WipEout

Brake before the barrier

The craft carries enough momentum to make a late correction expensive. Learning when to use an airbrake matters more than reacting to the wall beside you. The first game is particularly stern about contact, and its weapons do not remove the need for a clean line. Music and graphic design give the race a confident setting while the handling insists that confidence has to be earned.

Expect a learning period with the airbrakes. Choose one course and concentrate on avoiding the walls before chasing every weapon pickup. If the first game feels excessively punitive, that is a useful distinction to keep when comparing its sequels.

A European launch game

Sony’s history places WipEout among the European PlayStation launch games in 1995. Its visual identity and electronic soundtrack offered a different introduction to console racing from familiar cars or cartoon drivers. This recommendation concerns the original game, rather than the later WipEout 2097 or the remade tracks in modern collections.