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WIPEOUT 2097 (PS)
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Publisher: Psygnosis.
Developer: Psygnosis. Released: October 1996. Genre: Racing. Other versions: PC; SAT; AMI. Posted 26th June 2023. By Tom Clare © 2023 |
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Somewhat anachronistically, WipEout 2097 has come to be emblematic of both the past and the future. Those who grew up it will remember a futuristic racer that captured perfectly gaming’s transition from child players to young adults, an uneasy stasis the collective efforts of SEGA, Nintendo and the home computer giants of the eighties had failed to crack. Advertised as much to the emergent post-pub and post-club market as traditional gamers, the enlisting of The Designers Republic lent the game not only a progressive futuristic presentation, but a look unique in all of media culture. More than twenty-five years on, the game remains a yardstick for sleek design. Fans can look back on WipEout 2097 as one of the most significant titles in the establishment of the PlayStation platform with an appreciation for what remains a challenging, fantastically playable racer, oozing creativity and degree of style rarely replicated by those that have followed in its footsteps.
WipEout 2097 remains a masterclass in exciting game design. For many, even the title screen is iconic, with the player accosted by the hostile barbs of Prodigy’s “Firestarter” and dark, bristling menus, it’s far removed from the sunshine and golden sands of Ridge Racer and Outrun. The setup is simple: there are just two tracks available from the off: triumph in single races on these two circuits and you’ll unlock two more, at a higher speed category. Rather than categorising races by a difficulty setting, W2097 ups the stakes with four now-iconic speed classes: the manageable Vector and Venom, and the seat-of-your-pants Rapier and Phantom. Four speeds, eight tracks. Simple, right? There is, of course, a lot more to it than this.
WipEout's velocity rarely affords the chance to check out the scenery, though there's plenty to admire in and around the courses
The opening courses give players a glimpse of the greatness that lies in store. Talon’s Reach is the game’s easiest (relatively speaking) track, consisting largely of fast, gentle sweeps. Its heavy industrial vibe is extremely impressive, a look iconic of the series and for many, synonymous with the experience. Showing their thematic diversity and never settling on familiarity, Psygnosis paired this with the excellent Sagarmartha. Set high in the Nepalese mountains, this course opts for an entirely different, though equally convincing, colour palette. Softer hues and natural colours are accompanied by one or two tricky corners and a cool, rapid descent through a cave.
It becomes clear very early on that it’s unlikely you’ll be cruising to victory on your first attempt. This is where the Time Trial option comes in handy, allowing the player to test themselves against the clock, without being accosted by eleven trigger-happy opponents. There’s great satisfaction in unlocking the second set of courses, as the game’s ambitions continue to build. Valparaiso is one of W2097’s most visually arresting achievements, an Aztec-themed blast amidst lush green forestry, this technically tricky course sees its crowning glory realised when the player blasts through an open-fronted temple. Phenitia Park is a marvellous glimpse of WipEout-as-sport: a bombastic stadium course with lavish banked sweeps and blind crests, it’s a joy.
It becomes clear very early on that it’s unlikely you’ll be cruising to victory on your first attempt. This is where the Time Trial option comes in handy, allowing the player to test themselves against the clock, without being accosted by eleven trigger-happy opponents. There’s great satisfaction in unlocking the second set of courses, as the game’s ambitions continue to build. Valparaiso is one of W2097’s most visually arresting achievements, an Aztec-themed blast amidst lush green forestry, this technically tricky course sees its crowning glory realised when the player blasts through an open-fronted temple. Phenitia Park is a marvellous glimpse of WipEout-as-sport: a bombastic stadium course with lavish banked sweeps and blind crests, it’s a joy.
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Advance to Rapier and here you’ll find WipEout 2097’s most brilliant tracks. Gare d’Europa is something special. Set amidst a disused French metro system, this super-challenging but incredibly memorable circuit has a bit of everything and is possibly the best the game has to offer. Like Odessa Keys (set around the Black Sea) that follows it, these courses ramp up the difficulty of the layouts, often in subtle ways. Dog legs, double-apex sweeps, deceptively short or tight corners and tricky tunnels that see sharp contrasts in lighting, you’ll need to do a lot of homework in the form of the handy Time Trial.
