Ridge Racer’s biggest selling point has always been its drift-orientated handling physics, and Ridge Racer 7 doesn’t disappoint here. As in the past games, simply releasing the accelerator, turning, then reapplying the gas will initiate a slide. Initially unwieldy, you soon learn how to control it and will be sliding your way around tight hairpins without a second thought. Anyone who has played the PSP or Xbox 360 incarnations of Namco’s classic racer will know full well what to expect, because they share remarkably similar handling.
There are three classes of car, each of which has a slightly different feel. ‘Normal’ cars obviously offer standard drifting. ‘Mild’ vehicles are easier to drift controllably, but have a lower top speed. On the opposite side of the specturm are ‘Dynamic’ cars, which are tricky to slide, but can reach higher top speeds. Each person will favour one type over the others; there’s no dominant style to use, so whichever you pick is merely down to personal preference.
Ridge Racer 7 retains the triple nitro boost system that debuted in the PSP version, but takes the idea a step further. As in Ridge Racer 6, instead of just being able to use three single nitro boosts, you can now store them for double or triple boosts, which have progressively higher top speeds than the one before it. Your boost gauge is filled up simply by drifting at high speeds; the faster you go into a slide, the quicker your nitro meter will fill up. This gives Ridge Racer an added depth, as not only do you have to balance when to slide and when not to in order to earn the speed boosts, but you have to learn the tracks more than you would in a normal racing game. And not only have you got the racing line to master, but you also have to identify the most effective places for using your speed boosts. Because the amount of nitro you gain is directly related to your speed, finishing a boost as you go into a corner gives you what is called the ‘ultimate charge’. Acquire this, and it’s possible on some corners - assuming your nitro is ending at the right moment - to fill up your meter straight away. Learning the tracks with this in mind is key to mastering the second half of the game.
Use your Nitro heading into corners for the best results.
While we're on the subject of tracks, Ridge Racer 7 contains a large selection of corkers, with only a couple of forgettable courses. Including every track from the recent Xbox 360 version, plus a handful of new additions, the 22 tracks, which include reverse versions (that technically double the total such is the difference of racing them backwards), are largely a mix of what you come to expect from other titles in the series. ‘Harborline 765’, for example, is a blatant tribute to the original Ridge Racer track we all know and love, with its winding mountain roads and route along the beach. The rest are as equally picturesque and filled with all the twisting turns and sweeping corners that are so ideally suited to Ridge Racer’s carefree handling. There are even a few tracks that contain rather large jumps, something of a rarity in the series, but certainly welcome.
Along with the usual single race and time trial modes, the heart of the game lies within the ‘Ridge State Grand Prix’ mode. Here, you are presented with a large map filled with various icons for race events, time trials and manufacturer challenges. Replacing the ‘World Explorer’ mode of Ridge Racer 6, this is definitely a change for the better. Whereas the ‘World Explorer’ was presented via a grid made up of different routes that needlessly restricted what you could and couldn’t do, the ‘Ridge State Grand Prix’ mode offers more freedom and lets you pick and choose what events to enter.
Unsurprisingly, you start off in the slower Class 1 cars, where the game fails to impress due to the lack of speed possessed by said vehicles. However, once the initial few races are out of the way, things soon speed up, and by the time you’re using the Class 3 and 4 cars, the game becomes blindingly quick. The difficulty progression here is a much smoother experience than that of Ridge Racer 6. In the 360 game, the opponent AI really didn’t offer much of a challenge until you got to around 10 hours into the game; many times throughout the large majority of early races, you’d be in first position by the end of the first lap. In the PS3 edition, getting to the challenging events is a much shorter journey. And these harder events are what Ridge Racer is truly all about - pushing you to your limits, forcing you to learn every intricacy and nuance of each track to perfection.
Is this Ridge Racer or Far Cry?
Car customisation is new to the Ridge Racer universe. By winning events in the ‘Ridge State Grand Prix’ mode you’ll receive money, manufacturer parts or even new cars. As well as visual upgrades such as spoilers, wheels, decals and paint options, you get to play around with the insides of the cars by purchasing engine tune-ups, new types of tyres and suspension, as well as nitrous and plug-in units. These plug-ins are hugely important when it comes to winning in the latter half of the game. For example, the SS Booster plug-in increases the effects of slipstreaming, while the SS Canceller prevents other cars slipstreaming you. As you can imagine, these can provide a huge help in certain races. If you’re chasing the pack, the Booster will be invaluable, but if you’re trying to hold onto first place the Canceller is the ideal thing to keep your rivals at bay.
Although Ridge Racer 6 had Xbox Live support the online integration in Ridge Racer 7 is far better, thanks to the constant streaming of stats, rankings and awards on the right hand side of the menu screen. With every race you complete, you can upload your results to the online scoreboards, something that adds immense lastability if you’re a time trial fanatic. Although the 14-player online racing bizarrely lacks voice chat, it's unarguably a superior experience to the 360 version. It runs smoother, there are more options, and the excellent co-op racing is immense fun. In addition to this, special downloadable events are also available for free from the PSN store right now, so even when you’re finished with the game, there's still plenty to do.
Visually, Ridge Racer 7 is certainly a strange one. While the car models are overly simple and the game in general lacks the immense detail and clever lighting effects that the likes of Project Gotham Racing 3 on the 360 have, it still somehow manages to look rather tasty. Firstly, the game is very clean. Textures are sharp and trackside geometry is crisp and tidy. Secondly, the game runs at a solid 60fps, making the whole thing run as smooth as you could ever hope for. In fact, even the seemingly silky smooth F1 Championship Edition feels incredibly odd if you turn it on after a session on Namco’s racing game.
Who has time to read signposts in a Ridge Racer game?!
But most of all, credit has to go to the track environments for making Ridge Racer 7 easy on the eye. Because they’re not bound by real life landmarks, the developers have let their imaginations loose on the track design. From typical coastal routes, to country lanes, Mediterranean villages, night time city events and even races around an airport runway, the scenery is rarely dull, with a gigantic bridge, luxury cruise liner or a picturesque waterfall around every corner. On a related note, the game is no longer restricted to the pastel colour palette of Ridge Racer 6, and is now brimming with colour once more. It's a better-looking game than the 360 version as a result.
One thing that the Ridge Racer series has tended to be praised for is its soundtracks, and Ridge Racer 7 is no different. After the very hit-and-miss tunes of Ridge Racer 6, it’s great to see things back on form with a selection of pumping, bass-filled music that perfectly matches the fast-paced action. While on the subject of sound, it’s also worth noting that the Ridge Racer race announcer is actually quite bearable this time around. By changing to a female vocalist and generally saying less, it doesn’t grate nearly as much as in previous games.
In summary, while Ridge Racer 7 will no doubt be heavily overshadowed by bigger games at launch, it’s got enough quality about it to not only please fans of Namco’s racing series, but also provide a strong alternative for people looking for more of an old school racing experience. Ridge Racer is all about clever track design, arcade-like handling and lightning fast speeds. Admittedly, the AI still takes a little too long before becoming challenging, and the game is more like an updated Ridge Racer 6 than a game that deserves a sequentially higher number at the end of it. But if you’ve not played the 360 version, its huge single player mode, solid multiplayer and online time trial scoreboards show there’s plenty for racing game fans to get their teeth stuck into.
But either way, I'll probably buy it sometime soon. Love Ridge Racer, ESPECIALLY the soundtracks.
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