Don't Buy Anti-Gravity Racing on the Xbox Store, It Appears to be an Emulated Version of WipEout for PS1

Antigravity Racing Wipeout on Xbox: A Modern Rendition of a Classic with PlayStation Roots

Wipeout, a classic PlayStation game that defined its genre with unique style, speed, and challenge at the console's launch, has seen numerous sequels and ports across various platforms. The franchise is now accessible on Xbox consoles under the title Antigravity Racing Wipeout. This release presents a basic main menu, offering choices such as CRT shader, wireframe, flat-shaded, or fully textured visualization modes, along with resolution adjustments. The game features an impressive CG introduction that, while resembling the original Wipeout's style, is a modern rendering. This intro is, in fact, a 2021 remake created by Benjamin Brosdau, who reportedly was unaware of its inclusion in the game. Furthermore, like the original PlayStation title, Antigravity Racing Wipeout includes licensed music tracks. The in-game main menu, distinct from the initial setup options, closely resembles the PlayStation Wipeout menu, though it appears stretched and features Xbox icons that do not align with the menu's resolution. Additionally, Wipeout 3 is included in the package, rebranded as Antigravity Racing Special Edition, which is a trimmed-down version of the original Wipeout 3 Special Edition. This version utilizes the same menu structure as the base game but with a white background.

Upon launching the game, players are presented with a rendered panoramic image, displayed in the resolution selected from the initial options. This image, however, runs at only 30 frames per second and exhibits noticeable texture issues and other visual imperfections. The game's description itself advises against playing on an Xbox One 2013 model, indicating that performance, even when running in Xbox Series mode, is suboptimal on that specific console. While multiple display modes are available for Xbox Series, Xbox One X, and Xbox One, selecting the latest mode caps the frame rate at 30 FPS, leading to a less-than-smooth experience. The underlying emulation proves quite demanding. Unlike the original PlayStation title, this Xbox version offers no in-game adjustments. It utilizes texture injection to replace key resources and introduces texture rendering for outdoor scenes, a feature not present in the original game. Notably, all references to Psygnosis have been removed. Regarding Wipeout 3's Antigravity Racing Special Edition, it operates at 30 FPS, an increase from the PAL version's standard 25 FPS. This suggests the Xbox version is likely a stretched PAL game adapted for a 60Hz screen, resulting in gameplay that runs faster than its original speed.

While the presence of the Wipeout franchise on a modern platform is notable, questions regarding the legitimacy of this release persist. The renaming from Wipeout to Antigravity Racing, coupled with doubts surrounding developer LL Games' acquisition of rights for both the Wipeout franchise and its licensed music, implies potential unauthorized use. The overall presentation suggests Antigravity Racing Wipeout functions as a flawed emulation rather than a legitimate remaster. The consistent issues, including stretched menus, mismatched icons, low frame rates, and texture distortions, alongside the use of texture injection for replacing original assets, detract from the experience. These technical and presentation issues, combined with the renaming and the unconfirmed rights acquisition, reinforce concerns about the title's authenticity.

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