New Review Posted: Ridge Racer 6

Daniel Weissenberger · 03-01-2006, 01:51 AM

Mike Bracken reviews Ridge Racer 6, and opens with an anecdote designed to increase our ability to relate to him:

"One of my fondest gaming memories revolves around the launch of the Sony PlayStation back in the mid-1990s. I was in my early twenties at that point, out of college, married, and a dad. I'd been what would have been called a "hardcore gamer" in my youth (up through high school, actually), but then I sort of lost interest. I started doing all those "grown up" things and just didn't have much time or interest in gaming. So, when the PlayStation originally came out, I didn't buy one. I did, however, work as an assistant manager at a Blockbuster Video store (oh the horror stories I could tell you…) and we had a kiosk with a PlayStation, a Saturn, and the greatly lamented Virtual Boy. Needless to say, this kiosk was a really bad idea—productivity in my particular Blockbuster Video store dropped significantly while those kiosks were up and running. And while the PlayStation launch (and its aftermath) was pretty light on good games, there was one title that kept me and my boss occupied through many a boring afternoon: Ridge Racer. The shiny graphics and the ease of the pick-up-and-play game mechanics kept us glued to the game for what seemed like months. Each day was a constant series of races to see who could get the best time on each track. We played the game almost obsessively, until they finally pulled the kiosks from the stores."

With that accomplished, he moves on to discussing the new Ridge Racer here.

EnduroGamer · 03-02-2006, 03:00 AM

Excellent review. I couldn't agree more with what you said. Nailed it.

I enjoyed the game for the most part but there were two things that really, ultimately, killed it for me.

1) Get a huge lead and come to a stop in front of the finish line on a lengthy straightaway. Watch the "AI" cars smash right into the back of you instead of using, say, one of the three other lanes on the road to pass cleanly.

2) Fake difficulty. I liked the inclusion of prohibiting nitrous in some races, but still allowing the AI cars to use nitrous isn't a "difficulty" feature, it's called "cheap". Many racing games do this. They don't know how to actually program smart AI so they adjust the rules to favor the AI in ever-cheapening ways. Just like in Full Auto where some races give you but one life and no Unwreck, and all of the AI cars have unlimited lives. Racing game developers are forever confusing "difficulty" with "cheapness".

ferrarimanf355 · 03-02-2006, 10:14 AM

I have to take issue with a few things in this review. It seems like RR6 is the bastard child of the 360 launch, and I have to disagree. Heck, with all the raving that I gave PGR3, I still play RR6 more. Why? I don't know. It probably has to do with that feeling of "just one more car unlock", and the online play is just damn fun. I actually think RR6 is too easy, but then again, I am a racing game fanatic.

I do agree with Enduro about the nitrous, though- it just seems out of place in a Ridge Racer game. Also, where are the classic Ridge Racer tracks? The new track designs are nice and all, but I want the classic tracks that appeared in the PSP Ridge Racer- is a downloadable track pack too much to ask?

Aside from that, RR6 is a solid 8/10 in my book.

EnduroGamer · 03-02-2006, 12:15 PM

Yeah, RR6 was too damn easy. And too repetitive, and each of the "car unlocks" is just another skin of the same f'ing car you've had all along.

It's fun. No doubt about it. But there's no substance.

As for nitrous, I think the use of nitrous was fun and not entirely out-of-place. My complaint was races that prohibited you from using it, but allowed the "AI" cars to use it. Nothing like working up the pack, holding them off, and then having them blow by on the final straightaway.

Another problem with the game was that by the time you completed the very first Novice map/hex-grid, you had already seen every course in the game. You had hundreds of races left, but you'd already seen everything they had to offer.

Mike Bracken · 03-02-2006, 02:27 PM

First off, thanks for the feedback.

This was a tough review for me because I know a lot of people have made this game the "bastard child of the 360 launch". I didn't want to join that chorus because I don't think it's a bad game as a whole.

There were moments where I had a lot of fun with RR6--but for all of those, there were two moments where the game did something so dumb or cheap that it ruined the good feelings. Plus, the fun was shortlived in the long run because you'll have seen and done everything there is to do long before you've opened up that entire hex grid.

And Doug's right about the no NOS races--there was nothing lamer than getting up to the lead, then watching the AI cars blast nitrous in the final straightaway and cheap you out of the win. That's just bad design.

Mike B.

nout · 03-02-2006, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike_Bracken

This was a tough review for me because I know a lot of people have made this game the "bastard child of the 360 launch". I didn't want to join that chorus because I don't think it's a bad game as a whole.

Nobody seems to think it is a bad game:
http://www.metacritic.com/games/plat...60/ridgeracer6
Actually the score you gave, with the exception of "Game Revolution", is the lowest Ridge Racer 6 got.

Mike Bracken · 03-02-2006, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nout

Nobody seems to think it is a bad game:
http://www.metacritic.com/games/plat...60/ridgeracer6
Actually the score you gave, with the exception of "Game Revolution", is the lowest Ridge Racer 6 got.

Well, I meant amongst gamers--I rarely ever read other game reviews anyway. If you look at places like the IGN boards some people have been pretty hard on the game.

Mike B.

technomancy · 03-02-2006, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nout

Nobody seems to think it is a bad game:
http://www.metacritic.com/games/plat...60/ridgeracer6
Actually the score you gave, with the exception of "Game Revolution", is the lowest Ridge Racer 6 got.

Wait, so a 70 from IGN is a good score?

Mike Bracken · 03-02-2006, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by technomancy

Wait, so a 70 from IGN is a good score?

Heh, anything below a 9 from IGN means the game blows goats.

I did look over that list after it was posted--there's a ton of 6s, which by most game score standards is pretty mediocre.

Mike B.

ferrarimanf355 · 03-02-2006, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnduroGamer

Yeah, RR6 was too damn easy. And too repetitive, and each of the "car unlocks" is just another skin of the same f'ing car you've had all along.

It's fun. No doubt about it. But there's no substance.

As for nitrous, I think the use of nitrous was fun and not entirely out-of-place. My complaint was races that prohibited you from using it, but allowed the "AI" cars to use it. Nothing like working up the pack, holding them off, and then having them blow by on the final straightaway.

Another problem with the game was that by the time you completed the very first Novice map/hex-grid, you had already seen every course in the game. You had hundreds of races left, but you'd already seen everything they had to offer.

Two things. One, I do agree with your assessment of the no-nitrous races. I thought it was a good idea, until I found out that the AI cars can still use the NAWS.

Also, more tracks would be nice. I mean, that's what the Marketplace is for, right?

I'm going to have a lot of free time next week, so I might write a reader review if anyone's interested...

Harmonica · 03-06-2006, 05:25 PM

Nice review! I still can't tell if it's a boring racing game, or just "not my type" of racing game. I played this for a while at a kiosk in EBGames and it seemed like a little of both.