Ridge Racer Unbounded Review
The latest instalment in the long running series from Namco Bandai, Ridge Racer Unbounded takes their racing game into a new direction and it's a good thing that they did. But did they take an absolute U-Turn?
Gameplay
While racing in Shatter Bay, you need to know a few key elements in order to claim top spot. First up is the power bar; when the bar is full you can utilise it to either destroy your opponents cars A.K.A 'fragging', destroy parts of the environment to try and gain the lead or use it as a speed boost to get ahead of your rivals. Secondly the art of drifting is a necessity as this builds up your power bar and is a staple for some of the types of races.
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Makes drifting look really cool! |
Although there are a few things that hinder the overall experience. When I accidentally tap an opponent’s car from behind when they're using their power bar, I instantly get fragged. This has happened a great amount of times and always leaves me trailing at the back; accidentally hitting opponent cares from the sides seem acceptable but the back of the car!? Seems a bit cheap. The opponents also can't see environmental shortcuts until I have destroyed them, which makes me wonder if they just take advantage and wait for me to use my power bar then use the shortcut later.
Online Gameplay
The online aspect of Ridge Racer Unbounded seems a bit minimalistic compared to its offline counterpart as you'll only able to play domination races against other players. But this is where user generated content shines as you are able to upload your own tracks and cities for other people to play on. However I feel that online won't keep me entertained as much as offline because the variety of races offline is greater.
Graphics
Ridge Racer Unbounded looks impressive graphically to say the least; Cars look appealing to eye and environments in the game are stunning. Environments look nice but are a bit repetitive as you'll see some track parts in other racetracks.
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destroy, Destroy, DESTROY! |
Design
Ridge Racer Unbounded takes place in the fictional world of Shatter Bay where racing has gone underground. Your job is to 'dominate' Shatter Bay for yourself by destroying the competition in races across the city. Unbounded has got a levelling system where you level up as you race in different areas of the city. As you level up you unlock more cars at your disposal. This game is not a breeze and will take some time to complete and is progressively difficult, which is a good thing as it keeps me playing. However once you've dominated shatter bay it's hard to see what else is there to make you want to carry on playing
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Slick looking cars. |
Final Verdict
Ridge Racer Unbounded proves to be a good change from what has been offered from the previous games in the series and with the new power bar to frag opponents and destroy environments as well as the graphics giving the game a great style. But the lack of online options, some AI hindrances and repetitive environments may break the overall enjoyment from the game.
Gameplay = 8/10
Graphics = 9/ 10
Design = 7.5/10
Final We Know Gamers Score = 8.2/10
Had a chance to play the game? Tell us what you thought in the comments section below!
Ridge Racer Unbounded Review
Reviewed by Rheyval
on Apr 09 2012
Rating:
Reviewed by Rheyval
on Apr 09 2012
Rating:
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