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| | Title:
Ridge Racer 6
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System:
Xbox 360
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Genre:
Racing
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Publisher:
Namco
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Developer:
Namco
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Release:
11/22/05
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Online:
Yes
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ESRB:
Everyone (E)
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Ridge Racer 6 is an arcade type racing game that is all about the high speed and sideways drifts around tight turns. There are a total of 130 different vehicles you can race in and over 200 races to compete in. This is truly a massive game that will take nearly eternity to completely finish. Also, with Ridge Racer 6, you can take your big bad self on Xbox Live and see how you compare with the rest of the world, if you feel you have built up enough skill.
Gameplay
Ridge Racer 6 wasn't made to be ultra-realistic, or to give you a million ways to pimp your ride and a million reasons to run from the cops. Instead, it is built just around what is fun and easy to play. There is not much of a learning curve and it is extremely easy to pick up and play anytime. Sure there are some nice looking cars and the use of nitrous in this game, but it is very different from both Project Gotham Racing 3 and Need for Speed: Most Wanted.
Nitrous is in fact a big part of the game. The only real way to get ahead quickly in a race is to use nitrous. After you play a few races, you will realize that this isn't a standard racing game where you have to brake a lot before you reach a corner and make sure you stay in the pack of cars to take full advantage of drafting (or the airflow behind the car, which is very different from drifting which is sliding around a corner). Races are won and lost in how you are able to drift around corners and the use of the nitrous. If you slam head on to a wall, it’s not that huge of a deal, but if you fail to drift around a turn completely, it can easily cost you the race.
Nitrous is, as indicated on a meter, is gained based on how well and the speed at which you drift around corners. If executed properly your nitrous meter will fill up a little or a lot based on how well the drift was. Nitrous is bested used at higher speeds, so it isn't smart to use it right out of the corner. It is also a good tactic to head into a corner in a high speed (contrary to realism) so that you can drift extremely fast around the bend and fill your nitrous meter back up.
The nitrous meter is divided into three different sections. Each section allows for one burst of nitrous. However, if you happen to have two, or three, of the tanks full you can fire them all off at the same time which results in double or triple the normal boost. This adds a great deal of strategy to the game and can allow you to save up until the very end of the race and fire them all of, or you can use them consistently and hopefully more efficiently.
The most complicated this game will get is with the various styles of drifting. There is the standard, mild, and dynamic form of drifting around a corner. A standard drift is well balanced, easy to perform, but can be a little tricky in stopping after the corner ends for a beginner. The mild drift solves this problem and stopping the drift is very easy, however the drift is harder to hold and isn't as deep as a standard drift. Dynamic drifting allows for long drifts and changing directions is extremely easy, on the other hand, coming out of the drift is very hard and requires a lot of control and is best suited for someone who has a lot of experience with the game.
Besides the driving styles, there are loads of cars to use in this game. Unfortunately, there are no licensed cars in Ridge Racer 6, so it isn't like you are going to pick a Ferrari and it is going to look just like the real thing. On the other hand, you aren't going to be driving blobs of metal down the street, they do actually look like real cars, and for the most part fairly detailed, but you aren't going to be able to recognize them like you can in Project Gotham Racing 3 and Need For Speed: Most Wanted. The cars look sport, have nice shiny paint jobs, and flow well with the style of the game.
The physics engine used in this game is very unrealistic, but then again this game is mostly about the fun and not how actual cars act on a street. Different cars have different horsepower and maximum speeds, but for the most part you will see that they drive basically the same. Some may be a little easier or a little harder to control, but you are not going to see the variety in vehicles that you see in a game like Project Gotham Racing 3.
Online play is always a plus Ridge Racer 6 has bunches of ways to play online. Ranked, unranked, time attack, downloadable ghosts of the best players, and hopefully some cool downloads in the future. Online racers also allow up to fourteen players, which is many when most games only allow around eight. Online play adds a great deal of replay and gameplay options to the game, which is always great. If you don't have Xbox Live or don't have high speed internet capabilities, you definitely will be mission out on a lot.
Graphics
The visuals in Ridge Racer 6 look great, but the Xbox 360 has already seen much better. The car models are well done, look great, and there are plenty of them to look at. Almost everything else is mediocre when compared to the graphics of other Xbox 360 games. The environment isn't that detailed and there aren't many need effects besides skid marks here and there and the nitrous. Taking a look at Project Gotham Racing 3 and you will see realistic dirt on the windshield and even an exhaust haze coming out of the exhaust pipes. Ridge Racer 6 simply can't compare.
Audio
The most notable aspect of the audio used in this game is the announcer the you will hear constantly. You will either find him to be funny, or completely annoying and just plain silly. He comments on things such as when you or someone else uses nitrous, when your nitrous is ready to be used, how good or bad you are drifting, and pretty much anything else you can think of. It wouldn't be so funny or silly in most cases if it wasn't for the way it is said, you will just have to hear it and either crack up laughing or be ashamed of his lameness. Other sounds like the cars and sound effects are well done but nothing special. The soundtrack is just about the same and features mostly techno and fast type music which is similar to the style of Ridge Racer.
Overall
Sadly, when you get down to it, Ridge Racer 6 comes out on bottom when compared to the other two racing games in the Xbox 360 launch titles. If you are familiar with the Ridge Racer series and really enjoy it, you aren't going to be disappointed with this title. If you are simply looking for the best racing game on Xbox 360, check out Project Gotham Racing 3, and if you are more into decking out your ride and running from the cops, check out Need for Speed: Most Wanted. If you are just looking for a little fun and arcade type racing, this game is well worth a rent, but you definitely won't be able to beat the entire game due to its vastness.
| The Core Score |
Overall
7.1 |
| Fun |
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8.5 |
| Gameplay |
|
7 |
| Graphics |
|
6.8 |
| Audio |
|
7 |
| Replay |
|
7.8 |
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