Are you a couch speed freak? I am, so getting a copy of Bandai Namco's Ridge Racer 7 [I'm still not used to that "Bandai-Namco stuff] gave me the giggles. I've been looking forward to RR7 since RR6. RR7 is yet another in the long line of RR titles. If you are hoping for some great leap forward in racing game dynamics, this isn't the game for you you. But if you desire a racing game that's easy to jump into and plain ol' fun, RR7 just might be what the doctor ordered.
RR7 certainly ignores the real-world physics that other racing games have implemented of late. [i.e. Project Gotham Racing 3] RR7 puts the focus on fast-paced trick driving rather than "bash em up" destructive driving like that in the Burnout games. There are no explosions, no "ejection" of drivers through the windshield, just tricking out your vehicle in order to speed around courses in said tricked out vehicle. In this game, you spend your time perfecting the art of drifting. [That's the gliding around corners thing made mainstream by that dumb Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift movie] To pull off a drift is easy: release the gas and steer in the direction of the turn you are entering. No big whopp right? Well, thing is as you get further into the game you'll need to be a master of the drift because that's what you'll be doing most of the track if you want to place in the top of the pack. Yes, you will need to drift through series after series of sharp turns pushing your speed past 200 mph with the rest of the pack of cars sailing by you. Waving at you rather mockingly. Ok, the waving part is in my head... but you get the idea: Either learn to drift, or lose.
Even with that heathen pack of drivers on the track with you, in RR7 you are mostly in a battle with the clock and the course ahead of you. Smacking into other cars affects your speed, or fucks up your drift. Slamming into walls signals your doom... actually it means you would be better off to restart the race because there ain't no way in hell you will place on the leader board.
Don't let me forget the NOS. NOS [nitrous oxide] makes up half of the RR7 winning cocktail mix. NOS + Successful driving = You are the winnah! NOS works the same way it did in RR6 on the XB360. You get three NOS tanks, each of which fills up while drifting. You can trigger each gauge manually, so there's no hitting it and empting all of it at once. The better you drift, the faster your NOS gauges will fill up. The longer/better the drift the more NOS you gain. NOS: It helps you smoke the other kids... in the good way.
As far as what different modes of play the game has, RR7 has a few. There is an arcade mode which lets you get in a car, get on a track, and commense to going fast in either single play or multi-play action. Multi-play lets two players compete via verticle split screen. Then there is the "Ridge State Grand Prix" mode. It's the main piece of the game and where you'll spend most of your time trying to become the new king of the track. Before you can get started in this mode though, you need to create a relationship with a manufacture by competing in a manufacturer's trial in order to get a manufacturer to 'sponsor' you and let you drive their cars. You earn money and fame points by competing in [and winning] various single events and grand prix races. You can also get tight with certain manufacturers and suppliers by using their parts in races for which you will earn manufacturer points. This helps you get better equipment for your ride. RR7 also has UFRA single events. These provide specific challenges, such as time trials or races with specific conditions for winning, and provide drivers with credits to buy parts.
One thing that is new to RR7 is a car customization thing you can get into. It's called the machine connector, and you can purchase or modify vehicles through it. The game offers up a bunch of options, [most of which I have no idea what they really do for the performance of the vehicle] but you can do engine tune-ups [which I know is a good thing for your car], NOS upgrades and plug-in units. You can also tweak how hot your vehicle looks from the outside as well via new spoilers, wheels, decals and paint options. Each category has enough crap to keep you busy for a long, long, long, long time.
I haven't played with the online part yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I hear there is a co-op mode available, that i'd like to try.
Holla at a NinJa on PS3: my UID is NinJaSistah. Surprise, Surprise!
Labels: Bandai-Namco, PlayStation, PS3, Ridge-Racer, Videogames
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