This may not be a gigantic leap over the near-flawless Wipeout XL, but as they say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.  In fact, with the addition of Challenge modes, as well as the return of the Tournament mode, Wipeout 3 is the most complete game of the 3.  Graphics are incredibly smooth and fast, as usual, with little to none of that background "pop-in" that plagued the first two.  The ships look a little like Lego though.  Wipeout's claim to fame (other than vomit-inducing speed) has always been its pulsing soundtrack, and this time around, it can be the best of the 3 (Chemical Brothers' Influence and Sasha's Xpander) but it can also be the worst (an uncharacteristically weak tune from Orbital and the rest of Sasha's contributions).  No fear, though, because the gameplay has been relatively untouched.  The biggest new feature is the hyper-thrust.  The R1 button sacrifices shield energy for a little extra speed, which minimizes the loss of speed from hitting the wall (believe me, you WILL hit the wall).  There are some new weapons, including the force wall and energy drain, but no turbo boost(sob...).  It's also important to mention that combat plays a much larger role in this outing.  It can mean the difference between 1st and 6th.  I haven't stuck with it for exceptionally long, but I've noticed that it is much harder to win in this game, except on Vector (which isn't how you should be playing anyway).  I find that a good thing though.  I'm now at the point where I'm winning the Venom circuits, but still struggling to win gold with the Rapier Class.  I also like the idea that you start with 4 tracks and 4 ships, but if you win enough races, you'll end up with 8 tracks (check out the Manor Top) and 8 ships (Icaras is a treat).  It can be frustrating finishing 4th all the time, but the reward of finally winning is worth the effort.  If you're a fan of the Wipeout series (you probably are if you're reading this) then Wipeout 3 is just as good as any other.  If Wipeout has never really appealed to you, then you should save your money this time around too (for a shrink).