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Monday, April 20, 2020

WipEout XL/2097

John B. Marine | 9:38 AM | |
WipEout XL (also called WipEout 2097) takes you into the year 2097 and the F5000 Anti-Gravity Racing League. Intense competition ranging from races to combat await you here. This game's great music helps fuel the mood. This blog post takes a look at one of the best PlayStation 1 games ever produced- WipEout XL/2097.

I know it here in America as "WipEout XL." However, I will refer to it as "WipEout XL/2097" to relate to both names of the same game.






WipEout XL/2097


After the success of "WipEout" in 1995, "WipEout XL/2097" was created in 1996. The game was produced by Psygnosis and developed by The Designers Republic. It further built upon the futuristic racing scene with a truly enhanced experience. Many argued the first WipEout is brutally hard. So to make things easier, this WipEout provides faster and better experience all around compared what the first WipEout brought. It was a chance for the WipEout series to become a proven name in the futuristic racing realm. Its mix of high-speed racing along with combat elements made WipEout stand out among other racing titles.

If you are not familiar with the WipEout series, the WipEout games are a series of racing games featuring anti-gravity ships racing around futuristic tracks. The races feature items used to protect you and to attack other opponents. A lot of the action happens very fast. "WipEout XL/2097" puts you inside of anti-gravity racing ships in the F5000 Anti-Gravity Racing League.

This new experience sees six tracks around the world make up its track roster. The number of ships on track went from eight to 12. Now, you can eliminate opponents (or be eliminated yourself). You also have to clear Checkpoints in time compared to the no time limit of the first WipEout game. Do you have what it takes to be a champion of WipEout?

There was a unique quirk to WipEout XL, as it had sponsorship from Red Bull. In loading screens, the game even suggests you can improve your reaction time by drinking Red Bull. The only thing more impressive about WipEout than Red Bull sponsorship is the music. The music in "WipEout XL/2097" featured some of the best electronic dance music at its time. More than 20 years since "WipEout XL," many regard some of the songs in this game as some of the greatest songs all-time in the realm of electronic dance music. I personally think so about these songs, as I have even burned MP3s of many of the music tracks in this game. Many of the artists and groups in this game were my first exposure to them. Those include the likes of the Chemical Brothers, Fluke, Future Sound of London, the Prodigy, and more.

"WipEout XL/2097" was available on the PlayStation 1, but it was also available for SEGA Saturn and PC. PC players can enjoy this game with 3D accelerators such as (at the time) PowerVR.


Now that you know about "WipEout XL/2097," let me delve into the finer elements of the game.




WipEout XL/2097: Details


This is a brief look at some of the different elements that make up the game.


The Events.

Here are ways to enjoy racing in "WipEout XL/2097"...

• Arcade - a simple lapped race against a full field of opponents.

• Time Trial - practice any track in the game or try to land the best lap times. No other competitors share the track with you in this mode.

• Arcade Link - if you have two PlayStation 1 systems and two copies of "WipeOut XL/2097," you can play two-player multiplayer in this game against a full grid of competitors.

• One-on-One - if you have two PlayStation 1 systems and two copies of "WipEout XL/2097," you can play two-player multiplayer in one-on-one action.

There may be extra modes for you to unlock here. You'll have to play through the game to find out what else remains!


The Teams.

You start off with four teams, but a fifth team can be unlocked.

• FEISAR: This is the Beginner team. Their ship is meant for easy handling and with great shield energy. Its weakest element is poor top speed. Further success may mean you may have to go with a stronger team.

• AG Systems: AG Systems is the Amateur-level team. Their ship is configured for overall decent performance, but at the expense of having poor shields.

• Auricom: The Auricom ship is designed for all-around average performance. Its strongest element of this Intermediate team is its top speed.

• Qirex: If you want a speed demon, look no further than Qirex. The Expert level ship is fairly heavy and is not a good handling ship.

You are only as good as the ship you race with. So choose wisely and enjoy racing to the max!


The Tracks.

"WipEout XL/2097 features six tracks, but there are some bonus tracks you can unlock. These six tracks are divided into three class levels, with each class level having two venues. Here are the six main courses:

• Talon's Reach - This is a very simple track in Canada in an industrial sector. Most of the track has wide roads and fairly easy corners to navigate. This is a two-lap race in the Vector class.