WipEout 2097 plays like a dream. Its crafts are at once accessible due to a nicely-judged weight of handling, and complex thanks to the dual shoulder button air brakes. These can be used in tandem to scrub off speed before sharp bends, or individually to widen the steering arc through corners. The races remain competitive and blisteringly fast, whilst the collision physics are slightly more nuanced than those seen in the original game, with less of a “dead stop” feeling to clipping barriers. There are eleven competitors you’ll need to catch and pass during each race, whilst numerous power-ups can help the player combat them. These are essentially a more tech-heavy, militant variant of Super Mario Kart’s blueprint: there are the usual shields and boosts, as well as rockets, homing missiles, electric disruptors and the impressive Quake, which momentarily tears up the track in front of the player. The Autopilot item also proves invaluable: using it at the right time will result in your craft catapulting through perilous sections, at speed. The only gripe is, it often disengages at difficult moments, allowing the player no time to react and sending you straight to the scene of the accident.
WipEout 2097 plays like a dream. Its crafts are at once accessible due to a nicely-judged weight of handling, and complex thanks to the dual shoulder button air brakes. These can be used in tandem to scrub off speed before sharp bends, or individually to widen the steering arc through corners. The races remain competitive and blisteringly fast, whilst the collision physics are slightly more nuanced than those seen in the original game, with less of a “dead stop” feeling to clipping barriers. There are eleven competitors you’ll need to catch and pass during each race, whilst numerous power-ups can help the player combat them. These are essentially a more tech-heavy, militant variant of Super Mario Kart’s blueprint: there are the usual shields and boosts, as well as rockets, homing missiles, electric disruptors and the impressive Quake, which momentarily tears up the track in front of the player. The Autopilot item also proves invaluable: using it at the right time will result in your craft catapulting through perilous sections, at speed. The only gripe is, it often disengages at difficult moments, allowing the player no time to react and sending you straight to the scene of the accident.
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Crashes are as big a concern as hits from weapons, as every time the player clips a wall (or bottoms out awkwardly following jumps or uneven bits of track) the craft accrues damage. Different ships have different shield specs, but as the races get longer and the damage numbers more pronounced, you might need to nip into the various pit lanes to top up shield energy.
Upon beating the aforementioned Rapier courses, the really tough stuff is revealed. First up, a six-race tournament requiring the player beat all the previous races, at Rapier speed. This is surprisingly tricky on the early tracks as you’re suddenly tackling them at a much higher rate of knots. They must be beaten in-sequence, with three lives acting as your only buffer against failure. Achieve this Herculean feat and two final courses, as well as the final Phantom speed class, are yours. Perhaps inevitably after all the energy spent unlocking them, Vostok Island and Spilskinanke are a bit of an anti-climax. Neither adds any significant new themes to what’s gone before and the latter, in particular, proves more testing than enjoyable. This is due to a sequence of blind jumps that, as often as not, result in head-on collisions with barriers, and for the first (and perhaps only) time, the game feels a bit cheap.
Upon beating the aforementioned Rapier courses, the really tough stuff is revealed. First up, a six-race tournament requiring the player beat all the previous races, at Rapier speed. This is surprisingly tricky on the early tracks as you’re suddenly tackling them at a much higher rate of knots. They must be beaten in-sequence, with three lives acting as your only buffer against failure. Achieve this Herculean feat and two final courses, as well as the final Phantom speed class, are yours. Perhaps inevitably after all the energy spent unlocking them, Vostok Island and Spilskinanke are a bit of an anti-climax. Neither adds any significant new themes to what’s gone before and the latter, in particular, proves more testing than enjoyable. This is due to a sequence of blind jumps that, as often as not, result in head-on collisions with barriers, and for the first (and perhaps only) time, the game feels a bit cheap.
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Odessa Keys houses a number of deceptive corners, whilst Rapier class allows the player little room for error
A two-player split-screen would have been the icing on the cake and it is slightly disappointing that WipEout 2097’s multiplayer options are limited to the link-cable. It’s true that the Arcade and Time Trial modes make for a slightly lean selection on paper, but if longevity is rated purely on how much you play the game, then 2097 still scores very handily. Whilst for many, the fusion of incredibly stylish design and a superb contemporary soundtrack are what will live most vividly in the memory. It’s important to remember, however, that the game marked a landmark step for the futuristic racing genre. It showcases supreme handling and a quality of course design so good that, regardless of how many generations pass, WipEout 2097 will forever enamour itself with those looking for an exciting challenge.
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VERDICT
"The lack of two-player split-screen is the only notable gripe in an otherwise magnificent futuristic racer. Stylish visuals, an iconic soundtrack, gorgeous handling and phenomenal track design. To this day, an enduring, spellbinding challenge." OVERALL: 9/10 |