It's great stuff, and the points system ties neatly into the game's focus on spectacle. As you earn points in each district you unlock new races, and as you earn points (in any part of the game) you also earn XP and rank up, which unlocks new cars and components for the course editor. You'll get 15,000 points for coming first in a race, but for most of the Domination events that's less than half what you should wind up with. You get points for coming in the top three, you get points for fragging other cars, doing collateral damage, triggering events and earning awards. In fact, more than anything else, Unbounded is about points. Boosting is also used to frag other cars (although it's still possible to do take-downs without it), and pretty much everything you do comes with a reward. Just line yourself up and use your power meter for a sustained speed boost to crash through these targets. It might point out a tanker truck, just begging to be blown sky high, or a wall that you can crash through to take a short cut. Once you've filled your power meter – by drifting, drafting and catching air, the game starts highlighting targets on the course. It's+like+some+kind+of+metropolis+street+racer.
#Ridge racer unbounded ps3 series#
Drifting sideways through a series of low walls as you cut a corner tight is ridiculously satisfying, with the brickwork practically exploding on impact, accompanied by chunky impactful sound effects. Low walls, concrete support beams, statues in the town square and kiosks can all be smashed straight through.
The general rule of thumb? If it's smaller than your vehicle, chances are you can drive through it. The level of destructibility in Unbounded is hugely impressive, and definitely a step up from anything other racers have done. Domination races are about more than just finishing in the top three, they're also about taking down – or 'fragging' – other racers, doing collateral damage to the world around you, triggering explosive events and earning awards. Of all the race types on offer, Domination exemplifies this the most and is by far the highlight. Unbounded is at its best when the racing is combative, the action rough and tumble. Whether you're racing amongst the skyscrapers of City Center, through the construction sites of Tower Heights or along the derelict industrial streets of Old Town, it's all about city racing. The game's single player component is set within one city – Shatter Bay, so the environments are resolutely urban throughout. Bugbear has taken all its greatest strengths and honed them, creating its best racer yet. The handling is similarly weighty, the courses littered with destructible elements, the racing combative and the challenge just about pitch perfect.
Unsurprisingly, Ridge Racer Unbounded shares a great deal of DNA with Bugbear's well-respected racing series FlatOut. No matter, judged on its own merits this is a great racing game. It is interesting, however, that Namco Bandai appears to have given Finnish developer Bugbear carte blanche to disregard pretty much everything that made Ridge Racer Ridge Racer.
As much as I love Ridge Racer, the series has been steadily losing its relevance and vitality, so a kick in the pants was definitely in order. None of this is necessarily a bad thing, however. About the only thing you can depend on is a suitably ravey soundtrack, with a number of old Ridge Racer tracks, as well as the now obligatory dubstep. You can also forget about gleaming cities, winding mountain paths and beachside runs under an azure sky. As such, you can forget about ludicrously over-the-top powerslide mechanics. This game has about as much in common with Ridge Racer as Forza 4, or Hot Pursuit, or any other racer you'd care to name. Ridge Racer Unbounded is Ridge Racer in name only. Let's get it out of the way at the top of the show.
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