Gare d'Europa

Gare d'Europa
Route map of Gare d'Europa in Wipeout 2097
Location	France
Length	≈3500m
Elevation Change	179m
Track Material	Unknown
How to Unlock	Wip3out SE: Get at least Bronze on Talon's Reach, Altima VII, Sagarmatha, Phenitia Park and Terramax in the same speed class

Gare d'Europa is a racetrack set in a derelict railroad system in France. It was first introduced in Wipeout 2097, and reappeared in Wipeout 3: Special Edition as part of the Classic League.

Description

By the time Gare d'Europa was built in 2081, the disused French Metro system had fallen into the hands of a vast criminal underworld which existed entirely separate from legitimate society. The United Nations was eventually briefed to clear the criminals from the tunnels, and in a bid to bring life back to the network, the Gare d'Europa became France's first ever (and only) AG race circuit.

Gare d'Europa is arguably one of the most famous circuits in the game, and one of the most fun with a good variety of long straights to build up speed and tight chicanes to cut them down again. There is even a sharp left corner at the top of a steep incline reminiscent of Karbonis V from the previous game.

Track Guide

The first corner is a 180 degrees right hairpin. Not particularly sharp, but the speed you'll have from the main straight or a boost start will mean you'll definitely need some heavy braking. Try to swing into the corner early and use the speed drop to line yourself up to take the exit on the right. You'll miss a speed pad but your line will be much more manageable through the next few corners. These are a shallow left-right-left chicane, which can each be taken with only a light tap of the corresponding brake, or in light craft no braking at all. On the final left, try to swing the craft over to the right to hit a double speed pad to take you up the slope. Waiting at the top of this slope is a very sharp blind left hander. You'll see a speed pad on the left hand side of the track near the top. Use this as a marker, right before you hit it slam on the left brake and turn as hard as you can. Let up on the thruster too, you don't want to be going too fast over this. You'll be quite high up in the air on the exit so trace the track and keep the nose up to land safely.

The track levels out at the bottom and you'll see a fairly sharp right hander waiting. Again there is a speed pad on the right, use this as a marker to swing the craft through the corner and into the tunnel. A similar right hander awaits at the top of this slope. The turn is slightly lighter so you don't have to be as aggressive with the brakes as before. Aim to exit on the left to hit two double speed pads to take you into a very shallow chicane series. Keep the nose up and blaze straight down the middle. The next set of corners require some heavy braking and good timing, it's surprisingly easy to hit the walls in here. The first corner is a reasonably sharp right, take this with some light brakign and aim to end up on the left. The next set is a deceptively sharp right-left chicane. The entrance to the first corner hides how much of a bitch the second can be if the approach isn't quite right. There are two ways to take this chicane. The first requires precise timing, you need to start turning early and aim to practically brush the apex and end up on the right hand side going into the second corner. As soon as you clear the corner, immediately switch brakes and turn the other way, letting up on the thruster as you do. There should be just enough room to squeeze through without hitting either wall. This will allow you to keep your speed up, but is very tricky. There is a second way. Take the first corner like you did the previous one, only this time try to exit in the middle. Slam on both brakes to slow yourself down before hitting the left brake and skimming the left apex. Use the right brake to shift if you're too close to the apex.

The track now curls round to the right again before taking you into a sharp left hairpin. After exiting the previous chicane, immediately start turning into the right hander. Just before reaching the hairpin apex, slam on the left brake and swing into the corner. Make sure you let up on the thruster as well, it can make all the difference between skimming the back wall and slamming into it. Exit on the right to hit a double speed pad which will take you up the straight towards the final corners: two sharp right handers in quick succession. Not quite close enough to make a hairpin, you'll need to brake twice to get through. Just swing the craft through both corners as with other turns like it and exit on the left to hit a speed pad. The remainder of the course is one long straight. You'll need to keep the nose up for most of it. The section ahead takes you over a set of undulating peaks that will cause the craft to bottom out and lose speed if you don't keep the nose up. The last one is a huge jump, a great place to use a turbo if you have one. Try to line the craft up before you go over the jump, it can be tricky in mid-air. Keep the nose up as you land and go over the line. Remember the first hairpin though, it's easy to overshoot it.

Gallery

Gare d'Europa

Gare d'Europa - Wireframe

Trivia

• The name of this track would roughly translate to "train station of Europe" in French.
• In Wipeout 3: Special Edition's two-player mode, the track lacks one starting announcer screen and some textures, most likely for resource saving reasons.