THE Ultimate future racing game. The game - fast, action-packed, dangerous and invariably fatal for the contenders - will be initially available for the new PlayStation Game Console console. The PC CD-ROM version is in the shops from November.

  WipeOut is set in the Formula 3600 Anti-Gravity Racing League - a tough new sport which features high-octane racing craft, scorching along a choice of six variable-difficulty tracks, each with hairpin twists, hang-ten jumps, hills, valleys and full-throttle straights. If sheer speed isn't enough, you can blast your opponents with a lethal array of armoury.

  The gut-wrenching realism and roller-coaster exhilaration of the game are enhanced by stunning 3D visuals in real-time, making full use of the PlayStation's serious new computing power. "I wanted to make the most of its three dimensional graphics, so the tracks for the different levels of the game had to be developed to make the greatest impact" says Nick Burcombe - the game's designer. "You can even spin right round and go the wrong way around the track. You just have make sure you aren't hit by one of you competitors".

  WipeOut has eight individually customized racing craft, magnetically suspended above the tracks. All the crucial racing game features - Championship, time trials and game-saves for the fastest laps, etc., are included, but WipeOut offers much more than the basic essentials. The hover-racers each have variable acceleration and top speeds, turning circles an array of selectable strategic weapons, including heat seeking missiles, rockets, mines, electro-bolts and shields: this is the only racing game where combat comes as standard.

  Among WipeOut's other features are Dynamic Play Adjustment techniques - which mean the better you get the harder it gets - as well as multi-player variations via the PlayStation's serial link potential.

  The game also makes maximum use of the PlayStation's superior sound qualities. Not content with back-seat audio, Sony has commissioned a full on soundtrack by leading-edge techno artists, including Orbital.