Wipeout XL

Overview

Wipeout 2097 (released as Wipeout XL in North America and Japan) is a 1996 racing video game developed and published by Psygnosis for the PlayStation. It is the second installment of the Wipeout series and a sequel to the original game, released the previous year. It was ported the following year to Microsoft Windows and the Sega Saturn, and later also to Amiga and Macintosh.

Whereas the original game introduced the F3600 anti-gravity racing league in 2052, Wipeout 2097 is set over four decades later and introduces the player to the much faster, more competitive, and more dangerous F5000 AG racing league. The game introduced a new damage interface and new weapons and tracks. The Sega Saturn version supported analogue control by using its 3D Control Pad, whereas the PlayStation version supported analogue control only through using the optional NeGcon twist controller.

Wipeout 2097 received critical acclaim upon release; reviewers praised the game for its dramatic improvements to the controls, graphics, and gameplay of the original Wipeout. The game featured a licensed electronic soundtrack featuring artists such as The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy, an early example of modern licensed music being used in video games. Wipeout 2097 alongside its predecessor has since appeared on lists of the greatest games of all time by multiple publications.

Official trailer

Gameplay Video. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Racing

Developer

Psygnosis

Publisher

Psygnosis

Series

Wipeout

Platforms

Windows, PlayStation

Age rating

ESRB E

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

No

Age ratings

ESRB

E

Release dates

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single-player only, with no online features.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Credits

Publisher

Psygnosis

Developer

Psygnosis

Released

1996-09-30

Age rating

ESRB E

Region

US

Time to beat

about 3.7 hours