Wipeout (stylised as wipE′out″ or WipEout) is a series of futuristic anti-gravity racing video games developed by Studio Liverpool (formerly known as Psygnosis).
The series is defined by its fast-paced gameplay, 3D visual design running on the full resolution of the game's console, and its association with electronic dance music (mainly techno and trance) as well as its continuous collaboration with electronic artists (The Chemical Brothers, Leftfield, CoLD SToRAGE, Kraftwerk, Orbital, DJ Fresh, Noisia and others). The series’s distinctive graphic design identity was provided by The Designers Republic for the first three games.
The concept of Wipeout was first discussed during a pub conversation, when a Psygnosis staff member, Jim Bowers, envisioned creating a futuristic racing game which featured anti-gravity ships.[1] Some elements of the game were inspired by Matrix Marauders, an Amiga game released by the Liverpudlian studio in 1990. A beta version of Wipeout appeared in the cult film Hackers, in which the game is played by the protagonists in a nightclub. The game's appearance in the film led to Sony purchasing the studio in the months after its release.
The Wipeout franchise has been well received by critics, with Wipeout 2097 in particular being listed among the PlayStation's best games. Wipeout 2048 was the last game to be developed by Studio Liverpool prior to their closure in August 2012. The series was later revived, with Wipeout Omega Collection released in 2017.
The Wipeout games are a series of futuristic racers that involve players piloting anti-gravity ships through various forms of races. The series is known for its extreme speed, range of electronic dance music soundtracks, and consequential difficulty.[2][3]
Power-ups come in the form of offensive or defensive weaponry, ranging from machine guns, missiles, mines and rockets to energy shields, autopilots, and turbo boosts.[4][5][6][7] These power-ups are usually collected by flying over coloured X-shaped pads on race tracks.[8][9] Chevron-shaped speed pads also feature prominently on race tracks: once flown over, the player's ship receives a momentary boost.[10][11]