FEISAR, the European team, offers a balanced vehicle with good turning and strong shields, suitable for beginners learning the tracks.

Each team's vehicle has its own strengths and weaknesses, allowing players to choose based on their preferred driving style and skill level.

[12] To cater for the increase in Wipeout players, an easier learning curve was introduced whilst keeping the difficulty at the top end for the experienced gamers.

No sequel had been planned, but Andy Satterthwaite (who worked on the MS-DOS version of the original) was asked by Psygnosis to apply for the role "internal producer".

In the United States, it went by the name of Wipeout XL because it was felt that American players would not understand the concept of the game being set a century in the future, and might confuse it for an installment number.

Sony wanted a link-up feature, which proved difficult due to syncing issues and the frame rate differences between PAL and NTSC.

Much extra content, such as more difficult tracks and a prototype ship, was added because, according to Westcott, the team were both enthusiastic and stressed, and described their development as "a period of great energy and immense exhaustion at the same time".

[17] The original Wipeout game was one of the first racing titles to prominently feature electronic music, including tracks by artists such as Leftfield, The Chemical Brothers, and Orbital.

The game and its soundtrack drew heavily on the 'future UK' aesthetic of the 1990s—a style defined by techno-inspired visuals and the rise of electronic music and rave culture.

Tracks by The Prodigy, Fluke, Underworld, and Photek were included, alongside returning contributors Leftfield and The Chemical Brothers.

[21] Fluke contributed the track Atom Bomb, which was created specifically for the game and accompanied by a music video set in the Wipeout universe.

Wright wanted his music to emphasise slower tempos while still maintaining a driving sense of energy to match the fast-paced visuals of Wipeout 2097.

To achieve this, he leaned heavily into the big beat sound, inspired by artists like The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim.

[21][22] The style’s heavy basslines, prominent drops, and use of samples allowed Wright to maintain an adrenaline-pumping atmosphere despite the slower tempo.

Wright noted that it was difficult to get his tracks into the game due to the larger number of high-profile artists featured on the soundtrack.

[23] Additionally, the Wipeout 2097 game disc doubled as an audio CD, allowing players to listen to the soundtrack directly, and a separate album with a different tracklist was also released.

[34] Air Hendrix scored the PlayStation version a perfect 5 out of 5 in every category (FunFactor, control, sound, and graphics) in GamePro, citing "across-the-board innovations" over the already excellent original WipeOut.

"[27] IGN said that it had topped the original in terms of music, number of simultaneous racers, A.I., weapons, and graphics, and concluded, "It's games like this that make you proud to be a PlayStation owner.

[36] Edge gave both the PlayStation and Sega Saturn versions a score of 8 out of 10, with similar remarks of its improved graphics and its gameplay.

He said that the new soundtrack, while good, is a disappointment compared to the PlayStation version's techno tracks, but gave the game a strong recommendation.