Ridge Racer 7

By Kristan Reed Published 26 September, 2006

TGS: Sorry, Riiiiiiidge Raaaaacerrrrrr Seveeeeeeen.

At one point during Ken Kutaragi's Tokyo Game Show keynote, he took time to emphasise how important innovation was, and how the industry can't rely on throwing out sequels if we expect it to grow during the next generation. Good point well made, but one made having just shown a video showreel featuring Devil May Cry 4, Virtua Fighter 5, Final Fantasy XIII and Ridge Racer 7.

It's slightly underwhelming to travel halfway across the Earth to witness the next generation of gaming entertainment, and then see the show floor clogged up with incremental updates to games you've fallen in and out of love with multiple times. In many ways, the very idea of Ridge Racer 7 epitomises the play-safe mentality of the games industry at the moment, but many of the hardcore fans will just be grateful for the appearance of this classic franchise so early in the lifespan of the PlayStation 3 - in this case as a launch title. European wise, it's almost certain to be on the starting grid from the off, so start counting those days until its arrival.

Slip slidin' away

Hardened fans might not thank us for saying this, but the inescapable first impressions of Ridge Racer 7 aren't of thrilling next-gen excitement. This time, it seems that Namco Bandai has exaggerated the drift handling to the extreme, making it even more of an acquired taste than usual. From the word go, the assumption is that you'll want to drive sideways around every corner no matter what, making it actually quite hard to not fish-tail wildly the very instant you turn into a bend. Obviously, drifting is the core part of the experience and we'll doubtlessly adapt as we get used to the nuances, but Ridge Racer 7 felt like it might be going too far with the idea just to give it a point of difference. Admittedly, it's far too early to draw too many conclusions on the basis on its TGS showing, but we'll find out soon enough.

Happily, the continued wholesale rejection of anything approaching real driving physics makes for a fast, loose and enjoyable arcade racing experience with the focus firmly on fun; but whether the die-hard will like this particular flavour will be interesting to find out. Around 20 tracks are said to feature, and from what we say from the demo, the 1080p visuals on show give it a softer, less harsh feel than the 360. Trackside detail on the factory-based Industrial Drive circuit was well up to standard and appears to offer a nice amount of variety, and makes up somewhat for the rather boring appearance of some of Ridge Racer 6. On that basis, long-term fans will be happy about that, at least.

Burndoubt

'Ridge Racer 7' Screenshot 1

As ever, the core of the racing experience relies on being able to drift successfully around corners, build up your boost meter (again, divided into three sections) and unleash it Burnout-style at strategic moments (double or triple boosting by holding down R2 and L2). You can also gain some extra momentum by 'drafting' opponents by edging close to the car in front of you and gain extra momentum in their slip stream, and a little indicator underneath the boost bar gives you a little visual indicator to let you know just how much extra pull you're gaining. With skill and timing, you can slip beyond opponents, boost on the follow-through and not only leave them for dust, but top up your meter again in the process. To emphasise the speed burst, the edges of the screen warp accordingly.

Not that it was apparent from the demo, but Ridge Racer 7 will also give players the ability to customise their ride. Bringing the series in line with practically every other driving game around, you'll be able to tweak the car's visual appearance including paint jobs, rims, body kits and so on. Meanwhile, performance upgrades will also give you the chance to give you the edge in improving everything from the nitrous to the spoilers, with some 375,000 permutations in all. This sounds lower than many games, but still offers plenty of scope to get your car looking just so. And if you want to show off your meticulously created beast, you'll also be able to share it online.

Talking of online, Ridge Racer 7 will include solo as well as team-based racing, the usual track leaderboards, ranking, a message centre, opponent matching and more. The threat of downloadable extras seems possible, giving Namco Bandai the chance to hold back game content for those willing to part with extra cash for the privilege of owning a rare spoiler.

With the launch of Ridge Racer 7 just weeks away, check back soon for an in-depth look at Namco's latest addition to the series. We've heard Tom's put his Gran on eBay, and is willing to listen to offers if you can get a copy of this to him early, ok?

Ridge Racer 7 is coming exclusively to the PlayStation 3 later this year from Namco Bandai. A European release is expected for the launch in March 2007.

Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (48) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Artemis_Matsas #1 5 years ago

    Sounds cool... i'm getting one, but still the wife's gonna kill me.

