Proverb: "If at first you don't succeed, blame it on your parents"

Review: Wipeout 2097

FORMAT: Playstation

PRICE: £20

GENRE: Futuristic Sports Sim

PUBLISHER/DEVELOPER: Pysgnosis (In-house)

ORIGIN: UK

wipEout 2097 was a "second-generation" Playstation game. In Junkie speak that means it was released in the second year of it's life, along with Tekken 2, Destruction Derby 2, Porsche Challenge and various other twaddle, around about December 1996. No one really did expect a Wipeout sequel, the original seemed the be all and end all. But The-Games-Company-With-The-Improucnable-Name came up with the goods. As bloody usual. Bugger.

What did 2097 offer that the original didn't? From the outset you can see when you open the box it has been styled once again by the Designers Republic, and even more so this time. It's been "futureised" more too (sub-japanese type-faces and so forth). So much about wipEout is it's design, which makes it lovely to look at. DR are gods. I would happily have their children, but I can't, so I won't. Err.....

Then theres the killer soundtrack. Even more "killer" than the last again. Chemical Brother make an appearance, CoLD SToRAGE get better and Underworlds on it too. The Fluke Tracks are a bit shite, however, it just dosn't have THAT version of Atom Bomb. It was also a major selling point of the game (I know people that have just bought this for the cd-audio tracks. True)

With those two annoyances out of the way, I can get on the review now. Right. One problem with the original was the very unforgiving control system, it took you days to learn, and even when you had, the Quirex crafts were still bastards to steer. 2097 sorts this out with easier entry level tracks, and an easier Fesiar craft. The easier tracks are more forgiving that the Venoms of the original wipEout, and actually not too bad. If boring. It just dosn't provide the thrills, see? This is where the new Venom class hits you with a thunderbolt. This is fast and more difficult. Oooh...... Speed.........

There is something here for everyone, for masters (and they were few and far between) of the original theres the new Rapier class and Phantom secret tracks, all are much better improved. Weapons have also have had a rehash, there are 7 newbies, the rest are either improved or rehashed originals. For example theres a Quake Disrupter, which gives the effect of lifting up the track and pulling it down again, like a rug. Very, Very Satisfying. A Plasma Rocket thing also destroys craft on impact. Very Fun. And then there's a [continued p94]

The Graphics of the damn thing have been improved too, less gritty, light-sourced polygons have been applied to the weapons, explosions and the emissions of the craft. Pop-up hasn't been greatly improved but who cares. It hasn't aged a bit. The Actually Track detail has been improved beyond recognition too, letting us in further into the world DR has created, neon screens and the like. In the year of it's release it's graphics still have not aged at all. Well, not badly. It still looks incredibly good.

wipEout 2097 is more "fun" and "evil" and "unfair" than the old wipEout. It's closed the gobs of fools who hated the first time round, and everyone else who thought it couldn't be beaten. A year on and it's still bloody class. Worth buying, essential part of any collection. Honest. The perfect sequel.

GRAPHICS: 9/10 (Very, Very good. And are still good)

SOUND: 9/10 (Nice cd-audio music, sound is brilliantly realistic)

GAMEPLAY: 9/10 (Infallible. Even for wipEout haters)

LIFESPAN: 9/10 (Challenge 1, Challenge 2, etcetc...)

OVERALL: 9/10 (Perfect. Absolutely.)

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