Official
Website
Platform: PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox
Genre: Action
Number of Players: 1 - 2
It's been a quite a while since we've seen a Ridge Racer
from Namco, but this is one of those rare times I can't really complain
about that. For starters, Namco has released plenty of other great
titles over the past year or so, and although they haven't been racing
titles, they've still been very exceptional, especially titles such as
Xenosaga or even Soul Caliber II. Unlike many other companies, Namco
really has never been one to try and milk a series for all they get,
releasing sequel after sequel like clockwork, and give gamers plenty of
time to take in the game before unveiling a new entry into the
franchise. Well, the time has come for the return of Ridge Racer, now
released under the guise of R: Racing Evolution.
Normally,
you'd think that this was just a racing game, but instead Namco has
taken a page out of Codemasters playbook and included a story line.
Players assume the role of Rena Hayami, a former paramedic whose fantastic
driving skills have gained her the attention of Stephen Garnier, a
previous racing champion himself who thinks that Rena has what it
takes to make it to the top. However, Rena quickly gains herself a
rival in Gina Cavalli, and she's determined to show the newcomer who
really is on top, and it's a bitter competition that will see the
two racing in locales all over the world, from Japan to Australia
and everywhere in between.
The concept of racing games certainly isn't anything new, but having a
female character in the lead definitely is. We're not talking about the
option of playing as Princess Toadstool here. True to form, Namco has
some very magnificently rendered cut scenes here featuring Rena as well
as Gina, and for the record, these may be some of the best looking
computer animated females that I've ever seen. But really, that's just a
minor portion of the game, and there's quite a bit more that Racing
Evolution has under its hood.
The game is divided into different section. Racing Life of course
contains our story, one of the main features of the game. Just like any
other racing title, you've got to win to advance, but there have been a
few things added in to make it a bit more interesting. During your race,
you will see a meter on each car, this indicates the amount of pressure
that you're putting on other drivers, and the ore there is, the better
chance you have of making them a bit more paranoid out on the road and
lower their driving performance. It's not a bad idea really, but there
is one thing that keeps it from being perfect, and that's the fact that
you here chatter from both your pit and the drivers as you make your way
around the course. There is absolutely no way to turn this off, and
while it isn't a real distraction, it is extremely annoying, especially
since it does tend to get repetitive after about two races. Also, you
will earn race points, and these can be used to buy other cars and even
get you into better races later on in the game. A variety of things will
help you gain points aside from just finishing, and much of it will be
based upon your driving skills. Putting pressure on other drivers may
get you points, but doing things such as crashing into them or crashing
into walls isn't going to help increase them at all, so it's better to
play it cool and collected as opposed to driving like a maniac.
You
don't have to go through the story mode however. Ridge Racer of course
always had an arcade feel to it, and that's one of the options here
as well. Arcade mode is just what it sounds like. You can select any
of the cars that are available in the game as well as any of the tracks
and test drive to your hearts content. Event challenge on the other
hand is where those race points from story mode come in handy, and
you'll be using those to make purchases and then select a variety
of different events, with rewards of course. Also, there is a time
trial mode; the objective is obvious here, and even a verse mode so
you and a fellow racer can go head-to-head. For the most part, with
the exception of a few minor changes in what is available, it's typically
what you'd see on just about any other racing game that's out there.
There are a variety of different cars available to select, but these
aren't some made up wheels. You'll have access to a variety of cars from
Honda, Acura, and even Lotus and they will cover everything from your
race ready build to prototypes, drag racers, and even rally vehicles.
There are a few things here though that are problematic. You can't
change the colors of the wheels on any of the cars in the game, so
you're stuck with a stock version and no hope of customization. The
selection also isn't nearly as vast as it is with Gran Turismo, but then
again, what game is? The game also allows you to cheat fairly well with
the cars, and that goes beyond the scope of simply having an automatic
transmission. Now, you can add a break assist, and while this might make
some of those tight corners a little easier to get around, it almost
makes the option to cheat run rampant, and racers are that much easier
to finish. On one hand, I really can't complain too much, but on the
other, it makes the game too easy, and thus, the break assist was shut
down completely in my options.
Where R: Racing Evolution excels though is in the graphics department.
Some of the tracks rank right up there with GT in terms of the amount of
detail, and even more so in some aspects. Some tracks have highly
detailed fencing along the sides to protect the crowd of course, and
just about every detail has been included. There doesn't seem to be the
cardboard cut out, stationary crowds that are present in GT, and while
they isn't a great deal of bystanders that you'll witness, the ones to
do see actually are animated. Even some of the tracks themselves are
dead accurate to their real life locations. My wife, who is originally
from Japan, said that Yokohama is almost perfect when it comes down to
the way the race area is set up, the way the buildings look, and most of
the minor details. However, that's an easy bit of research I would
assume, considering that the game was made in Japan.
There are some issues I had with the game however. The story line really
isn't very compelling or interesting, and really is more or less just a
side note that takes away from those of us that are wanting to race. The
game play style is very arcade driven, not really taking to heart the
more serious nature of other racing titles that are out there. The
soundtrack is very uninspired, and lastly, the controls are a bit too
loose for my liking, causing a great deal of irritation at times.
However, as a point against all of this, there isn't a licensing course
necessary to progress through the game.
Racing
Evolution isn't a bad game, not by a long short, but it isn't exactly
a perfect game either. For an arcade style racer, it's currently one
of the best titles that you'll probably find among the mass of racing
games that come out in droves. The different options alone make it
interesting enough to play, and it unquestionably is visually superior
to just about anything that's out there. However, if you're looking
for more of a racing simulator, the choice is fairly obvious that
Gran Turismo is going to be the way to go, so you may be better off
just holding out until the fourth one is released. It is worth checking
out though, and you may find that while it may not be the perfect
substitute for GT, but it very well might hold your interest as well,
especially for the racing devotee.
-mike-