  • Merefield #2 5 years ago

    Pointless franchise if you ask me. The whole basis of this franchise is the very basic approach to delivering an 'arcade experience'. Its neither got the additional game modes and thrilling destruction of Burnout or NfS, nor the simulation complexity of GT or Forza. There is no space for this title but to get a few mugs to buy it when the PS3 titles are thin on the ground.

  • Bill_Gates_Bitch #3 5 years ago

    Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiid ge Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaacer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Edited by 1 at 26/09/06 @ 12:59

  • neil_likes_bums #4 5 years ago

    Oh good another exciting Ridge Racer!!!1

  • Nobuo #5 5 years ago

    "Pointless franchise if you ask me. The whole basis of this franchise is the very basic approach to delivering an 'arcade experience'. Its neither got the additional game modes and thrilling destruction of Burnout or NfS, nor the simulation complexity of GT or Forza. There is no space for this title but to get a few mugs to buy it when the PS3 titles are thin on the ground."

    So if it's not a sim or a crash-into-walls-'em-up, it's pointless? Bit harsh if you ask me. But then again I loathe Burnout and NFS, so to each his own I guess.

  • lambtron #6 5 years ago

    I enjoyed the original RR when it came out in arcades a great deal.

    But I found the supposedly great PSP version boring at best, can't comment on RR6 as I don't have a 360.

  • Merefield #7 5 years ago

    Points noted, i'll check it out!

    Least i got the debate going .... heh

  • Rodster #8 5 years ago

    @ Lambtron, I'm a huge RR fan and RR6 on the 360 was very good but like I said I love RR. :D

  • Tomo #9 5 years ago

    I had the PSP version and from what I can tell every version is pretty much the same. Get a car and drive around the same 5 tracks for about 30 hours. I was SO bored :/
    Edited by 1 at 26/09/06 @ 13:14

  • smelly #10 5 years ago

    Circa PS1.. Ridge Racer .. Bestest thing on a console EVER!!! Near exact arcade conversion.. I creamed my pants when i saw it and bought a psone soley to play it!

    PS3.. Ridge Racer 7.. Meh.

  • smoison #11 5 years ago

    Another great drifting game on tracks...


    At least it looks really nice.....


  • Darren #12 5 years ago

    Nearly missed it but Ridge Racer 7 is another 60 fps PS3 game that runs at 1080p! That's kind of neat even if it'll be years before I get the chance to actually see it at that resolution.

    What was that Microsoft guy saying about no PS3 games supporting 1080p?

  • Stormflood #13 5 years ago

    I enjoyed RR6, but I found the idea of having to get perfect runs to reach 1st place just before the last corner a tad frustrating to say the least. But when you master the drift, the game really opens out and becomes very special indeed. If I don't buy RR6, I'll definately rent it.

    And this may seem odd, but I thought RR6 on 360 looked more next-gen than PGR3. It looked so smooth and fluid. Not a jaggy or glitch in sight, and all in 60fps.

  • drumbaby #14 5 years ago

    He was denying it while all along knowing that his denial was bollocks.

  • captainrentboy #15 5 years ago

    ''What was that Microsoft guy saying about no PS3 games supporting 1080p?''
    He was wrong and a big bad liar wasn't he?Wrong!Bwaahahahahaha,what a total lying evil bastard.Microsoft are the shit yeah?And not the good shit,the bad smelly shit.
    What was it Ken said about the PS3 launching in Europe in Nov 06?..

  • Darren #16 5 years ago

    @Stormflood - RR6 on the Xbox 360 is an absolute jag-fest. It might run at 60 fps and be tear-free but it doesn't use anti-aliasing at all. LOL

  • oerhoert #17 5 years ago

    <em> Pointless franchise if you ask me. The whole basis of this franchise is the very basic approach to delivering an 'arcade experience'. Its neither got the additional game modes and thrilling destruction of Burnout or NfS, nor the simulation complexity of GT or Forza. There is no space for this title but to get a few mugs to buy it when the PS3 titles are thin on the ground.</em>

    Yeah, because finely judged base mechanics which are still interesting to perfect after tens of hours of gameplay, those are so boooring. Fantastic rollercoaster-like sense of speed? Worthless if you ask me. :)

    I think you should give it some more time. Those games often appear to be boring (and/or simple) in the beginning, but as soon as the speed picks up a bit, they're solid gold. That goes for both RR6, RR PSP and Outrun 2/2006.

