Ridge Racer

"Amazing"

This is my favourite racing game of all time and UI think it deserves a review, so here goes.

Gameplay:
It doesn't get any better than this, burning rubber through rollercoaster- like tracks at breakneck speeds. There's only a few courses but they are so well designed that its fun playing over again and perfecting your lap. It can get quite tough to beat some of the later stages and secret cars so you will need to get quite good to beat the game. The biggest thing you need to master is the skidding technique which this game uses to corner, and it's very satisfying once you get the hang of it. You can shoot through corners and no lose any speed once you master it and you will be on your way to great lap times. The game is just mesmerising to play and the speed and handling are so perfect, just racing for the sake of it is compelling enough, which more than makes up for the lack of a superficial "career mode", which so many racing games rely on these days.

Sound and vision:
The tunes in this game are on point. It's a techno/90 's dance soundtrack which compliments the game perfectly, it's really fast and brings out the best in the games speed. There is maybe only one bad track (Rotterdam 93) and the rest are excellent, lost hero is my favourite but there are 3 songs that are great. The graphics are very good for the games age too, colourful and smooth, they really make you enjoy playing the game. The cars all look great, if a little simplistic, and there is a lot of variety in the track scenery. There's some diverting touches like it turning from day to night mid race, and seeing helicopters flying around, which are really cool too.

Lasting Impression:
This game will live with you for a long time, whether it's the loading screen with the shooting mini game or the brilliant soundtrack or the break-neck speed. It has so much character and is so fun to play, if you just want a 10 minute fix of gaming this is perfect to dig out of your gaming cabinet.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/28/07