POSTED 7/4/12


RIDGE RACER UNBOUNDED

Namco
PS3 (also on Xbox 360, PC)

“Unbounded” basically means having no borders, boundaries or limits. “Ridge Racer” basically means racing around ridges.

Ridge Racer Unbounded has no ridges. But it does have limits, boundaries and borders. Oops...

So, umm, putting aside that its name’s a complete and utter bullshit-reeking lie, what does it offer? Well, the “racer” bit’s real, as yes there be cars, and yes there be tracks upon which they be racing. It’s set within Shatter Bay, a strikingly gridular metropolis bristling with opportunities to race, drift and chase in numerous vehicles that unlock if you’re patient, and oodles of breakable stuff to plough through in your speedy-speedy hotwheelsters that have somehow been spliced with bulldozer DNA.
 
Basically, think the criminally underselling Split/Second, but crapper. Whilst there’s more destruction than a wrecking ball convention – hoon through opponents, walls, bus stops, bridge supports and servos most any time, and huger erections offering supposed shortcuts that are highlighted when points allow - it lacks the deliciously OTT cinematic insanity of S/S. Then there’s the frustration of plummeting bonnet-long into something and kablooeying when you’ve shoomed through bigger obstacles elsewhere, or are hurled crashtastically wallwards upon ejection from one of those huge erections with zero chance of survival.

Speaking of shooming, orange lines emanating from adversaries regularly obscure upcoming hazards like, say, corners. Select bumper view and there’s zero indication of what’s behind unless you continually flip the camera backwards... whilst trying to negotiate twisty-turny city streets at breakneck speed. Hello?! As such you’ll regularly get “fragged” (read “fucked over”) with no warning, usually at delightfully inopportune times. GRRR! Basically, the AI’s an arsehole.

‘Domination’ races, drift and stunt tests, online and an impressively deep track editor for those who can be arsed DIYing also feature.

RRU is fun sometimes, frustrating most of the time and not Ridge Racer all of the time.

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