Ridge Racer 6

"High Speeds aren’t always a good thing…"

With its immense popularity in Japan, Ridge Racer 6 was one of the few titles the Japanese crowd had an interest in. For Microsoft, this and Dead or Alive 4 were the shining hope to bring them a larger piece of the market share in the land of the rising Sun. Fortunately for us, the people in the U.S got a chance to experience RR6 first hand on launch day. But unfortunately, being overshadowed by Project Gotham Racing 3, Dead or Alive 4, and Oblivion, RR6 has long been a forgotten game. Heck, to be honest, I didn't even buy the game, but luckily for me, my cousin did, and I spent a considerable amount of time on the mean streets of RR6.

Those who know me know that I'm not particularly fond of racing games outside of futuristic racers or the long running franchise, Mario Kart. However, I was shocked at how much of a mixed bag RR6 felt like, especially considering the series' popularity and notoriety. At first, everything felt solid. With fast moving cars, constant drifting, nitrous boosts, sharp turns, and the speed of the wind coursing through your veins, it felt like the beginning of a great start, but as time passes, the game's flaws come rushing out. For one, the enemy A.I is one of the worst I have ever seen. I am a straight up racing newbie, and for me to blow by the competition is simply astonishing.

Me - Driving a Ferrari
A.I - Driving a Nissan Sentra

Furthermore, the resistance put up by the computer A.I is simply nonexistent. In a racing game, I want to race, and not blow by the competition and stare at scenery while I'm at it. The fact is, after a lap or so, you'll be so far ahead, that it would take a huge mistake on your part to lose the lead. Being my first experience with the Ridge Racer series, I noticed a problem with the drifting system. While the drifting felt slick and added some flare during the races, the easiness of the drifting left one with an abundance of nitrous. With the amount of nitrous gathered it further caused the problem of the game being too easy.

While the drifting is certainly fun and the nitrous boosting action allows for plenty of speed and excitement, the enthusiastic nature brought about from the game's opening moments quickly fade away. RR6 becomes old fast. The tracks aren't varied and the modes really offer nothing out of the ordinary. It certainly doesn't help when the whole emphasis of drifting feels a tad forced and broken. It's simply too easy to perform and not have any problems controlling your car. Since the tracks usually feature nice sharp corners, you can find yourself drifting for long moments that fill your nitrous tank very quickly. Of course, all is not lost, as the controls felt smooth as can be. But of course this is severely negated by not having a computer A.I that can challenge you.

Certainly the gameplay could have used a little more work, and while it's the most important aspect of video games, other facets can play apart in a game being well versed. Simply put, I cannot fathom what Namco was doing when they decided to throw those cheesy one liners our way. It was a horrendous attempt at trying to sound hip and cool, but it failed miserably. Lines like “2 more rounds to go” were cringe worthy, but it was made worst when the voice actor said it with such annoyance, that you wish you could reach through the screen and punch him in the dome. But not all is lost, because the game has a very strong soundtrack. With upbeat music, coupled with the loud roars of the engines, certain areas definitely felt better. But of course, this is in comparison to the horrendous one liners.

From the 360's standpoint, the graphics definitely could have used some work. The environments looked good when you were cruising by at high speeds, but the cars' designs felt uninspired and lifeless. I certainly did not feel the power behind the engine. Technically, the game looks impressive compared to last-gen's games, but with launch titles like Kameo and Call of Duty 2, it felt uninspired. Most notably though, the game runs incredibly smooth, but the fact that everything felt like a low budget title doesn't really assure you of its 60 dollar price tag.

Nitrous ready, but unfortunately I'm not...

There are a few bright spots going on in RR6. Most notably, the game's drifting, while a bit broken is still a lot of fun. But even with an online mode, RR6 gets stale pretty quick. Mostly due to its lackluster difficulty, but the lack of good race tracks don't help its cause either. Luckily for me, I got plenty of RR6 action at my cousin's house, but for those that aren't fortunate enough to know someone with the game, a simple rental should suffice. This is especially true since Project Gotham Racing 3 is available with a much higher quality and a lower cost too. Not to say, RR6 isn't fun at all, but there are too many issues to really consider this a must have. So hop in your car, blaze through the interstate, and make haste to your local Blockbuster because renting this game is more than sufficient considering its quality.

Pros
+ Drifting is fun for a while
+ Good soundtrack
+ Easy to get into
+ Controls felt smooth

Cons
- Difficulty becomes an issue
- Nitrous tanks are too accessible
- One liners were corny
- Tracks weren't anything special
- Online felt lackluster

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/02/06