Odessa Keys

Odessa Keys
Route map of Odessa Keys in Wipeout 2097
Location	Ukraine
Length	≈4400m (2097) 4955m (Pure)
Elevation Change	121m (2097) 180m (Pure)
Track Material	Unknown
How to Unlock	Wip3out SE: Get at least Bronze on Talon's Reach, Altima VII, Sagarmatha, Phenitia Park, Terramax and Gare d'Europa in the same speed class Pure: Download Classic Pack

Odessa Keys is a racetrack set on the waters off the south coasts of Ukraine, suspended above the Black Sea. It was first introduced in Wipeout 2097, and reappeared in Wipeout 3: Special Edition as part of the Classic League, and Wipeout Pure in holographic form as part of the Classic Packs.

Description

Though not an unlockable track, Odessa Keys is the most hated track in Wipeout 2097, even for experienced players. There is a vast variety of corners in this track from a tightening chicane to a narrowing corner to a sharp uphill corner immediately after a jump. However, this track has the most punishing final corner - a VERY sharp right after a downhill streach and a left kink. There's no chance a Qirex ship can clear this corner at full speed, especially in the Phantom class.

Track Guide

Odessa Keys gives you a taste of things to come in the very first set of corners, a sharp right followed by a deceptively sharp left. Approach the first corner incorrectly and you're going into the wall. You MUST turn early into the first corner and aim to exit on the right, then let up on the thruster and immediately swing the craft to the left using plenty of braking. If you find yourself on the left after the first corner, slam on both brakes and turn slightly over to the right. Then slam on the left brake and turn as hard as you can. Up ahead is a large peak which you will gain some considerable height from. below you should see the track wind to the left and then rise up and curl to the right. Keep the nose up and trace the track round, using your right brake to help you round the right curve, especially as it tightens near the end. Exit this corner on the left to hit a double speed pad. The next corner is deceptively tricky. The corner itself is your typical sharp left hander, but there is a small bottleneck in the exit, meaning if you're wall hugging when you exit, you'll end up crashing to a halt. Turn early for this corner and use the right brake to shift the craft into the center to exit through the bottleneck.

Shift over to the left to hit a double pad and use some light right braking to swing the craft through the right hander at the top of the peak. There is a short straight followed by a short jump ahead. On Phantom class this can be a very difficult part of the course. The jump leads into a tunnel, and if you go full pelt over the jump, you'll be getting to know the roof of it a little better. On the approach to the jump, lower the nose until you go over, which will significantly reduce the height of the jump. As you go over, raise the nose to soften the landing. There are a few sharp corners ahead and the last thing you want is the craft to be bouncing when you get to them. Inside the tunnel, the track curls round to the right before swinging sharply to the left. The speed you'll pick up from the jump will make the approach to the left hander very tricky, so hit the brakes to slow yourself down a bit before using the left brake to swing into the corner.

Immediately following this corner is a shallow right-left chicane which will take you up another slope and over another jump. Raise the nose going over this one and almost immediately slam on the right brake as there is a sharp right hander waiting for you soon after the jump. You'll land in the corner so you'll need to be turning before you reach it. If the nose isn't up high enough, you may bottom out and lose some control. Head up over yet another jump and prepare for a very evil way to end the course. At the bottom of this slope is a quick left immediately followed by a VERY sharp right hander. On Phantom in a Qirex this will be impossible to take at full speed. As you approach the first corner, hit the brakes hard and let up on the thrust. You'll need to drift through here, so leave the thrust well alone. Tap the left brake to bring you through the first corner and use the right brake to swing the craft through the right hander. It's not the end of the world if you can't quite make it as the pit entrance is just before the end of the corner on the left. There is one last light left hander before the final straight. Only once you are in line with the apex of this last corner should you go back on the thrust. head over the line to finish the lap, remembering that rotten corner series that's waiting for you on the other side.

Gallery

Odessa Keys

Odessa Keys - Wireframe

Trivia

• 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.
• The Wipeout Pure version of this track is substantially easier to navigate compared to its original. This is due to the significantly overhauled physics, the redesigns of some corners, such as the chicanes at the start and the hairpin at the end.
  • The track's design in Pure may suggest that Odessa Keys has since been abandoned after the F7200 League, and may imply that the only way to revisit tracks from previous leagues is through a simulation-based racing environment.