Although it made an appearance on Sega's doomed Saturn console, wipEout is more or less a PlayStation staple, appearing on every machine Sony's released. That trend continues this May, when the long awaited and downloadable wipEout HD hits the PlayStation Network. Despite it being a mish mash of other games in the series, this super fast and gorgeous arcade racer should satisfy your need for speed.

Similar to previous games in the series, wipEout HD is about going fast and winning by any means necessary. It's a futuristic racer chock full of twisty tracks full of neon. You race to a techno beat against a series of skilled opponents, either computer or human controlled, and you'll need to keep your wits about you. In addition to navigating the well-designed courses, you'll also need to keep an eye on your competitors, who'll pick up 11 types of items strewn across the tracks and use them to against you. (It's one thing to worry about crashing into walls. It's another to worry about crashing into walls and dodging landmines.) Thankfully, you can return the pain by getting the weapon items first. The leech beam, for example, lets you drain your foes' energy, while the canon tears them to shreds.

Not all items are lethal, however. Autopilot hands the controls to the computer, which will successfully steer your craft for several seconds; while Turbo gives you a necessary speed boost (comes in handy near the finish line). The Shield also proves useful, as it encases your craft within an impenetrable force field.

Furthermore, the game has seven modes. Single Race allows eight teams to compete with or without weapons; Tournament throws you into a series of races; Time Trial tests your ability to beat the clock and Speed Lap challenges you to record the best lap time. If timing isn't your goal, Zone forces you to avoid blowing up despite the game getting progressively faster; then there's online racing for up to eight players; and Photo Mode (more a novelty than dedicated game mode) gives you the option of pausing the action at any time, snapping pictures and saving them to the PS3 hard drive.

Despite all these features, wipEout HD will look familiar because it features old content. Instead of creating new tracks, Sony borrowed eight from the previous PSP wipEouts, Pure and Pulse, such as Vineta-K, Ubermall, Sebenco Climb and Chenghou Project. What sets this game apart from the others however, are its spectacular visuals. WipEout HD runs in at 60 frames per second in full high definition 1080p. It is without question the most gorgeous game in the series; chock full of amazing details and lightning fast gameplay. And to sweeten the deal, it runs in 5.1 Dolby surround, all the better to hear its techno beats.

With its gorgeous eye candy, speedy racing and tons of weapons, craft and modes, wipEout HD should quickly become one of the PS3's most popular games. It's not a brand new entry, but with graphics like these, we're not about to argue. Strap in and careen around those sharp turns this May.

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wipEout HD Game Guide