  • lambtron #18 5 years ago

    I gave PSP RR plenty of time. But it was still boring. Sorry.

  • lefizz #19 5 years ago

    LeDilettante

    sorry but that simply isnt true. The 360 can do AA for very little overhead however it requires that the game engine it design to render in tiles. Even now a year after release few 360 game use this technique.

  • lefizz #20 5 years ago

    [link url=http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/show thread.php?t=30836&highlight=360+gpu+free+aa
    ]http://ww w.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread...[/link]

    for your refereance

  • OnlyMe #21 5 years ago

    PSP and Xbox 360 versions are basically identical apart from resolution of the graphics. The handling haven't changed even slightly since RRT4. RRT4 is a better looking game in terms of design and such. It's also got a better structured career mode and a lot more cars. In short, it's still the best in the series, and they went a step backwards by dumbing down the career and stood still on the physics. Only "updating" the graphics to higher resolution.

    Oh, yeah they added nitro. Didn't add anything to the game, really. Useless. They games are still fun, but if you still have RRT4 laying around and the ability to play it, then there's no real reason to get another one. I doubt that RR7 is going to be any different.

  • KillahSouljah #22 5 years ago

    I LOVE RIDGE RACER, THANX NAMCO FOR GIVING THE BEST TO SONY.

  • captainrentboy #23 5 years ago

    My god you wouldn't think that another lil fanboy war could break out over a bit of news on Ridge Racer 7,but by buddah himself it looks like it sure can.
    I mean who laughs out loud at the fact that Ridge Racer 6 has jaggies,really?When you find yourself doing that you've got to take a long hard look at your life :/
    Anyway I had ridge racer 6,enjoyed it for a few hours,graphics were nothing special but it was smooth as fuck,but in the end the structure of the game just got a bit tedious,so I traded it in for the considerably better Burnout.

  • Darren #24 5 years ago

    @Wonga - I've had the game since it's release and I love it. And, yes, I am playing the game in hi-def hence the jaggies. On a standard definition TV the game does look less so as the scanlines help mask them (and, yes, I've tried this).

  • Darren #25 5 years ago

    @CaptainRentBoy - I was laughing because someone said specifically that they were impressed by the game because it didn't have jaggies but, ironically, enough it does. If you don't notice them, then fair enough, but just because someone else does, does mean they are sad as you implied; just that they've perhaps got better eyesight than you... or a better TV maybe? /wink

  • captainrentboy #26 5 years ago

    @CaptainRentBoy - I was laughing because someone said specifically that they were impressed by the game because it didn't have jaggies but, ironically, enough it does. If you don't notice them, then fair enough, but just because someone else does, does mean they are sad as you implied; just that they've perhaps got better eyesight than you... or a better TV maybe? /wink
    I never said I didn't notice them,infact I only just said the graphics were nothing spectacular,I just didn't think it was particularly worthy of a LOL,that's all.
    The most jaggie filled game I've come across so far on the 360 has to be PGR3,such a shame too as it would have been one of the prettiest games i've ever played.And yes I have a high-def tv.

  • Canadian_Mike #27 5 years ago


    Say what you will about the way the RR franchise plays. But it always gets my blood going.

    The thrill of properly racing RR is having wide open throttle constantly and racing absolutely flawless lap, after flawless lap at incredible speeds. Vets know it's not easy, but its fun as hell.

    ....and i gotta keep asking, whats with all these PS3 games having tons of people online????

  • DJmizuhara #28 5 years ago

    This title is excellent...it's also much harder than the pervious games. I consider myself to be a bit of a RR expert and t RR7 is the hardest I've played. I had to battle with the A.I. from start to finish in order too come first, I can't wait to buy RR7 when it hits on November 11th.

    I've uploaded a bunch of videos I took while I was at TGS 2006 to http://www.gametrailers. com my username is DJmizuhara

    Enjoy :D

  • Les #29 5 years ago

    I've never ever played a RR game. Is it any good? ;)

  • in5ane #30 5 years ago

    Cheers Smelly, exactly my sentiments, so you saved me typing :)

    Circa PS1.. Ridge Racer .. Bestest thing on a console EVER!!! Near exact arcade conversion.. I creamed my pants when i saw it and bought a psone soley to play it!

    PS3.. Ridge Racer 7.. Meh.

