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When “Wipeout Omega Collection” was released last year in June, it was well received, sitting at 86.48% on GameRankings, it was praised for its stunning 4K visuals and solid frame rate. Since then Sony XDev has been busy working on a free update (Yes you read that right) which was making the “Wipeout Omega Collection” compatible with PlayStation VR.

Who ever thought that an almost one-year-old “Wipeout” PS4 game would become a top player on the VR game market thanks to a recent VR update. Well, that’s the truth of the day.

Now you have to be wondering what’s the catch? Because free VR update has to come with some kind of a catch right? I mean, it must be a one-off experience like the Star Wars VR or some bare bones mode like in Gran Turismo Sport. Well, that’s where you’d be wrong. You see, this is the full-fat package. As the entire game is compatible with PS VR, including playing other players online. So not only that the conversion is one of the best on the platform, but it’s also one of the best VR titles on the market right now. Simply put, “Wipeout OC VR” is bloody phenomenal.

Don’t get me wrong now, all the tracks are great in “Wipeout OC VR”. However, I still like the Zone tracks the most.

In other words, you simply haven’t experienced a real racing game like this until you try Wipeout VR, the sense of speed, the insane twists and turns and the experience can be customised to your liking. You can lock the camera to the cockpit or to the pilots heading, meaning you really get a sense of the ship turning and yes, that includes the 360-barrel-role. Each ship has been redesigned with a player cockpit in mind, so some of the iconic long noses have been replaced, unfortunately this means most of the ships look the same aside a few.

The visuals are without the best available on PSVR, and that’s whether you’re using the normal PS4 or the PS4 Pro. As you start the race, you’re sat within the cockpit, with a moment to look around you and take in the atmosphere. So once you’re ready to race, the cockpit changes as a black visor pulls over your head, helping you focus your eyes on the road ahead of you.

wipeout omega collection vr epic graphics

Visually, “Wipeout OC VR” is probably the best-looking VR game on the platform (in this case, the PS4).

Describing this doesn’t really do as much justice as experiencing it, because you truly do feel like you’re inside of racing ship’s cockpit. Furthermore, what enhances the experience even more is the fantastic sound design. So along with the update, Sony XDev have also added 3D Audio couple that with the awesome soundtrack and sounds from the other craft complete the experience, this is what racing games should feel like, the bar has just been raised.

The track designs stand out way more in Virtual Reality than they do from the TV, the huge drops, jumps and corkscrews are all the more intense because you feel every moment of it. I still can’t believe this was released as a free update, because the effort that’s gone into this really shows through the quality. You see, the game is no hack job or after thought, this is the real deal. The Zone tracks also really stand out with the bright neon colours, like you’re tripping through space and time. It makes for a breath-taking experience. Each time I put on my PSVR headset, this game just transports me away from reality.

wipeout omega collection vr faster than lightning speed

Pictures just don’t do “Wipeout OC VR” justice. So simply try to imagine that you are inside one of these high-speed racing ships, all while reliving everything as if you actually did pilot the ship yourself.

I have also found that the game is much easier to play in VR compared to the standard 3rd person mode, because I always found myself crashing or losing races. However, in VR, I see the turns quicker and can handle the speed far easier than before. Well, that is of course until a hit Mach 1.3 and crash all over the place. So I still need a bit more practice. Even so, I still can’t help to feel like some super awesome pilot while playing this. I would also like to point out that the experience is just as fun when you take to the tracks online against other players. In other words, “Wipeout OC VR” is fun as hell to play no matter if you play online or offline.

wipeout omega collection vr weapons of mass destruction

The weapons were already fun as hell to use in the non VR version of “Wipeout OC”, but the weapons are even more fun to use in “Wipeout OC VR”.

So, all in all, “WipEout Omega Collection” is without a doubt a quintessential purchase for anyone who owns a PlayStation VR headset. However, If you don’t own a PSVR, then this game might make you buy one. “Wipeout Omega” was already a solid game, but as it stands with the new VR update, this has to be up in the top 10 VR titles to date. I also want to add that after seeing “Ready Player One” at the cinema recently (its great fun btw), this gives me hope of some insanely crazy racing experiences in the future. That’s also why I can’t wait to see what’s next. What a time to be alive!

Pros:
+ It’s Free!
+ Amazing 3D Audio
+ It’s one of the best VR games available on the market today

Cons:
– You might feel sick
– You might scream a lot
– You might forget reality exists

Gameplay: 5/5
Graphics: 5/5
Sound/music: 5/5
Controls: 5/5
Replay value: 5/5

tgg grade 5 out of 5

Verdict: 5/5
I’m going to make this very short and sweet. So all that I’m going to say is this, If you have a PSVR headset, then buy “Wipeout Omega Collection” as soon as possible, and if you don’t have a PSVR, then it’s about time for you to consider it. Why? Because “Wipeout Omega Collection VR” just happens to be one of the very best VR games on the market right now, and it also offers one of the coolest racing experiences up to date.

Title: Wipeout Omega Collection VR
Developer: Clever Beans and EPOS Game Studios
Format: PS4
Genre: Racing
Resolution: 1080p
Release date: 2018-03-28
Difficulty: Easy to OMG TOO FAST
Spent time: +6 hours
Average grade internationally: 86.48% Gamerankings.com
PEGI age rating: 7
Price: You need the base game. However, the VR update is 100% free