Wipeout 2048
By Chad Sapieha,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sci-fi racer delivers high-octane thrills, fantasy violence.
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Wipeout 2048
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What’s It About?
Sony's long-lived futuristic racing franchise makes its debut on the PlayStation Vita in WIPEOUT 2048. Fans of the series know what to expect: Sleek hover-vehicles armed with a variety of powerful weapons racing through the streets of the cities of tomorrow to a thumping background score. As usual, players unlock new vehicles as the game progresses, each suited to particular kinds of races. Some are speedy, some are tough, and some are jacks-of-all-trades, masters of none. Players can steer using the Vita's analog stick or by tilting the device left and right, controlling thrust with the rear touch pad. The single-player mode offers plenty of challenges to work through, and players interested in testing their mettle against human opponents can play against up to eight others locally or online over WiFi. There's even a cross-platform mode that allows Vita players to race against friends playing on a PlayStation 3.
Is It Any Good?
There's not a lot here that Wipeout fans haven't seen before, but it's been done well. Stunning city spires slide past slick as butter on a hot pan as our hovering racers zip through curving avenues at a breakneck clip. The sense of speed is excellent, and the frame rate never stutters. Plus, there's probably no better experience on Sony's nascent handheld for fans of multiplayer gaming.
The only serious problem is the same one that plagues all Wipeout games: Things end up feeling a bit repetitive after a while. There may be plenty of race modes and different vehicles to choose from, but everything feels just a little same-y. Still, it always remains fun to revisit for a quick race now and again. Wipeout 2048 is fine -- but not exceptional -- fun for fans of fantasy racing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about driver safety. What are some of the consequences associated with high-speed driving? Do you know anyone affected by a car accident? Could that accident have been avoided if the drivers were more cautious?
Families can also discuss violence in media. Violence, even when it only involves the destruction of inanimate or mechanical objects, can still be scary and have an impact on the viewer. How do you decided what's safe for your kids?
Game Details
- Platform: PlayStation Vita
- Available online?: Not available online
- Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
- Release date: February 22, 2012
- Genre: Racing
- Topics: Cars and Trucks
- ESRB rating: E10+ for Fantasy Violence
- Last updated: August 29, 2016
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