  • spindizzy #31 5 years ago

    Sounds great! It sounds like the sort of game I'd like (i.e. adrenaline racer, like Burnout was before it became a beat-em-up on wheels)

  • HelloWorld #32 5 years ago

    I liked Rage Racer better than RR4. Although this is essentially a smoother version of Riiidge Raacer!! it still appeals. At least it doesn't have stunts and kudos and air "control in".
    Super spanky graphics WipEout and Rollcage are required now.

  • pac666 #33 5 years ago

    I'll buy it.

  • -TKF- #34 5 years ago

    I must suck, the last Ridge Racer i bought was RR for the PSX.

    Maybe gamers that donīt buy every title that is released (or is that reviewers that play them all and therefore bitch about how much the look like the last) well find this a welcome addition to the PS3 line up. You know, by reading previews, it actually looks to a be a fun game...


    RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDGE RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACER

    Motherfuckers...

  • Lex_Luthor #35 5 years ago

    Interesting that none of the 'Ridge Racer is shit' brigade were around when the 360 version was reviewed, isn't it?

  • Scimarad #36 5 years ago

    Yes, very odd. I wonder why...

  • smelly #37 5 years ago

    nteresting that none of the 'Ridge Racer is shit' brigade were around when the 360 version was reviewed, isn't it?

    Well as I said.. I liked the first ridge racer on the ps1.. Dont care now.. regardless of which machine it's on.

    There are so many fucking racing games available nowadays that its hard to actually give a shit about ANY of them any more.. unless they're doing something "different"

  • yagisencho #38 5 years ago

    I thought that the original Ridge Racer was astoundingly beautiful when I saw it released fresh in Japanese game centers in 1993. I didn't care for the drift style racing, but it was pretty. This looks to be the same. Great if you're a fan. For me, it ranks a 'meh'.

    (The PS2 'Ridge Racer Girl' demo was also pretty.)

  • admir #39 5 years ago

    all racing games are the same from GT to forza you do the same think

  • Freek #40 5 years ago

    Another console launch, another Ridge Racer, meh.

  • Edward_Gamer #41 5 years ago

    Ridge Racer 7 has TERRIBLE graphics, and the game doesn't play good at all. Ridge Racer 6 was the worst selling Xbox 360 game when it launched for a reason: Ridge Racer isn't a good game! Ridge Racer 7 uses the exact same graphics engine as Ridge Racer 6! Ridge Racer 6 didn't have "bad" graphics, the graphics looked like a nice game on the original Xbox. However, Ridge Racer 6 and Ridge Racer 7 look TERRIBLE when compared to some of the other AWESOME Xbox 360 racing games! Burnout Revenge, for example!

    Ridge Racer is an outdated series that is a waste of money!

  • mike_mcmuffin #42 5 years ago

    It was just announced that all active BORG cubes in the Delta Quadrant will be serving McMuffin meals ALL DAY LONG from next week on! This is AWESOME!

  • 3william56 #43 5 years ago

    Next generation rocks, er, rock!

  • RedPanda #44 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • miiiguel #45 5 years ago

    Ridge Racer 6 is cool, but I thought it was too much "driftable", if 7 goes even further it'll start to annoy.

    I kinda agree with Ed.Gamer, RR series is too dated, too arcadish without beeing arcade, wich is not good. Burnout puts RR in the pocket.
    Edited by 1 at 27/09/06 @ 10:42

  • smelly #46 5 years ago

    So lots of criterion employees posting here then?

  • PhakeDC #47 5 years ago

    Ridge Racer is shite. Always has been. Now bring me Daytona 3 and we'll talk.

  • Darren #48 5 years ago

    LeDilettant -"Darren - don't be such a tool.

    All 360 games have 2 x AA enabled. It comes free courtesy of the GPU."

    You're a bit naive, aren't you? /wink

    Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo, Call of Duty 2, Ridge Racer 6 and Madden NFL 06 are among the 360 launch games that did *not* use AA, probably because the developers got the final devkits too late to implement it properly. In order to use 2xAA in 360 games, developers have to use "tiled rendering" because the 10 MB frame buffer isn't big enough to hold an entire frame with AA and effects as well. PGR 3 used 2xAA but the upscaling from 600p to 720p somewhat negated the benefits of it.

    Now most games *do* use 2xAA (although I believe Test Drive Unlimited lacks it) but then the developers have become more experienced with the machine so that's to be expected.