air brakes in time to help them cleanly take corners and avoid the odd obstacle that comes along. The roads are twisty and often spectacularly designed, with eye-catching background detail whizzing by while you tear through corners and search for the numerous shortcuts needed to give you that little edge required to shave a few seconds off your best times or get ahead of the pack.

Earlier this year we enjoyed Shin'en Multimedia's Fast RMX, which landed as a launch title for Nintendo Switch. Now the game that inspired it is back, and once again Sony's sci-fi racer is leading the pack. Despite its undoubted quality, our chief frustration remains the fact that this isn't a new entry in the series, rather it's more of a retrospective look back at its most recent history. With that being the case, perhaps more could have been done to celebrate its legacy via added extras (that's a small gripe, though, and we recognise that those extras would have been baubles on the branches, and not the tree itself).

Nevertheless, what's here is extensive, and has been updated for PlayStation 4 to an impressive extent, to the point where the games contained herein still feel as fresh as they did when they first launched back in the day. If you're an existing fan, the mid-tier pricing feels about right for what's here, and it's clear that a lot of care and attention has gone into creating this updated collection. On the other hand, if you've never played Wipeout before and you like aggressive, pulsating high-speed action, you won't find anything out there better than this.