First Impressions: No more Ridges to race…
The Ridge Racer series has long been one of the PlayStation’s cornerstone franchises. Namco’s arcade-turned console series has seen 5 entries into franchise in eight years, including in both PlayStation and PlayStation 2 launch titles. In the scheme of things, when someone mentions Ridge Racer, most likely PlayStation is the first thing that comes to mind. However, Ridge Racer V was a huge step back for Namco – the PS2 launch title was buried in a lack of depth when compared to the peak of the series, Ridge Racer Type 4. Since 2000, there’d been no word on a new Ridge Racer game – this was the longest period between Ridge Racer releases since the PlayStation launched in 1995.
But the wait is finally over – even though this might not be the announcement you’d expected. At the E3 2003 event, Namco had unveiled their latest racing game, R: Racing Evolution. Something missing? Indeed, if you guessed “no Ridge Racer in its title,” you get not just a cookie, but also an entire box of Oreos. In the foreseeable future, there will be no Ridge Racer games – if ever again. Instead, Namco is going in a wholly different direction with Racing Evolution; one that looks less like Ridge Racer and more like Gran Turismo. From the looks of things, it’s a step in the right direction, taking RR past its traditional arcade roots and creating something deeper and more rewarding to play. We won’t have to wait long either, as the game is scheduled to release before the end of the year.
R: Racing Evolution isn’t about Gran Turismo in every sense. Don’t expect millions of cars and lots of upgrading to come wrapped in this package. Instead, Namco wants to deliver a realistic racing experience, without the added detail of upgrading and tweaking. Where the game differentiates itself from the Ridge Racer series is in its car selection. Instead of generic, made-up cars, R: Racing Evolution will have a selection of real vehicles, such as the Calsonic Skyline and other high powered machines. There will still be a small amount of classic Namco creations (they were usually pretty good with their own car designs), but they won’t be the only kind of cars available.
R: Racing Evolution follows a similar path from R4, in terms of a full-on storyline to compliment the racing action for solo players (though honestly, the RR series has always been built with single player gaming in mind). You’ll get to take on a rivalry of sorts – playing the part of one female racer head-on against yet another female racer, with a deep background to make sure the entire thing makes sense and carries a bit of continuity. As you progress through the game, your character will be able to interact with the rival driver. Then the competition heats up until you reach a climax. Very few racers have successfully pulled off a storyline mode (aside from R4 and Pro Race Driver…but R4 was pretty generic), so hopefully R will continue to advance the genre in this regard.
Namco’s latest effort will surely surpass the previous car racing game for the PlayStation 2, the first generation Ridge Racer V, in terms of visuals as well. Gone are the rough looking elements, which will be replaced with a beautifully rendered landscape of cars and tracks. The three-year layoff for Ridge Racer games has allowed for a radical change in looks, instead of a slow progression over the years. While the game is still early despite its release date later this year, R: Racing Evolution has a chance to be in the elite lineup of PlayStation 2 racers, visually.
