Official Japanese Website

Platform: PlayStation 3

Genre: Racing

Number of Players: 1 - 2 (online 2 - 16)

Support: HD 480p, 720p, 1080p, 1080i, PS Network Compatible

Peripherals: Ethernet Broadband

The launch of the PlayStation 3 has given gamers a little of this and a little of that as far as the games themselves are concerned. There are action game, role-playing, sports, first person shooters, and of course, racing. What would a system be without a racing title or two at launch? While I know that everyone wanted the latest installment of the Gran Turismo series to be one of the launch titles, you can’t have everything, and Namco-Bandai’s Ridge Racer series may not be quite the same, but it’s just as much fun in a lot of regards.

I’ve long had a love/hate relationship with the Ridge Racer series, but the PSP debut of the franchise once again had me enjoying the series, and for all the glory that was seen on the portable version, you’ll find that and quite a bit more in the PS3 premier. Like many racing titles, there really isn’t a story involved in this game but instead just pure racing action, and unlike other games, the RR series isn’t all worked up on being a precise racing simulator, though there are some new additions that push the game a little closer into that category.

The PlayStation 3 of course allows each user to create their own log-in identity for the console, and Ridge Racer 7 pulls that data in as soon as you first start playing. There’s a reason for this that will be covered later, but taking away the need to re-register and enter data in once again is a huge plus and something that is going to be seen more and more with the PS3 titles. There are a number of different modes that players can participate in, but remember that no matter what you choose, it’s all about drifting. It’s the key to success in the game and when hitting a corner, sliding will build up your nitrous (you can store a max of three) that can be used at any point for a burst of speed. As the game will inform you though, it’s best to use these when you’re at top speed, not just picking up momentum.

The Ridge State Grand Prix is where most of the action will take place. When you begin, you will immediately gain access to manufacturer races (RR doesn’t use real cars, but that’s not a bad thing as that means no worries about grabbing licenses in order to release the game.) Each of these races will award you with a car if you succeed in winning and the new machine will be added into your garage. Event races will begin to appear as well and with these, the car really does make the racers. If you use a sponsors car in any given event and win, you will earn points with them that in turn unlocks new parts and cars that can be purchased. Each race that you win will also award you with credits (money) and fame points, and the more fame you build, the more companies are going to come knocking and want to sponsor you.

There is one other feature found with any race, no matter what you’ve chosen to do. Once you’ve finished and your new scores and tallied, the game takes your totals and posts them to Ridge Racer 7’s online stats. Here you can see how you compare to other racers across the world, and I don’t mean in comparison to the computer. There are real stats from other players across the world (and the Japanese got a jump on us, so we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.) You can see how ranks highest, or lowest, as far as fame or credits. This mode will also allow you to add friends onto a list so that you can see their progress (or how you compare to them) and invite them for races.

RR7 also features a time attack mode, though this one is global, meaning that everyone who has raced will be ranked. You can select either to use the cars that you’ve won or simply choose one of the games available cars. You also can race the track in reverse and select one of four different classes of cars. Once you’ve completed the trial, you will be able to see where you rank against other players as well as what the current record is (and again, the Japanese players have an advantage over those of us here in the states.) You won’t earn credits for these races, but you will earn fame points. There is also an arcade mode where you can choose both the track and the car of your choice.

Probably one of the greatest parts of this game though is the online mode. Assuming you have everything set up correctly with the PlayStation 3, Ridge Racer 7 will automatically log you in when you start playing, of course to update your stats, but you can also participate in the online version. As you already know, this will let you race against players all over the world. You can either host your own race or join one that’s already been established. In some cases, you may find that a room you have joined has a race in progress, but what’s great is that you can see what lap they are on as well as where the racers currently are on the track. I didn’t see many players from the states in the many times that I logged in, but the Japanese players are apparently having a blast with this mode. Also, the game has an option to download content (though there currently isn’t any available) which includes new events and I would assume new tracks and cars, so even if you think that you’ve mastered the game, the developers will come up with something a little extra to breathe new life into the series.

Ridge Racer 7 also now allows you to customize your cars, and not just with the color. While you can change the paint job and even what number you are, there are many more things that can be done, and this is where getting sponsors to back you comes in handy. There are different parts that can be changed on the cars, new tires, different forms of nitrous (and these can also be bought prior to the start of a race to give you an advantage), accessories, engine upgrades, and a host of other things. It may not be quite as in-depth as what Gran Turismo features, but the Ridge Racer series is about arcade style racing, not necessarily true to life realism, and there are more than enough features and adjustments to keep any player busy for hours.

But, how does the game look? Ridge Racer 7 looks absolutely amazing, and there are some nice subtleties added into the game as well. For example, one track features fountains the spray water into the air as you cross a bridge and it’s truly something to marvel at as you drive past them. There are also the small things, such as cars driving through leaves on the ground and sending them flying into the air or confetti falling from the finish line. The details on the surrounds are fantastic and there is often quite a bit going on in some of the stages. In particular, the airport track has a nice bit where a plane is seen landing as your drift around the track and there are others that have traffic on the opposite side of the raceway that is truly entertaining and a great addition. The car also are done perfectly. They shine and glimmer as you drive past them, and there are times that it’s hard to concentrate on driving as you may be far too interested in taking in the graphics that Ridge Racer proudly displays. The only thing that I would have loved to see was body damage, but even without it, RR7 is a fantastic game that just as visually stimulating as it is enjoyable to play.

While I can’t make a comparison to the PlayStation 3’s other debut racer, Need for Speed, Ridge Racer 7 is among the elite titles on the system that is going to have people spending hours playing. With its graphic superiority, well designed stages, near perfect presentation, and additional challenges of playing online, Ridge Racer 7 is one of the must have titles for the PS3. If the game is any indication of what we’ll be seeing from other racing titles in the future, you can expect some great things and Ridge Racer 7 is paving the way, not only for greatness of its own, but a high point that other companies are going to strive to reach.

-mike-