Ridge Racer 6

[Rumpy]

From what I've read RR6 is getting decent reviews, usually being called a good alternative to PGR3 (RR being more arcade style and simple). And PGR3 looks much better. Everyone seems to be calling PGR3 next gen while RR6 looks more like a top notch, high res Xbox 1 game.

[bahn]

PGR is clearly the more visually appealing game and also has a much better sense of speed.

This man speaks truth. RR6 is basically the PSP edition with better graphics and actual online play.

[isamu]

This man speaks truth. RR6 is basically the PSP edition with better graphics and actual online play.

That is a SERIOUS load of horseshit! Read these impressions and weep!!!!!

I posted this in the IGN thread, but I though Isamu might miss this, so....



So I got a chance to play some X360 games today...

First up was PGR3.....this was the first time anyone played the game so there was no cars in the garage and I didn't like the cars that were available (I thought the Enzo was available right away??)

The good thing is you can test drive just about every car by hitting X when it pops up in the car select screen....I started out with a McLaren F1 LM at the test track but when I tried the in-car viewpoint, it did not look as awesome as I remembered from the videos.....

This was a demo X360 running on a small 720p LCD flat panel......I suspected that perhaps the settings weren't right and sure enough, even though the component cable was set to "HD" the dashboard video setting was 480P....Oy Vay!!!


Back up to 720P and things started to look better but it wasn't a night and day difference....

I tooled around with a Lambo Mercielargo 6.2 and a Gallardo on the test track (mostly to dial in the picture settings of the LCD screen) and figured I should take the time I had to try out some other games...PGR3 would get a bigger test drive from me some other day

Sadly, the copies of Perfect Dark Zero they had were all preorders (DRAT!) but the guy was willing to open any game that was in the display case, and they had lots of games


Next up was NBA Live 06....I played the 1st quarter of 2 games (Lakers vs T-Wolves and Lakers vs Hornets).....the graphics were nice but the control seems a little off to me....the A button is for "Pass" and the B button is *SUPPOSED* to be for a jump shot (Y is hard dribble and X is layup/dunk" but whenever I penetrated the lane to the paint the FUCKING game kept passing the ball with the B button......other times it would work (jump shot with B) and I thought I was going insane so in went the next game....the game I would spend the most time with.....


RIDGE RACER SIX


OMFG....as a Ridge fan I must say I am very, very happy with this game.....

I don't think it will appeal to all ridge fans because the powerslide is ULTRA easy to perform/forgiving.....very much like the PSP version.....

It is obvious to me Namco did this to lower the frustration levels for non ridge fans (the ones who dont "get" ridge power-sliding technique)....one nice by-product of this is the fact there is a much higher level of precision with your powersliding.... powersliding around turns, you can place the car *exactly* where you want it to be, and correct steering mistakes much easier than in previous Ridge games....moreso than even the PSP version....

As a Ridge fan, I did not take it as "WTF!?!?! they screwed up my Ridge control-scheme"....I actually appreciated this new control dynamic and had a blast "threading the needle" through turns between other cars....

Give it a chance and you might like it


There are a TON of tracks (more like A or B branching paths).....each path is 10 races and through 8 races in 45min I unlocked 0.3% of RR6!!

This is the biggest ridge I have ever seen...

I couldn't really hear the BG music but the announcer (get this) actually trys to mimic Chris Rock!! :lol :lol

"Didn't clear this track??? Next time try some Robotussin!"


At any rate, the graphics are BETTER (yes better) than PGR3 in some ways...


On this particular LCD screen, PGR3 has a "smooth" look to it that *is* appealing but the super-vividness of RR6 just *POPS* off the screen and just appeals to me more somehow...

In some places, the textures have that super-detailed look of a Sega Model 2 and 3 arcade game (Super GT textures instantly came to mind)....they dont seem to have several texture passes....they are just rich and deep to look at.....its kinda hard for me to explain it....you will just have to see it for yourselves

RR6 does not have a "Skybox" background in the distance that you can never reach....it seems to be a very large "bowl" (I am talking about many virtual square miles here) in which the X360 is rendering polygons....

Within this area, there is no pop up or draw in (I did notice a small amount of draw in with PGR3)....if you see a mountain or city waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay in the distance, during the course of that lap you will be able to drive next to that mountain and through that city....it is the stuff I have been dreaming about for a long time.....

