Iconic futuristic anti-gravity racing game, decent Saturn port. Electronic atmosphere and dizzying speed are well rendered. Some technical rough edges but the essential Wipeout feeling is preserved. A futuristic racing must on Saturn.
Your verdict
Category
Racing1 player7+
Description
High-speed futuristic racing on anti-gravity vehicles through cyberpunk circuits. Published by Psygnosis, released in North America in 1996. Ships with distinct handling flying across electrifying circuits, collectible armaments, boost and turbo, progressive difficulty and an electronic soundtrack by CoLD SToRAGE. The first Wipeout on Saturn, foundational to the genre.
Wipeout review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
A pared-down futuristic design by The Designers Republic, neon and clean lines: the anti-gravity racing takes on the air of a graphic manifesto. The stylistic coherence and the abstract speed compose an electronic aesthetic of rare elegance. This visual identity, sleek and minimalist, crosses the eras without a wrinkle.
Techno pulses and big beat propel the anti-gravity races into a relentless electronic trance. The music embraces the extreme speed and futuristic aesthetic with a cold, hypnotic energy. This cutting electro mood, in the lineage of the series, remains cut for the adrenaline of the driving.
Gameplay
"Masterful"
The series' first run in anti-gravity, it weds tense piloting, airbrake management and offensive weaponry on futuristic circuits with a razor-sharp design. The sense of speed, backed by a striking techno soundtrack, hooks you from the first corners. The textures have aged and the difficulty is rough, but the purity of the concept and the rhythm stay furiously effective.
Fun
"From the very first seconds"
Piloting an anti-gravity craft at dizzying speeds on futuristic tracks, using weapons to hamper your rivals: this racer of the future blends adrenaline and cutting-edge techno style. The sense of gliding, the electro soundtrack and the constant danger deliver an instant rush. Elegant, snappy and cult, a racing game that marked a whole generation.
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Tearing along at extreme speeds on antigravity circuits, dropping a weapon at the right instant and holding your line to the millimeter makes for a tense race you want to redo to shave off every second. Unlocking tracks and craft revives the attempt. The stiff handling takes some getting used to, but the pure speed and the techno vibe keep an immediate, stylish hold.
NTSC-U edition of Wipeout on Saturn, distributed in the United States in 1996, a conversion of the Psygnosis future racer whose Designers Republic art direction and Tim Wright soundtrack remained late nineties references. With the Saturn carrying little weight on the American market, the NTSC run of this conversion stays tighter than the Japanese original, which feeds demand among US Saturn completists. A clean complete copy with intact North American jewel case matters above all for those isolating the Saturn reading from the contemporary PlayStation version.
Is Wipeout still worth playing in 2026?
A Saturn adaptation of the famous Psygnosis futuristic race, Wipeout offers an anti gravitational race in a cyberpunk universe with cult electronica soundtrack signed by Underworld and The Chemical Brothers labels. The sublime cyberpunk art direction, exceptional speed sensation and versus mode make it an absolute futuristic racing reference on Saturn. For anyone fond of futuristic races or seeking a cult cyberpunk classic, a warm recommendation still valid today truly here indeed for any returning fan now.
