A Fan-Favorite Franchise Is Finally Being Revived
No one saw this comeback coming.
This article is more than 2 years old
Following the footsteps of Super Mario Rush, Nintendo’s first mobile game, or Final Fantasy VIII, which was recently remastered and made available for iOS and Android, the iconic WipEout gaming series is being revived and brought to mobile. The newest addition to the series, the WipEout Rush, will release some time next year on both Android and iOS systems, bringing the fast-paced, anti-gravity racing title to mobile gamers.
The WipEout gaming series is back, though different from what the fandom remembers. Instead of reviving the cult-classic PlayStation title on its original platform, Rogue Games, the game’s developer, decided to rethink WipEout as a mobile game with added mechanics and improved visuals, as reported by IGN. The company is proud to bring WipEout back to life, though in a new form, but still adhering to the tried-and-tested formula that earned the series’ its critical acclaim.
WipEout Rush, the new addition to the WipEout gaming series, will include 60 ships from the original games and a comic book-influenced single-player campaign consisting of 12 championship cup races – which have their own narrative. So, it’s more than just anti-gravity, fast-paced racing. On the technical side of things, the game’s gorgeous visuals will run at 60fps (frames per second) on modern mobile hardware, accompanied by a fitting electronica soundtrack done by Alastair Lyndsay – an appropriate nod to the original games.
The WipEout gaming series initially debuted with the same-name release in 1995 as a PlayStation racing game. Unique for its futuristic setting, outstanding graphics, soundtrack, and fast-paced gameplay, WipEout was very well received by the audience, through its appearing in a teen cult film Hackers, starring Angelina Jolie, probably contributed to the game’s exceptionally positive reception. However, its sequel, the WipEout 2097, was particularly well-received by both critics and the audience, earning it a spot among PlayStation’s best games.
Despite the popularity and critical acclaim of the original 1995 game and its sequel, critics questioned the title’s longevity and potential to hold a long-lasting lifespan, especially when compared to 1992’s Super Mario Kart, whose latest release, Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, launched in October 2020. In retrospect, WipEout was synonymous with Sony’s debut gaming hardware, showcasing the 3D graphics capabilities of Sony’s gaming console. However, given Nintendo and Sony’s very brief moment of collaboration and long competition history, WipEout’s release could be interpreted as Sony’s answer to Nintendo’s Mario Kart series.
Though probably not as popular or well-known as the Mario Kart series, the WipEout series proved popular enough to withstand the test of time, despite its original developer’s closure in 2012. The game’s latest title, WipEout Omega Collection, was a remaster of the series previous two tiles, designed to run at 1080p on PlayStation 4 and 4K on PlayStation 4 Pro, both at 60fps. Rogue Games’ announcement only serves as an affirmation and a response to the critics’ initial questioning of the game’s longevity. The upcoming WipEout Rush, set to release in early 2022, confirms the series’ continuous defiance in the face of non-relevance, which has consumed numerous gaming franchises throughout the years.