In the end, this is one of those polarizing games......the later Ridge Racer games tend to be that, but its espcially true in RR6....Namco did make some tolken gesture to the mass market non-ridge players and there is no way you can do that without pissing off some of the core fans...

I would bet that most people who "get" the magic of Ridge gameplay (the core fans, such as myself) will lap this shit up.....the best part of RR6 is its not exactly like any other Ridge but its still Ridge Racer....it has its own identity, but at the same time there is some continuity since the game adheres to some of the general changes and sensibilities of the PSP game, for better or worse...

If you liked the PSP game(I did) you will love RR6....that said it only has a vague similarity with the portable game even though the total flavor is diffrent...

To be expected, RR6 is a game I feel a small core group will abolutely EAT UP, but those outside this envelope won't change their mind of the series because of RR6..


Let em eat cake I say

Continued....

So I got to play RR6 some more today...

I got up to race #40, (level 2 races) won a new car and opened up 4 out of 6 levels of cars...

I am liking the game even more now....the different cars have verying handling traits (easy, medium and dynamic) just like the older Ridge games and I saw a lot more tracks (including Rave City)....

There are some HUGE jumps in the game now.....none of the level 1 tracks had any jumps that I could see and it’s nice to see my favorite part of the PSP game here on a home console...

The different classes of cars have a wide range of drift feel from other classes and adds a new layer of variety to this game.....its almost as if the first level is L Zero and L2 is when the REAL RR6 begins

Namco put some real thought in the design of the tracks and the opponent AI, both of which act together to define my current RR6 gaming experience......

Tracks are a bit wider than previous console Ridge games and once you get past the #12-#6 racing fodder you can join in the exquisite cat and mouse game at the head of the pack

The top 4 guys really work hard against you and you can feel your heightened senses and increased concentration as you approach "the wall" of top 4 opponents.....during this "wolf pack" fight, I found myself 100% focused at the task at hand...I started to grind my teeth as I attempted to plot when and where I could strike to pass each guy....its one of those "in the zone" things that I love about certain games and RR6 demands you to be in Ridge Zen to beat the higher levels......there is a large ramp up in the difficulty past level 2....its nothing too bad, but no casual will have fun here...that’s for sure...

Again, I can't say enough about how the new control gives you *far* more precision for car placement during corner drifts....This has existed in other Ridge games before, but it is so much more usable in this game at it feels as though the designers at Namco really play up this aspect of the gameplay, because beyond being effective, it just plain feels good when you nail the technique

All the action happens in the corners.....and it feels great to "thread the needle" between the cars during this time...

There is a smooth progression from corner to corner that, again, just feels great....I can see how some might find this gameplay alien/hovercrafty/whatever, but to me it’s almost like car ballet....

Even during the fight for better positions you just dance/glide around corners.....when this happens, you discover why you love Ridge Racer so much

At any rate, I had to peel my ass off the demo station because I could sense the desire in me to put a serious investment in RR6 playtime and I now feel I can not touch this game anymore....I must wait until I buy an X360 and experience RR6 from start to finish...

Anywho...these are just my impressions...blah, blah....you may not like the game.....blah, blah....your mileage may vary....blah, blah.....you know the drill...

I just thought I would share my experience of RR6 as one of those GAFers who love the series and find some real significance in it not accompanying a PlayStation launch....

This game is for US

Bahn OwNZ0rrED

[Mzo]

Some retarded fucker likes RR6 more than PGR3 and bahn is owned for being honest?

[Korly]

I guess I'm getting RR6 next. Then, I'll get Tiger and/or Condemned.

[Dyne]

Some retarded fucker likes RR6 more than PGR3 and bahn is owned for being honest?

yeah i'm not following how me and Bahn got ummm....how these kids say, owned?

[EMAGDNIM]

I have RR6 and I can say that its great. I can't put the thing down, I'm 35% done so far and I've JUST started the one on one battles. I'm finding that I have to REALLY stick at it on some of the missions (Like the no nitro races).

If you are a RR fan you HAVE to pick this up. If you are an arcade racing fan you HAVE to pick it up.

[sonic6]

I played the heck out of Ridge Racers PSP over the summer. Whenever I get ahold of a 360 this will be one of my 1st purchases for sure.

[EMAGDNIM]

Oh, I unlocked a announcer last night...Its Heihachi LOL

[DHG Otaku]

i prefer the visuals to RR6...definately. PGR3 may be doing more or whatever but RR6 just LOOKS better and is more fun to play.