Let's get it out of the way at the top of the show. Ridge Racer Unbounded is Ridge Racer in name only. 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. As such, you can forget about ludicrously over-the-top powerslide mechanics. You can also forget about gleaming cities, winding mountain paths and beachside runs under an azure sky. 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.
None of this is necessarily a bad thing, however. 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. 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. No matter, judged on its own merits this is a great racing game.
Unsurprisingly, Ridge Racer Unbounded shares a great deal of DNA with Bugbear's well-respected racing series FlatOut. The handling is similarly weighty, the courses littered with destructible elements, the racing combative and the challenge just about pitch perfect. Bugbear has taken all its greatest strengths and honed them, creating its best racer yet.
None of this is necessarily a bad thing, however. 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. 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. No matter, judged on its own merits this is a great racing game.
Unsurprisingly, Ridge Racer Unbounded shares a great deal of DNA with Bugbear's well-respected racing series FlatOut. The handling is similarly weighty, the courses littered with destructible elements, the racing combative and the challenge just about pitch perfect. Bugbear has taken all its greatest strengths and honed them, creating its best racer yet.
The game's single player component is set within one city – Shatter Bay, so the environments are resolutely urban throughout. 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.
Unbounded is at its best when the racing is combative, the action rough and tumble. Of all the race types on offer, Domination exemplifies this the most and is by far the highlight. 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.
The level of destructibility in Unbounded is hugely impressive, and definitely a step up from anything other racers have done. The general rule of thumb? If it's smaller than your vehicle, chances are you can drive through it. Low walls, concrete support beams, statues in the town square and kiosks can all be smashed straight through. 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.
Unbounded is at its best when the racing is combative, the action rough and tumble. Of all the race types on offer, Domination exemplifies this the most and is by far the highlight. 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.
The level of destructibility in Unbounded is hugely impressive, and definitely a step up from anything other racers have done. The general rule of thumb? If it's smaller than your vehicle, chances are you can drive through it. Low walls, concrete support beams, statues in the town square and kiosks can all be smashed straight through. 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.
And that's just the beginning. Once you've filled your power meter – by drifting, drafting and catching air, the game starts highlighting targets on the course. 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. Just line yourself up and use your power meter for a sustained speed boost to crash through these targets. 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.
In fact, more than anything else, Unbounded is about points. You get points for coming in the top three, you get points for fragging other cars, doing collateral damage, triggering events and earning awards. 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. 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.
In fact, more than anything else, Unbounded is about points. You get points for coming in the top three, you get points for fragging other cars, doing collateral damage, triggering events and earning awards. 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. 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.
It's great stuff, and the points system ties neatly into the game's focus on spectacle. Not only is it cool to barge another car into oblivion, but you're rewarded for it. Not only is it kick-ass to drive through a courthouse, but you're rewarded for it. And then there are the 30-40 awards per course too. These are mini-achievements that can be anything from drifting for a certain length of time or hitting a certain speed, to triggering events or fragging opponents in different ways. Earning awards also fills your power meter, so it's not uncommon to chain together a whole sequence of take-downs and destruction.
Domination events are definitely challenging. It's not uncommon to have several cracks at a race before you place in the top three, but you'll be compelled to do so, and even once you've 'dominated' that event, chances are you'll still feel the urge to revisit it and try for a higher score.
The other race types are a little less successful. They include Frag Attack, where players try and take down as many opponents as possible, Shindo Racing, which strips out most of the combative/destructive elements and focuses instead on straight-up racing, Time Trials, which are set in stunt courses and have players collecting bonus time tokens, and Drift Attack, in which players drift to earn points and time extensions. While all these race types are serviceable, by and large they're simply not as entertaining as Domination, nor is there as much depth to the challenge, because the points system is pared back. You'll need to get good at all of them, however, as the game is very much structured around getting points in every event.
Domination events are definitely challenging. It's not uncommon to have several cracks at a race before you place in the top three, but you'll be compelled to do so, and even once you've 'dominated' that event, chances are you'll still feel the urge to revisit it and try for a higher score.
