Psygnosis didn't create the futuristic racing genre, but with the 1995 release of Wipeout - the first in a series of five progressively refined sci-fi racers - they epitomized it. Wipeout can't be credited as the first of it's kind, instead, its significance lies in the way it exploded and defined its own classification; Each title in the series pushed the theme to the logical extreme, distilling the essence of the "futuristic racing" game into distinct look and feel that is now the standard for a particular genus of game. That accomplishment is a rare one in game design, and the success of Psygnosis' serial experiment earns it a place in the GameSpy Hall of fame.

The original Wipeout was a raw interpretation of its genre. It was the inevitable futuristic racer; Everything about it reflected "future" and "racing." The high-pitched hum of the anti-gravity craft. The swerving paths of anti-collision stripes. The wicked electronic soundtrack. The sci-fi, commercial aesthetic. The game modes were simple, but sufficient. The game included 6 tracks raced in 2 classes, Beginner and Rapier. Players could race single circuits, race alone in time trials, or compete in championship mode. Wipeout included a unique disruptive weapon power-up system, giving players the ability to throw disorient their opponents or throw them off course.

Wipeout XL (Wipeout 2097 in the U.S.) introduced two new classes, including a hidden Phantom class. Even without the hidden class, Wipeout XL was the fastest racing game of its time, and it was significantly more demanding of its players. In addition, the racing craft could now be destroyed by weapons or contact damage. With incredibly high speeds, wild courses and destructible ships, Wipeout XL was not an easy game to master.

By the time Wipeout 3 came around (after a Wipeout game for the N64) the game's high learning curve and the trademark design became its critical flaws. Wipeout 3 met with poor reviews and was generally considered a vain rehash of the earlier titles. U.K.-based studio The Designers Republic, who had provided artistic direction for previous Wipeout games, went all-out for the third and latest version. The game interface was reduced to harsh minimalism, with D.R's sexy flat-color, sharp-edged, iconography covering everything. Overlooked was the fact that, in its fourth version, Wipeout's high-speed control physics model had been tweaked to perfection, making it an immensely enjoyable experience for those with the skill and patience to learn the game. The extreme design turned some players off, but it was a reflection of extremely refined and fine-tuned gameplay. Through it, Wipeout 3 gave the player a real feeling of control over a high-velocity precision racing instrument.


The hypothesis behind the Wipeout series, I think, was that placing the player as close to the "speed" as possible would make the ultimate racing game. First Psygnosis eliminated the limitations of our present time and technology. Then went friction, and gravity. D.R. eliminated graphical superfluity and replaced it with elegant visual metaphor. The ultimate beauty of the Wipeout series is the way its visual distinctiveness was synthesized from its simple theme, the way its style was a slave to its gameplay. And though it didn't help make Wipeout 3 a commercial success, it was no less an example of uncompromised, artistic game-making.

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