Our Racing Game of the Year 2012 is WipEout 2048 from Studio Liverpool. It’s testament to the exceptional work that Studio Liverpool has given to the PlayStation brand over many years that 2048 left such an impressive mark on our staff.

WipEout 2048 represents a bridging point in the series’ historical arc. The Anti-Gravity Racing Championships are in their infancy and tearing through the augmented city streets rather than on dedicated tracks. The game made use of the Vita’s array of control methods with tilt controls and touch weapon management but for purists, the button controls still offered the best method of play in this tightly honed racer.

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Unfortunately, WipEout 2048 was to be the final game developed by Studio Liverpool before it was shuttered by Sony Computer Entertainment and staff were let go or relocated.

The Vita seems to have been our platform of choice for racing games this year with the brilliant (and very affordable) MotorStorm RC coming a very close second to WipEout 2048 in our vote.

Forza Horizon wasn’t far behind in third, showing that Playground Games could deliver an excellent racing experience with Forza, even though they stray from Turn 10’s exceptional track-bound history with the franchise.

Here’s a chart showing our top five.



And here’s the league table for all games that got at least one vote from us.

WipEout 2048 MotorStorm RC Forza Horizon Need for Speed Most Wanted Dirt Showdown Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed LBP Karting