If you were standing in a HMV or a Software Etc. in 1996, the air smelled like industrial carpet and optimism. Sony’s grey box was already winning the console war, but it hadn't quite secured its soul yet. Then came WipEout 2097. It wasn't just a sequel. Honestly, it was a cultural reset that made every other racing game on the market look like a dusty relic from a previous decade.
Most people remember the speed. They remember the neon. But what actually made the WipEout 2097 PlayStation 1 experience so visceral was how it refused to apologize for being difficult. It was loud, it was jagged, and it demanded you get better or get out. This was the moment video games stopped being toys and started being lifestyle accessories for the clubbing generation.
The Designer Republic and the Death of "Video Game" Aesthetics
Before 1996, game covers were mostly bad airbrushed art of monsters or muscle-bound heroes. Then Psygnosis handed the keys to The Designer Republic (tDR). This Sheffield-based design firm didn't care about "game" tropes. They cared about typography, anti-establishment icons, and sleek, minimalist branding.
They gave us the F5000 AG Racing League.
Suddenly, you weren't just playing a game; you were interacting with a fictional corporate future. The team logos—Feisar, AG Systems, Auricom, Qirex—looked like they belonged on the side of a real Formula 1 car or a high-end sneaker. The visual language was so coherent it felt authentic. You've got these sharp edges and kanji characters bleeding into the UI, making the menus feel as fast as the racing itself.
It changed everything.
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It’s why the game still looks "correct" today. Even with the pixelated jitter of the PS1’s original hardware, the aesthetic holds up because it wasn't trying to be realistic. It was trying to be stylish. Style, as it turns out, is much more durable than polygons.
That Soundtrack: When The Chemical Brothers Met the PS1
We have to talk about the Redbook audio.
WipEout 2097 didn't use "game music." It used the music. If you took the disc out of your PlayStation and put it in a CD player, it worked. You had a world-class techno and big beat compilation featuring Underworld, The Chemical Brothers, and The Prodigy. "Firestarter" (Instrumental) wasn't just background noise; it was the engine that drove your focus.
The marriage of sound and gameplay here is legendary. Co-creator Nick Burcombe famously conceived the original WipEout while listening to The Prodigy, envisioning a race that synchronized with the BPM. By the time the sequel arrived, that vision was fully realized. The bass didn't just thump; it vibrated through the controller (even before DualShock was standard). It created a flow state. If you missed a turn on the "Odessa Keys" track, you weren't just losing time—you were breaking the rhythm of the song. It felt like a personal failure of cool.
Why 2097 is Actually Better Than the Original
The first WipEout was, let's be real, kind of a nightmare to play. If you hit a wall, you stopped dead. It was frustrating. It was clunky.
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WipEout 2097 fixed the physics.
The developers introduced a sliding mechanic that allowed for "scraping" along walls. You’d lose speed, sure, but you wouldn't lose your momentum. This seemingly small change made the game playable for humans instead of just cyborgs. They also added the "Piranha" craft—a beast with no weapons but incredible speed—and the legendary "Quake" weapon.
The Quake Disruptor remains one of the most satisfying power-ups in gaming history. Watching the actual track ripple and heave like a carpet being shaken is a technical marvel for 1996 hardware. It wasn't just a visual trick; it physically bounced your opponents into the air, clearing the path. It was pure, unadulterated power.
The Hidden Depth of the Airbrakes
If you want to know why people still speedrun this game on original hardware, look at the airbrakes. Most racers use a single button for "brake." WipEout uses L1 and R1 (or L2/R2) for independent left and right airbrakes.
This isn't just for turning.
It's for drifting. It's for stabilizing your ship mid-air after a massive jump on the "Phenitia Park" circuit. Expert players don't just hold the turn; they tap the airbrakes to "feather" the craft through chicanes. It creates a high skill ceiling. You can tell the difference between a novice and a veteran just by how much their ship's nose dips during a corner. It’s a dance. A fast, dangerous, 400km/h dance.
