WipEout XL

Pure arcade racing for the next century.

The original scorched the gaming world and became an instant classic. Accelerate now to the year 2097 and witness a brutal new generation of anti-gravity racing that's light years ahead of the pack.

Wipeout XL is the definitive 3D arcade racer offering the most blistering race experience available for the PC. With its explosive speed and razor-sharp graphics, optimized to harness the raw power of today's hottest 3D accelerator cards, Wipeout XL represents the ultimate synergy of gameplay and design.

8 fearsome new race circuits

Up to 15 competitors on each track

11 deadly weapons including Thunder Bombs, Electro Bolds, and the mighty Quake Disruptor

4 racing classes from the Vector class for beginners to the jaw-dropping high velocity Rapier class

Incredibly detailed futuristic landscapes and real-time special effects

Source:

Unknown Source

Fifty years on from the original, the Anti-Gravity Racing League is still going strong and is more competitive than ever before. The racers are more cunning and the 6 new tracks are more fiendishly designed (set in a variety of impressively animated world locations). On some tracks there is even weather to give you that authentic end-of-twenty-first-century atmosphere. There is a host of new weapons available, ranging from the (heat-seeking) Missile and the Thunder Bomb to the Plasma Bolt.

WipEout 2097 features even more opponents - 15 in all - and the addition of an energy bar heightens tactical gameplay as other vehicles can be destroyed. So, however, can yours.

Perfect cornering is a must, as collisions drain your craft's power, though pit stops and energy power ups are now available; and, for that matter, technology has advanced to make vehicle handling easier than in the original WipEout.

In link mode the rest of the pack are there to beat, and there are 2 new race classes - the slower Vector and the ultra-fast, hidden Phantom (for the real die-hards). Two hidden tracks boost the already incomparable longevity.

The sound is thumping too, featuring some great tracks from Chemical Brothers, Future Sound of London, Fluke, The Prodigy, Photek and Cold Storage among others. Big names indeed, and whilst they might still be chasing a platinum disc or two, they can at least take comfort in the fact that WipEout 2097 has already gone Platinum. . .

Source:

From uk.playstation.com

PSYGNOSIS’ FAST, FUTURISTIC RACING GAME, WIPEOUT XL, PUTS 3D ACCELERATOR TECHNOLOGY TO THE TEST FOSTER CITY, CA. – May 5, 1997 – In anticipation of the growing demand by consumers for high-end multimedia PCs, able to produce the graphics and speed comparable only, until now, to dedicated arcade hardware, Psygnosis is introducing Wipeout XL for Windows® 95. A futuristic anti-gravity racing title that will virtually redefine the next generation of computer games, Wipeout XL will be released in June at a suggested retail price of $54.95.

Capitalizing on PCs with hardware support for Microsoft’s Direct 3D, and PCs with 3D accelerator cards, Psygnosis’ Wipeout XL puts the latest computer hardware to the test. The game’s high-quality 3D graphics incorporate leading-edge techniques such as mip-mapping, anti-aliasing, perspective correction and light sourcing in addition to higher screen resolutions and incomparable speed, making Wipeout XL a showcase title.

"We have been working with the leading 3D chip and board vendors to maximize the playing potential of our PC titles across the broadest spectrum of new PC hardware and accelerator cards," said Mark Beaumont, Executive Vice President/General Manager, Psygnosis "To be successful, the next generation of PC games must be able to live up to the standards of the newest hardware and 3D technology, and Wipeout XL is already at the top end."

Using Microsoft’s Direct 3D, Wipeout XL has been optimized for a variety of 3D accelerator cards and chipset technologies including native 3Dfx support (Diamond Monster 3D and Orchid Righteous 3D cards), Rendition Verite (Creative Labs 3D Blaster PCI , Intergraph Intense 3D , Canopus Total 3d , Sierra Screamin’ 3D cards), and 3D Labs Permedia . Wipeout XL will also support NEC Electronics’ (Videologic) Power VR . Psygnosis is presently considering support of a number of other 3D cards currently available.

Wipeout XL pits the player against the fierce competition of anti-gravity all-out ballistic racing set to the tune of a pounding techno-soundtrack. The game features eight head-spinning tracks which include two hidden tracks that can only be accessed by the most accomplished gamer.

In Wipeout XL players choose from four racing classes. Difficulty curves are included for novice drivers and a super-fast hidden Phantom class will give WipeOut veterans a run for their money. The game features 15 anti-gravity ships, 11 powerful weapons, checkpoints and pit-stops that help players optimize their performance as the tracks get tougher. Ships can be destroyed after too much collision damage although pit-stop energy blocks give players a fighting chance of staying in the race.

Wipeout XL joins Psygnosis’ growing catalog of interactive entertainment titles being optimized for high-end multimedia PCs, including Formula 1 which will also be released in May.

Psygnosis employs over 530 people with publishing and development offices in the US, UK, and across Europe. Working with over 30 development teams and six internal development sites, the company is now the largest development house in Europe. Psygnosis is a subsidiary of Sony.

Source:

Press Release

Some day all video games will be this good.You wish.

Other "futuristic racing games" aren't WipeOut XL.Obviously.

There are other video games that you could buy.Like you care.

WIPEOUT XL

Brace yourself

Source:

Magazine Ad - EGM #87, October 1996