All of this provides quite a unique feel for the game. In fact it wouldn't be an overstatement
to say that WipEout 3 owes more to its unrivaled design and aural pleasures than it does
to the game itself; there's nothing more exhilarating than tearing around the LCD billboard-
littered track with Orbital's Know Where To Run assaulting your ear drum.

Right then, that's the game's overall feel sorted out. But you can have all the funky design
and banging tunes you want if the gameplay's not up to scratch - it's what matters, after
all. Thankfully, it's all there, all you could ever want from a WipEout game and possibly
more. Alongside the obligatory modes such as One Player Race, Time Trial and
Championship, you can now opt for a two player on one machine mode, as well as a
weapon challenge and an Eliminator mode, where your goal is to take out as many rival
ships as possible. Time Trial is a much more sophisticated affair this time round with
"medals" awarded depending on your performance on each track - really adds to the
game's longevity.
However the feature that will strike you from your first race is the Dual Shock support.
You now feel as if you're actually piloting the ship, rather than merely steering it left and
right. It feels quite nice and gives you an overall sense of total control that the previous
games sometimes lacked. Indeed, going back to WipEout 2097 after an hours play of this
installment feels garish and frustrating; it makes us wonder how we could race with the
D-pad and with those graphics.

All in all, WipEout 3 is the most stylish game we've played in years, and one of the finest
racers available on any console. The only excuse you'll have to not own this is that you
just can't stand futuristic racing games, in which case you should wait for Gran Turismo 2.
But before you dismiss this, be sure to give it a go - there's a good possibility it will grow
on you. 

"A great technology demo for the PS. Wickedly
fast, looking and sounding great - tops!" - Narayan


Screenshots: 1 2 3 4 5

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