The Cultural Impact of the "Wipeout Room"
Sony was smart. They knew they had something that appealed to the "cool kids" who usually spent their Friday nights at a rave instead of at home. They took PS1 consoles and copies of WipEout 2097 into actual London nightclubs.
They set up "WipEout Rooms" with beanbags and massive screens.
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This was unheard of. It blurred the lines between gaming and the 90s counter-culture. It’s the reason why, for a generation of Europeans, the PlayStation 1 wasn't a "nerd" hobby. It was as essential as a pair of Adidas Gazelles or a bucket hat. 1997 was the peak of this "Cool Britannia" era, and Psygnosis was right at the center of it.
Technical Wizardry on a Budget
Looking back, it’s wild how much they squeezed out of the PS1. To keep the frame rate stable—which was crucial for the sense of speed—the team used a lot of clever tricks. The draw distance is masked by that iconic 90s fog, but instead of feeling like a limitation, it felt like atmospheric smog in a futuristic city.
The transparency effects on the shields and the engine glows were top-tier for the time. Even the way the camera shakes when you hit a speed pad adds to the illusion of velocity. Modern games have thousands of times more power, yet many fail to capture the "feel" of speed as effectively as this 32-bit title.
What Most People Forget: The Challenge
While the physics were more forgiving than the first game, the AI in WipEout 2097 was aggressive. They didn't just race; they tried to kill you. This was the game that introduced "shinkai" (ship destruction). If your shield hit zero, you were out. Gone. No respawns.
This added a layer of strategy. Do you use your pit lane to recharge shields, or do you skip it to maintain your lead and hope no one hits you with a plasma bolt? It forced you to make split-second decisions while hurtling through a tunnel. The tension was massive, especially in the later "Phantom" class races where one mistake meant a "Game Over" screen.
How to Play WipEout 2097 Today
If you’re looking to revisit the WipEout 2097 PlayStation 1 classic, you have a few options, but they aren't all equal.
- Original Hardware: Still the best way. Playing on a CRT television eliminates the input lag that can ruin a high-speed racer. The colors pop differently on an old tube TV.
- The Omega Collection (PS4/PS5): While this collection is brilliant, it’s worth noting it doesn't actually include 2097. It has WipEout HD/Fury and 2048. It captures the spirit, but the 1996 tracks feel different in the modern engine.
- Emulation: Using something like DuckStation allows you to scale the resolution to 4K and use "PGXP" to fix the wobbling polygons. It looks stunning, but you lose that lo-fi grit.
- PC Port: There was a dedicated PC port back in the day. It's abandonware now, but with community patches (like the "Wipeout Phantom Edition"), it runs at 60fps and widescreen. It is arguably the definitive way to experience the game if you don't have a PS1.
Final Verdict on the 2097 Legacy
We don't get many games like this anymore. Nowadays, everything is focus-grouped to death. WipEout 2097 felt like it was made by a group of people who just wanted to build the coolest thing possible, and they didn't care if you couldn't keep up. It represents a time when the PlayStation was the coolest object in the world.
It wasn't just a game about the future. It was the future.
Practical Steps for Retro Fans
- Hunt down the Japanese version: It's called WipEout XL in the States, but the Japanese PS1 version often has cooler box art and occasionally different music tracks.
- Check your cables: If playing on original hardware, skip the composite (yellow plug) and get a high-quality RGB SCART or component cable. The difference in clarity for the UI text is night and day.
- Listen to the soundtrack separately: Even if you don't play the game, find the "WipEout 2097: Soundtrack" on vinyl or streaming. It is a perfect time capsule of 1996 electronic music history.
- Master the pitch: Remember that you can use the D-pad (or stick) to pitch the nose of the ship up or down. Pitching down on a straightaway gives you a tiny bit more speed. Pitching up during a jump keeps you in the air longer. These are the details that win races.