The other race types are a little less successful. They include Frag Attack, where players try and take down as many opponents as possible, Shindo Racing, which strips out most of the combative/destructive elements and focuses instead on straight-up racing, Time Trials, which are set in stunt courses and have players collecting bonus time tokens, and Drift Attack, in which players drift to earn points and time extensions. While all these race types are serviceable, by and large they're simply not as entertaining as Domination, nor is there as much depth to the challenge, because the points system is pared back. You'll need to get good at all of them, however, as the game is very much structured around getting points in every event.
I've already mentioned that the game's handling model is weighty, but it's also excellent: arcadey, but with enough depth that it takes a while to master. Each vehicle also feels quite unique, and finding the right one for your driving style – and the task at hand – is paramount. I personally like aggressively drifting around corners, so I prefer a vehicle with high handling stats and low drift, for that perfect combination of twitchy steering and stability. There's something for everyone though, and while the game is far more challenging when you can't find a vehicle that suits your style, it's also fun to be forced to adapt.
It's also worth nothing that while each of the nine districts has its own unique elements and setting, there's no doubt the racing does get a little samey at times, and this is only heightened by the fact that you'll see sections of track repeated regularly, which can give a strong sense of de ja vu. It's not surprising – the game ships with a grid-based track (and city) editor, and it would appear that this is how the main game was also built. While it's not that big a deal, it's a bit disappointing to have the illusion of place shattered by repetition. Even so, this is an attractive world – colourful and stylish, despite the gritty urban focus.
Unbounded's single player component will keep you going for quite a while – particularly as you try to eke out enough first places and points to unlock all the districts and events, but it's got a whole lot more to offer. Online multiplayer is included, of course, but of far more interest is the city creator, which allows players to do more than just build individual courses; it enables them to build several in slots around their own custom city, then publish the set online.
Each individual course is built on a grid, with players laying down tiles. These are unlocked as you rank up, and by the time you're most of the way through the single player campaign, you'll have enough to create some pretty sweet courses. Once you've laid down your tiles you can hop in to see how it feels, and place all the ramps, explosive barrels and interactive elements you want to include. It's very straightforward, with all the event types available, and – most crucially – it doesn't skimp on the stuff that makes Unbounded so great. Players can still include tankers to blow up and buildings to drive through, and it all fits together seamlessly.
It's also worth nothing that while each of the nine districts has its own unique elements and setting, there's no doubt the racing does get a little samey at times, and this is only heightened by the fact that you'll see sections of track repeated regularly, which can give a strong sense of de ja vu. It's not surprising – the game ships with a grid-based track (and city) editor, and it would appear that this is how the main game was also built. While it's not that big a deal, it's a bit disappointing to have the illusion of place shattered by repetition. Even so, this is an attractive world – colourful and stylish, despite the gritty urban focus.
Unbounded's single player component will keep you going for quite a while – particularly as you try to eke out enough first places and points to unlock all the districts and events, but it's got a whole lot more to offer. Online multiplayer is included, of course, but of far more interest is the city creator, which allows players to do more than just build individual courses; it enables them to build several in slots around their own custom city, then publish the set online.
Each individual course is built on a grid, with players laying down tiles. These are unlocked as you rank up, and by the time you're most of the way through the single player campaign, you'll have enough to create some pretty sweet courses. Once you've laid down your tiles you can hop in to see how it feels, and place all the ramps, explosive barrels and interactive elements you want to include. It's very straightforward, with all the event types available, and – most crucially – it doesn't skimp on the stuff that makes Unbounded so great. Players can still include tankers to blow up and buildings to drive through, and it all fits together seamlessly.
Once you're done, you can activate your course by placing in it – i.e. proving that it's beatable. Do that for all your city's courses, and you can publish it online, and your scores will go out to the world. Cooler still, you can set challenges, giving people a certain amount of time to beat your scores, and dominate your city.
It's all very cool, and while still early days, there's plenty of content up already, and people are building some pretty interesting courses. Filtering the content is straightforward too, as is tagging anything you like as a favourite. It's clear that a lot of care has gone into this aspect of the game, and it's refreshingly innovative, too.
It's all very cool, and while still early days, there's plenty of content up already, and people are building some pretty interesting courses. Filtering the content is straightforward too, as is tagging anything you like as a favourite. It's clear that a lot of care has gone into this aspect of the game, and it's refreshingly innovative, too.
0 comments:
Post a Comment