This is probably my favorite racing game of all time. This bundle of two incredible games makes them look and feel better and brings them together in one package that has a ton of content. I love the new songs and sound effects. And between HD and 2048 you have two of the most polished AG racing experiences ever. The games have simple to learn but hard to master mechanics. The power up system adds a little bit of that chaos that mario kart has, but it's so much more skill oriented. How you drive is ultimately what matters and the power ups are vital but doesn't make things unfair. Stage design between the two games is just so tight. If F-Zero is about speed and coordination, Wipeout is about finesse. It's about weaving through tight tracks, using boost pads and power ups in a smart way. One of my favorite mechanics in any racing game is the side shuffle you can do by pressing the drift button twice in either direction. Not only does it get you off of walls, but it allows you to maintain speed off of turns you would otherwise have to drift through. The games have smart touches like this that really add a level of quick decision making to the experience. I also love that you can cash power ups for health, so every power up comes with a secondary utility. It's such a fun and polished experience, and now that I have a ps5 this game has performs and looks insanely perfect. From what I remember about the VR, that was also super cool. It added a level of immersion that surprised me, and worked well for me since I dont get queasy with VR games easily. There are also accessibility options to those who do have VR sickness. To me, if you love AG racers it's an absolute must play. I adore this game.

A fantastic remaster of WipEout HD/Fury and WipEout 2048, all combined in a single package that's pretty much impossible to beat in terms of value. An absolute must have for anyone remotely interested in racing games.

To make things better, if you own a PlayStation VR, then it finally feels like the vision of WipEout as a franchise is fully realized as they're fully VR compatible. It's a miracle that a franchise like WipEout managed to get the stars aligning in such a way that made this possible, but I'll always be greatful that it happened that way.

I think what makes Wipeout special is it's strong sense of identity and how it is infused in all of it's Elements.
From the clinical looking menus to the different ship manufacturers everything serves a purpose to immerse you just enough into it's Setting, to give everything what you're doing context. It's a cold sci-fi atmosphere, there are no characters to get attached to, only corporations and the commerce aspect of Zero-G races are present for the player.

This rather grounded approach in it's presentation is also part of it's identity during the actual races. The Ships in Wipeout have a very hefty weighty feel to them, steering them around a corner at top speed requires skillful use of your airbrakes and sideshfits, knowledge of the track and the ship, it is not easy and requires alot of practice but if you are willing to invest the time mastering Wipeout can most of the time be a very rewarding experience.
What made me fall in love with it's Courses is that there is legimately no real down time in any given moment. Most laps don't take longer than 30 seconds to complete but you will always be faced with decision making or a skill check or both. A course will ask you, choosing between a boost or an item pad, managing the next corner and during jumps if you want to sacrifice ship energy for a small boost afterwards. All of these knowledge checks paired with the EDM music immerses you even further while playing.

Lastly there is the aspect of weapons and above mentioned ship energy. Combat is a big part of the series - and a reason why mastering Wipeout is not always necessarily rewarding - if your ship energy reaches zero it explodes and the race counts as lost. Even if you have good track knowledge an opponent might still hit you in an unfortunate part of the course with a rocket and there is not much to do than eat the hit. On one hand this forces you to adapt in situations, it adds another layer to your jump boosts as well - are you willing to consume even more ship energy when it is already low for a boost? - but on the other hand you may feel unfairly treated when a rocket bumps you from first place to last, because there aren't always responses to incoming projectiles possible.

While i overall don't enjoy the frequency of weapons i think they are an important part of Wipeouts identity and rhythm of play. The player is just a number and the progressing commercialization of entertainment leads to more and more thrills, less and less downtime and the prospect that not always the best will automatically win.

From the moment you start Wipeout itself will make it clear to you what kind of Game it is even before you end up on the track.