| Wipeout XL / Wipeout 2097 | Psygnosis Limited | 1997 | |
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A breakneck speed racing game set in the year 2097 featuring anti-gravity hovercrafts. The vehicles can "pick up" weapons and power-ups by flying over the weapon grids marked on the track. This sequel moved the Wipeout brand forward, introducing new tracks, new craft, and new weapons such as the Quake Disruptor (which sent a ripple down the track) that became instant fan favourites. To cater for the increase in Wipeout players, an easier learning curve was introduced whilst keeping the difficulty at top end for the experienced gamers. Artists contributing to the in-game soundtrack included The Prodigy, The Future Sound of London, Chemical Brothers and Underworld. An entire nightclub tour was also initiated in conjunction with Red Bull Energy Drink, which was featured prominently throughout the game, before the drink actually gained popularity in the American market. Each craft had a shield energy quota, and when this quota reached zero—either from damage sustained from weapon attacks, or impact from other craft or the edges of the circuit—the craft would blow up. The craft would also blow up if a certain time limit was not reached, though this only applied to human players. Definitely one of the best futuristic racing games ever made, Wipeout XL not only once again cements Psygnosis' reputation as the powerhouse of action genre, but also introduces many novelties to the genre. The game takes place 97 years after the events of the original Wipeout, when improvements on Anti-Gravity Ballistic Racing technology have enabled sleeker and more maneuverable hovercrafts. The game is much more difficult and realistic than Wipeout. Whereas you can easily blow up your opponents in the original game with a well-placed missile or two, this time around all vehicles sustain damage first before they spectacularly explode. The selection of weapons has been expanded, and ranges from proximity mines to track-shredding earthquake bombs. If your energy is running low, just fly through one of the pit stops and you?ll be back in one piece. You can even turn the weapons off altogether if you prefer more pure racing. The game shipped without a multiplayer feature, but a patch was released with support for IPX, TCP/IP, serial and modem connection. | ||
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