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Mar 31 2005
Ridge Racer Review
PSP Game Review | Racing
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| Summary: It IS the best weve got
89
And by we, I mean people who like to drive and like driving games where you have to drive and not saw at the wheel while sliding ninety degrees sideways at 350 kph.
Need for Speed Rivals is just that. Sure its arcade-y, but at least brakes and racing line become necessary parts of the game. Unlike ridge racer which just put me to sleep, this game does not allow blinking, steering too hard, or ignoring your rivals without sacrificing victory. In fact the physics in NFS are the best we have in any racing game for the PSP so far, and even though Im constructring shrines to speed the releases of GT4 Mobile and TOCA race driver, when I have the need for both speed and actual depth that KIND of approximates real driving, well this is it.
For those of you who think ridge racer is real driving, or even fun I intend to write a fully damning review on that next.
Another impressive feature is the varied depth of NFS. The choices of car go far beyond Ridge Racer, and customizing their look and performance is just as much fun as in other NFSU titles (meaning LOTS). All the tracks are new and most contain clever and challenging shortcuts hidden behind breakable barriers. This game has more modes than you can shake a stick at. The new nitro mode is good for those who truely want to get unreal. The drift mode is vastly improved over NFSU for the ps2, and in addition you have circuit and arcade modes for standard races, and second only to drift is the autocross mode, where you race a full grid on tracks strangely reminicsent of NFSU's drift tracks. Unlike RR where you just blow by the competition in persuit of some guy with an ever increasing headstart, the cars you race actually make you feel like you're in a race and play just as dirty as you do.
NFSU has always had twitchy steering. When I played gran tourismo and popped in NFS one day, I felt like I had terrets. The same is true here. Like any driving game, less steering is better in NFS; dont let the tires slide, relax, look as far down the road as possible, and you'll soon be steering like a champ. If you dont like using the analogue nub, well , I pity you. Remember that 300kph is about the average speed of an F1 car around any given track, so dont expect your Toyota Celica to drive like a dream at that speed eh? Oh and heres a tip about steering for you ridge racers: brake!
One place where NFS definately loses to ridge racer is graphics. I traded my RR in for NFS and immediately noticed the lower framerate and lack of antialiasing. The framerate is locked at 30 fps. It seems a little jerky in comparison but after 10 or 20 minutes you wont notice. Moreover the scenes are absolutely beautiful and detailed. The traffic is a blast to try to avoid and necessitates constant awareness.The sound is excellent though I did encounter one bug where the sound of your engine drops out sometimes (maybe two percent of the time) until you switch gears again. Besides that you have full 3D stereo with all the other cars around you and their tires and gear shifts and all. Really top notch. Rating the music is a subjective thing but I would say that only one or two songs grate on my nerves, three quarters are passable, and a few good ones.
One thing missing (as in all NFSU titles) is a replay function. I know I dont use it often, but after spending so long customizing your car, why not be able to see it rip a few laps as a spectator? Besides I drive in first person view (as should you all) so I never actually get to see my car racing.
This game remains fun in circuit mode as long as you take care to keep your car competitive for the race your in. Bored? turn down your mods a little and see if your still in the game, Ace.
This is the only PSP game that has instigated a legitimate all nighter for me, so I give it high marks.
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Comments
Ive played it for about 12 and 1/2 hours...just about halfway done.
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