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"An excellent title for the Playstation"

Introduction
Wipeout is one of the well-known Playstation games which has extremely high speeds. You would think that once you've played one, you've played them all. But you haven't. Not Wipeout. When this game is compared to the Nintendo64's F-Zero X, F-Zero X is nothing. Nil. Zero.

Wipeout has being with the WIPEOUT 2047 and the normal WIPEOUT 3. The special edition does not include many noticable extras to the common eye. The speed however is intensifying and will guarantee you will not put down your controller any time soon (unless you lose and scream).

Gameplay
Wipeout's gameplay is not harnessed in any way by the graphics. In fact, the graphics are extremely good and help support the gameplay. With the usage of the DUAL SHOCK controller, the bumps, twists and turns as well as those intensifying turbo boosts can all be felt. It really does feel like you are controlling some kind of futuristic racing machine.

The different vehicles you can use have very different characteristics. Whilst one focuses on Attack and Defending, another is best suited to TOP SPEEDs to get the player top times. Another is focused on ACCELLERATION to let you get out of a sticky situation fast.

The track designs are quite complex and really help make the game really fast. Maybe its just me but sometimes, the corners are a bit ''too sharp'' for a normal player and going at such a high speed it becomes hard to control (and somewhat annoying).

The shield you carry is powerful against attacks depending on your chosen vehicle. One of the newer features is that you can convert your shield energy to turbo boost you. But it should be noted that turbo boosting, takes up shield so that when you crash, you can blow up your space craft in 4 crashes.

The weapons you can use are quite complex and the pickups also are handy. There are mines, and other useful things such as autodrive and turbo. Each thing you pick up is color-coded to show what type of pick up it is. When an enemy sends off some kind of weapon towards you, the system will warn you quite helpfully with the word WARNING.

When your ship has being badly damaged, you can take it to the pits (despite it only being a 2-lap race) to recharge your shield. Once recharged, you can go as fast as you were going before.

There are a few tournaments you can use but the main fun about this game is just travelling at extremely high speeds which were never thought possible on the Playstation.

Graphics
The graphics in Wipeout are amazing. They are so fluid and nicely rendered yet extremely (and really really really) fast. The framerate is extremely high and just one glance to the side can guarantee you last place.

The designs of the tracks have nicely textured areas on them and the really really cool light streak when you turbo is well appreciated. The fog and the tunnel lighting look excellent as do the caves and the roller-coaster like turns.

The graphics are also very detailed around the track. It appears to be like a real city around you. The game is in a high-resolution mode and the sun glaze proves it when you are inside the craft at the controls.

Each ship gives off a different color turbo and this is another interesting aspect of the game which only makes it more fantasic.

This is what the newer Playstation games should be like. Fast framerates, and smooth graphics.

Sound/Music
The sound effects are top-notch and the female announcer voice is excellent. Her ''3, 2, 1'' really sets the pace with the game as well as her ever-useful ''warning'' when something is coming at you.

The ship's themselves have an extremely well done engine noise and they sound just like they should. Extremely quiet and futuristic glazing. If anyone has ever bothered to swish their hand through water in a swimming pool or bathtub, it sounds so gentle and calm as well as nice. That is what Wipeout sounds like. Extremely gentle and calm engines blistering at high speeds.

The weapons give off suitable noises and the turbo also makes it realistic with the hyped up engine noises.

The music is excellent with the soundtrack compiled by DJ Sasha. With songs such as Surrender by MKL, Lethal Cut by Propeller Heads as well as some of DJ Sasha's own remixes of other songs, the soundtrack of this game is really one of the game soundtracks to own.

Other/Overall Presentation
The menus are great. The way that they have done the menus is in such a way that it is all futuristic. Its like an operating system which is really really cool. Whilst the bright grey may not be everyone's taste, and the font may be hard to read at times, the menus are easily used and they really show that the developers have put more than just money into this title.

Replayability
This title is great and multiplayer kicks. This game will last a very long time.

RENT/BUY : BUY

SCORES

Gameplay : 10
Excellent.
Graphics : 10
Fast fluid and great.
Sound/Music : 10
Excellent.
Other/Overall Presentation : 10
Great menu interface!
Replayability : 9.5
Will last a while!

OVERALL (not an average) : 10

Author's Comment
This game seriously rocks! It is one of the best Playstation titles out there. Buy this game if you have a Playstation.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 06/20/01, Updated 06/20/01