Ridge Racer 7 - PS3 - Review

Speeding down city streets, you cut off one driver while slipping in between two others. You reach for your horn but there isn't one. You reach for your brakes at the sight of a sharp corner, then shrug your shoulders and drive into it at full speed. All is well in your world – the grand prize is just moments away.

In the vein of every great tragedy, you're just about to become the champion when a selfish opponent attempts to power-slide into first. Instead he slides into you, who slams into the nearest wall, totaling the vehicle while crushing every bone in your body.

Everything about this story is true. Except for the part about a totaled car and crushed bones. You see, Ridge Racer is not a series where crushed anything is possible. The vehicles are not licensed to any real-world manufacturer, and the driving physics are in no way realistic. Even so, the developers started the series with cars that could not be damaged. Eleven years and several thousand pile-ups later and they've yet to get a single scratch.

 

Ridge Racer 7 is the fourth game in the series to launch with a new Sony console. Like the original, which was ported from arcades exclusively to PSone, the latest update is not overwhelming in its depth. But it can be and often is overwhelming in its challenge. RR7 brings back the same type of cars and ridiculously fun arcade handling of the PSP adaptation. New vehicles, courses, and an improved graphic engine are three of the highlights. However, no number of race tracks could keep the Ridge Racer series from repeating each course with different routes. Memorize the layout early on – you're going to see a lot each locale.

 

Slip 'N' Slide

Ridge Racer 7's physics take power-sliding to the extreme. Every vehicle has an immediate reaction to deceleration. Braking will cause the car to function in a more traditional manner. If you're entering a corner – or just cruising a straightaway – and release the gas, turning will shift the vehicle into its controlled power-slide. With little to no effort players can skid in and out of the course's toughest areas. You'll expect to spin out – you'll think there's no way to win when your vehicle is driving sideways.

But Ridge Racer isn't about the frustration of realistic drifting. In spite of its simplified – really, I should say magnified – steering, RR7 is a very difficult racing game. Opponents are fierce and unforgiving. They're vengeful and full of second chances. They don't take a loss lying down, and though they'll allow a few unexplained passes from time to time, their comebacks make it seem like that was the plan all along. There's an opportunity to win, but only if you take it. The cars can't be damaged, but the slightest bump will slow you down. Losing speed is the top way to lose the top spot. Acquiring first – in the first place – is going to drive you mad.

Technically that makes RR7 a contradiction of its own good fortune. The controls are easy enough for the most inexperienced player to master. But the courses and opponent AI push the difficulty ahead of any current- or next-gen racer, on any platform, released this year.

 

Racing Tiers, Racing Tears

Nearly two-dozen courses were built for Ridge Racer 7. Most are new (or are supposed to be) but retain the series' classic feel.

Ridge State Grand Prix is where you'll go to unlock the vehicles and courses. The journey is a long and arduous one, but it's also very entertaining and rewarding. There are three race types, and they decide how your next joy ride will play out.

Manufacturer's Trial races are sponsored by machine and parts manufacturers. Win and you'll have the option to purchase new parts. The UFRA Single Events are individual competitions with restrictions (such as a time limit). Ridge State Grand Prix are the main competitions, featuring multiple races and a point system that determines the winner at the end. Completing them will advance you toward the final goal. They also reward you with lots of prize money, which is needed for new parts.

 

Almost Next-Gen. Almost.

Ridge Racer 7 is not an instant eye-popper. The motion controls of the sixaxis are nowhere to be found. That's disappointing, but given how recent Sony made the announcement, "Wii can play too, Nintendo," I didn't expect any of the launch titles to use that feature.

Expectations were much higher for the graphics, which could've (and probably should've) obliterated everything else on the planet. RR7 doesn't come close to that. But it is a very good-looking, high-res game that has managed to avoid the corruption of launch-title blues. Pixelation, pop-up, clipping – all were bypassed. Granted, this is not the fastest racer. The turbo boost does not bring the game to Burnout-like speeds.

But to see such lush, deep locations, and cars full of not just detail, but also a richer and more realistic body – is not something you could've gotten from the current generation. Xbox 360 could've powered this game, and that should come as a surprise to no one. It'll take a good year or two before the significant differences between the two consoles are easy to spot.

However, when it comes to games like Madden 07 and Need For Speed, it is often the developers' intent to make each version equal. So while I do expect exclusive titles like Ridge Racer to become much more impressive, we may not see that level of advancement from games that are simultaneously made for more than one platform.

Review Scoring Details for Ridge Racer 7

Gameplay: 8.5
Ridge Racer 7 doesn't make the most of PS3's engine, but it's got enough horsepower under the hood to earn a permanent place in your game collection. The courses have a great, classic Ridge Racer layout (but are not all rehashes), and the crazy steering is a blast to fool around with.

Graphics: 8.9
This game looks great, and is filled with wonderful landscapes and structures to get lost in. But its beauty will age. Compared to what else is out there, Ridge Racer 7 is an 8.9 this year. In 2007, its graphics will likely drop to a 7.5, and much lower after that. I say that assuming PS3 is as powerful as we all hope it is. And that developers start making games that aren’t just a notch above the rest, but are downright beautiful and, if nothing else, are stunning the first time we see them.

Sound: 5.0
The Ridge Racer series has had some quality techno tunes over the years. These tunes, however, are annoying and repetitive.

Difficulty: Hard
Think you’re hardcore? Ridge Racer 7 will test that thought. Its races are extremely difficult thanks to a plethora of smart AI opponents. They can drive faster than the player. Who would have thought – real competition from a racing game. When’s the last time that’s happened?

Concept: 6.0
Ridge Racer 7 is great, but this series hasn’t evolved much in 11 years. Could sixaxis motion steering change that in Ridge Racer 8…?

Multiplayer: 8.5
Whether you’re playing against others across the country (up to 14 players online) or against the guy sitting next to you (two-player split-screen offline), Ridge Racer 7 multiplayer magnificence.

Overall: 8.5
You will scream at your opponents and their tough AI, but in the end, it helps give this series longevity. In a world where racing games are getting shorter and have become easy enough to beat in a day, I’ll take the frustration of Ridge Racer 7 over the rest. It’s not cheap, it’s excruciatingly difficult. There is a difference.