If there’s been one constant in the gaming world it’s racing games.They’re everywhere. Boats. Airplanes. Cars. Mario-karts. We will raceanything if just those programmers would put it in video game form.Even those of us who prefer the adrenaline rushes of games where wekill our opponents literally and not in some metaphorical speed andracing terminology still get a rush out of racing games. Out of turninga little too quickly and realizing our chances of winning have justbeen shot. Out of turning just in time to kick in the nitrous and shootaround the bend in a last minute attempt to win the race where wetrailed the entire time in the less than honorable position of 3rdplace. We crave the racing adrenaline, and so do we crave Ridge Racer 7by Bandai and Namco games.
Ridge Racer 7 is adrenaline fueled racing at its best. With coursesthat whip you around so fast the road is forever altered with blackstreaks, this games has a grip on the neck of the racing game genre andit refuses to let go. Racer features cars and models from some of thetop racing companies in the world with add-ons and tune-ups of the samerespectable repute. But what really grabs us, is the game play…the keytechnique around which the entire game is centered: the drift.
For those of us who never saw that last Fast and Furious movieTokyo Drift, the word drift referred to an action that things did whenthey were set free atop the surface of water. For those of us who knewbetter, meaning either they saw thatmovie, are car racing enthusiasts, or whatever, they know it’s a styleof turning corners that minimizes speed loss, and in the scenario ofRidge Racer 7 charges the car’s nitrous tanks. Assuming the worldreading this knows the value of nitrous in car racing…we’ll move onexplaining why this game’s system is worthwhile for even those whothink NASCAR is the silliest thing on the planet (who cares if cars cango really fast in a circle…right?).
Without the nitrous system in this game, the player would betrounced round in and round out by the computer controlled cars. Forthe most part, the computer is just too good at making those sharpturns. But fear not oh JPP reader. Fear not, for the kind programmersof Ridge Racer have given us nitrous, the key to our racing salvation.With every drift, dependent on its speed and the sharpness of itscorner, the nitrous tank is charged. Once the charge reaches full onone of the three nitrous canisters you can unleash the chemical furywithin and propel yourself to a session of immediategratification…or….You can let that nitrous can sit and charge up thesecond one. When you let all three fill up you can release it in one ofthe most disturbing displays of speed available on the screen. Cruisin’USA eat your heart out…you can’t touch this speed.
When it comes down to it you start out with 3 cars due to generousdonations from certain companies upon the completion of theirpreliminary tryout races. But by the end of the game, you’ll find youcompleted the majority of it with the same car due to comfort. RidgeRacer 7 is one of those games where you become so attuned with theturning styles of one car that you can do the drifts with minimaleffort. While for the times where the car is fast enough to win thisidea is perfectly okay, but by the time you hit that 50% gamecompletion mark, your machine begins to look startlingly obsolete.You’ll find the car that took you through the first 14 Grand Prix racesdoesn’t hold up so well by the time you reach the game’s second half,but that’s just as well, for by then you have the money to buy a wholenew breed of car and outfit it with parts that spell out a new prophecyof speed.
The game has an easy to follow system and a wide array of tracks…orso it seems. You’ll quickly realize that the game has about 5 tracksthat it cuts and pastes certain pieces into. There will be some tracksthat take about 30 seconds per lap and others that take 3 minutes, butwhat you’llfind is that they’re the same tracks but with the longer onestripped of all its turns and bastardized into a trackish lookingdwarf. This isn’t a complaint mind you; the game does it so well thatthe tracks are still interesting even if certain parts are eerilyfamiliar but with a different continuation.
As far as how challenging the game is depends entirely on the trackand your level of comfort with the car you drive. Some tracks aregenuinely simple with turns that are meant to charge yournitrous tank quickly with little effort needed for the turn itself.Meanwhile we have other tracks, tracks devised by the devil himselfwith turns guaranteed to make you lose your lead no matter how youapproach it. Thank God for straight aways neh?
Like all other PS3 games, the graphics are superb thoughadmittedly, the game seldom takes advantage of the wide breadth ofgraphic rendering services available to it. The cut scenes are shortand usually unnecessary though fun to watch if only to marvel at thegraphics and new cars. But it’s a racing game, how badly does it needcutting edge graphics? It does its part to animate the surroundings ofthe racetrack in settings such as India, Hong Kong, and others. Alsotypical of PS3 console games is the expansive network that’s been setup for the Ridge Racer 7 populace who wish to pit their drifting skillsagainst those around the world.
Ridge Racer 7 is one of the better racing games we’ve played in along time and its dynamic driving system with the inclusion of driftand nitrous make it more skill based rather than merely driving fastand hoping for the best. Even if it’s just to rent, take advantage ofyour PS3 and enjoy this racing game.
"Ridge Racer 7 (PS3)" is on sale November 13, 2006 and is rated E. Racing.
