I am beginning to see a tradition being born here, with the WipEout franchise. It is easy to notice that in the same way WipEout Pure launched along with the PSP in North America, so too will the next installment in the series, WipEout 2048, come Stateside along with Sony's newest portable, the PlayStation Vita.

As the title implies, WipEout 2048 takes places in the year 2048, making it the earliest entry in the series' timeline. Anti-gravity racing is in its infancy, and as such, the dedicated tracks in the previous WipEout games have yet to come about. Instead, races take place through city settings bearing more of a resemblance to cities nowadays than in other games, complete with streets, buildings, and other areas that wouldn't look so out of place these days. That's not to say that the futuristic look of the series isn't here, and a neat design feature is that the higher up you go, the more the old buildings are replaced with advanced skyscrapers, making for a cool visual feast. If there is one game that can show off the visual prowess the Vita is capable of, it will probably be WipEout 2048.

So SCEE Liverpool is doing something a tad different with the visuals. Awesome, but what about gameplay? Will the gameplay mix it up in the same fashion? Eeehh… no. From the look of things, 2048's gameplay will not deviate very far at all from its predecessors. If you played WipEout Pure, Pulse, and / or HD, then you'll have a good idea of what's to come. Worry not, though, for WipEout 2048 comes with a few new tweaks. For starters, WipEout 2048 will make use of the Vita's capabilities, allowing you to steer with the system's gyroscopic controls, while using the back touch pad and touch screen to accelerate and control weapons, respectively (these are optional for those who rather play it old school). Oh, and while we're on the subject of weapons, the weapons icons spread throughout the tracks (which you drive over to get items) will be split between yellow and green icons. Driving over a yellow icon yields an offensive weapon, while a green one gives you a defensive one, giving players the option to be somewhat strategic with the weapons.

There is a lot to look forward to in regards to 2048's multiplayer. Probably the most noticeable new feature will be the game's ability to support cross-platform play between the PS Vita and the PS3 (via WipEout HD). The game will also come with both party mode and augmented reality support thanks to the system's camera. Online, players will be given special challenges to take on while they race, such as finishing a race in the top five or taking out particular opponents. Doing so will yield XP, which they can use to level up and unlock neat extras like new cars and new design (you can even use the Vita's camera to lord your image over defeated opponents... if you want to).

If you are hoping for a radically different take on the franchise, then you might be a tad bummed that  WipEout 2048 is not that game. Still, considering the praise the last few games have received, that might not be a bad thing. If you love the series and can't get enough, then here's your reason to get a Vita come next year. 

WipEout 2048 is set to release in North America and Europe this February, alongside the Vita. If you happen to live in Japan, then consider yourself lucky, since you'll be getting the game a full month earlier, on January 19 to be exact.

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