• Sagarmatha - Here is a track located in Nepal under snowy conditions. There are some bumps and jumps to negotiate here, but there are very few sharp corners. So you can take this course smoothly and lay down some decent lap times. This is a two-lap race under the Vector class.

• Valparaiso - This track is located in a South American jungle in Chile. It has some sharp corners as well as some twisty sections. Care is needed here to limit wrecking your ship. This is a Venom class race, meaning it is a three-lap race around this course.

• Phenitia Park - Located in an commercial park in Germany, this track is quite technical. Advanced flying technique is required to win here. Three laps around this course await you on this Venom level track.

• Gare D'Europa This is a difficult track based in France that takes place during a stormy night. The venue is a disused Metro system. It is too easy to make mistakes here, and you end up paying for those mistakes if you are not careful. This is a Rapier Class track, so you will be racing this one for about four laps.

• Odessa Keys - Located above the Black Sea, this is a tough track that will test all of your flying skills. If you want to show your adept status, complete four laps around this Rapier-level course.

There are apparently some more tracks you can unlock with progress in the game. For now, the main six courses have been featured. There is also a higher difficulty class to be unlocked.


Items and Weapons.

There are many more items than what I will make mention here, but I will show you some of the items you can pick up and use...

• Missile - fires a homing missile at any leading opponent.

• Rocket - a straight-firing rocket that deals great damage upon impact.

• Mines - five mines will drop from your ship, damaging all who come into contact with them.

• Electrobolt - this weapon will immediately slow down any opponent ahead of you through homing.

• Turbo - provides a temporary boost of speed.

• Shield - you will be temporarily immune to impact or weapon damage when a Shield is engaged.

• Autopilot - your ship will be automatically controlled for a temporary amount of time. Usually, it will disengage when coming up to a sharp corner. It is best to engage Autopilot when you are coming up on a corner or set of corners you are not good at.

• Quake - great damage is dealt to leading racers as the ground is ripped up.

• Plasma Bolt - this is an attack powerful enough to defeat any opponent in just one shot. If you successfully charge and hit an enemy with it, you can eliminate an opponent in just one shot.

There are a few more I didn't mention, but those are the different weapons in the game.


Techniques.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you play...

• Unlike a lot of other racing/driving games, you have to master using two different brakes. The brakes used are air brakes to help stop you as you enter corners. Using the proper side brakes will help you corner better. If you are approaching a right turn, use your left air brakes. Conversely, if you are approaching a left turn, use your right brakes. If you need to slow down entirely, use both brakes at once. Try to figure out how to properly maneuver your ship around corners and tracks to become adept.

• If you get an Autopilot, it is best to use it when approaching a dangerous set of turns. Autopilot will really last beyond the three-second time limit, usually when approaching another set of decisive turns. Use Autopilot wisely.

• You can recover your energy with a certain item, but be sure to pit when you can. You do not have to come to a complete stop in the pits, but just fly through the pits efficiently to recover as much energy as you need to.

• Items like the Rocket and the Plasma Bolt require precise aim to be effective. It can be tough trying to line up a powerful shot with the Plasma Bolt after charging, so you will need to practice getting a proper aim with both the Rocket and the Plasma Bolt. A successful strike with the Plasma Bolt will result in eliminating an opponent.

• It is possible to complete laps and races with perfect flights. If you want to minimize damage, see if you can complete races without taking damage from either running into walls or getting hit by weapons.

These are only a few recommendations. The rest is up to you!




WipEout XL/2097: Final Thoughts


"WipEout XL/2097" improves upon the WipEout formula while offering a greater gaming experience and an excellent soundtrack to boot. While the first game wasn't as well-received or wasn't as simple, this game proven to become more than enjoyable than the first title. "WipEout XL/2097" did more than enough to set the tone for WipEout becoming the best futuristic racing game series on the market. The series didn't start with this game, but this game is part of what makes the "WipEout" series the best futuristic racing game series in history. One only needs play "WipEout XL/2097" to experience one of the finest PlayStation 1 gaming experiences.


Video Preview.

Here is a preview of what you can expect when you play "WipEout XL/2097":


^ Wipeout XL (PS1) Gameplay


WipEout XL/2097 Online.

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Hopefully this will give you insight as to this game's amazing appeal.





I hope you enjoyed this blog post. I am glad you were able to find my blog on racing/driving games! Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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