Ridge Racer 8

[Distinct muttering]

ok - all the ridge fans held their head in sorrow, when it was announced that the next installment of ridge racer wasnt continuing the tried and tested format and was also not being developed by Namco japan (even though it was endorsed by them). As time when on, it looked like a cross between burnout and split second, but i was curious to see how it turned out (even though it wasnt RR8 and i like those two games). We knew all along that 'unbounded' was not really anything to do with the original franchise, other than a few cars and music tracks, but how has it turned out and is it any good? and can a track editor save it or is it just an add on to supplement a poor game?

I'm afraid not, infact i'd go as far to say its awful....

The cars handle like motorhomes,and all handle very similiarly, the 'power' up mode in which you can 'frag' (oh dear) other players and get Full auto type replays gets boring very quickly. The presentation is very basic too, with a basic progression ladder, no car add on or customization beyond changing the colour; ther are different race modes and some are alittle better than others.

I'll be honest - i didnt try the track editor; but i cant see it changing the gameplay or drastically improving the overall feel of the game.

the lighting and graphics are decent though and its nice to hear old ridge tunes popping up. However the edge crackpipe is filled up once again with the most potent mind altering substances know to man - scoring this a 9, is as bad as giving something like super mario galaxy or Halo a 2; I can only guess what sort relationship they have with the developer to give the game this much praise....

I am going to put a bit more time into it to it to see if i can glean some enjoyment out of this before it hits the bay later tonight. Its actually the first game i have bought in a long time were i got this - 'i cant belive I paid full price for this'

oh dear.....how very disapointing - i think bugbear have been having a right old jolly with namcos money, when they really should have been producing a game. That japanese namco representative that i remember came over to view early stages of the game, must have been drugged to the eyeballs to give this endorsment and the go ahead. I also very suprised at bugbear, as the flatout games were great.

There you have it folks, the bolded and definitive view.

EDIT: and now he edits it and makes me look dumb

[Yewone]

Oh come on it's not that bad, its just uninspired. Its certainly still offers a good solid racing experience.

Must admit I did feel it didn't hold up to Split Second at first, but now Ive spent more time with it I've warmed to it quite a lot.. and the AI seems a lot better than other similar racer, offering a genuinely challenging and exciting race (without resorting to rubberbanding etc).

This game is destined to split opinions, I dont regret picking it up at full-price but I can imagine a few people might (especially as it will probably plummet over the next few weeks).

[The Mighty Ash]

Balls

I read this when you posted it on bordersdown. Can I ask how long you have played it for?

[Bleeders]

It is mercilessly unforgiving, but it's not unfair I don't think.

The learning curve really is quite steep, but I'm having fun with it, even if I am shit at it.

[Robo_1]

I'm still very much in two minds over this.

The Eurogamer review speaks to revelations upon using the drifts properly, but I've spent 90 minutes trying to master it, and I still can't see any significant difference between hitting drift in this game and using the hand break in others.

Neither the AI or rubber banding feels unfair, but it's punishingly difficult to reach a podium position. The formulae to success seems to be based around using the boost button only when there's a shortcut to create (although these shortcuts seem to provide precious little advantage in real terms) or a guaranteed frag opportunity. Even then, I'd only risk it if a drift opportunity (and thus a means of quickly refueling your boost meter) is in your eye line.

Chaining these moments together, to ensure that your boost meter is never empty seems to be the name of the game, yet without a tutorial on how to get to grips with the drift mechanic, I crash out of most races frustrated. I just don't get how you're supposed to drift in the manner the EG review describes, and that's especially frustrating as I love drifting in games like RR and Outrun, yet this comes across as so unwieldily in comparison.

Namco's PR can incredulously ask all the reviewers they like if they're using the drift mechanic properly, but if bugbear didn't see fit to offer players some sort of direction in this regard, then they've nobody to blame but themselves when this fills out the second hand racks in a few weeks time.

Even so, I can still see moments of magic when it clicks. Boosting around a corner, and slamming an opponent out of the race is a great feeling, and streaming through an office block and jumping out the other side is every bit as awesome as it sounds.

Overall though, it's hard to shake the feeling that the Emperor is looking increasingly stripped. It lacks the fun and spectacle of Split Second, it misses the variety of Motorstorm, and it's lacking the tight handling and balls out speed of Burnout. It may actually be a more complete experience than any of those games (and to be fair, the race creation system looks great), but the threadbare presentation, unwieldily drifting and high difficulty level are beginning to ware my patience down.

I do really want to like it, and despite my generally negative opinion, I'm still itching to return to it, so there's undoubtedly something to it, which is pushing the right buttons.

[Yewone]

I still stand by the fact that the Eurogamer review is spouting a load of old bollocks!

..unless I am also due a eurika moment a few hours down the line.. but I very much doubt it.

[dvdx2]

I read this when you posted it on bordersdown. Can I ask how long you have played it for?

I put about 3 hrs into it - ok, it not that bad, just a massive disapointment from a big ridge fan

[df0]

Let's say I ignore the term Ridge Racer, how much fun will I have with this knowing I like Flatout, Split/Second and Burnout.

[Yewone]

I put about 3 hrs into it - ok, it not that bad, just a massive disapointment from a big ridge fan

Thats the problem right there.... But surely everyone had accepted the fact it was going to have nothing in common with the RR series from the day it was announced.

To be honest (as has been said a few times already) the games name is probably its biggest issue!

[mr_woo]

I think it comes down to how much of a Flatout fan you are. It feels like that game with slightly different handling and drifting. The racing satisfaction comes from the challenge and the game really tests your skill. This is NOT aRidge Racer game at heart.

[dvdx2]

To be honest (as has been said a few times already) the games name is probably its biggest issue!

there are alot more issues with the game, other than just the name. I have problems with everything from the handling to the presentation to the almost 'soulless' feel when I play it.

Thats the problem right there.... But surely everyone had accepted the fact it was going to have nothing in common with the RR series from the day it was announced.

To be honest (as has been said a few times already) the games name is probably its biggest issue!

I think 3hrs is more than adequate to determine whether an arcade style racer is decent or not and I knew there was very little 'ridge' content in it - its a pretty poor game, no matter what you call it

[The Mighty Ash]

Personally I find it better than any recent Ridge Racer. The series needed to add something.

[Meers]

To be honest (as has been said a few times already) the games name is probably its biggest issue!

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. From the first video onwards it was totally clear that it has little do with Ridge Racer, apart from the name, music and drifting. Most of the gameplay is inspired by Split/Second, Burnout, NfS, FlatOut and a tad of Blur and that's how you should view it.

I mean, on paper it should be the king of all arcade racers!

[joffocakes]

Yes; if this game had been 'just another ridge racer' there would be more annoyed, or worse, apathetic, people than there are now.

[Robo_1]

The name doesn't bother me at all really, I was certainly looking for something more in the vein of Split Second than Ridge Racer. I've never played Flat Out though, so maybe that's part of the problem.

[Meh]

Personally I find it better than any recent Ridge Racer. The series needed to add something.

Hell naw, mans. RR doesn't need to add anything in particular - but it could perhaps do with changing a few things.

[joffocakes]

"Woooah! That some CRAZY Nitrous! You just got some nitrous! NITROUS!"

[SeanR]

Better or worse than R:Racing?

[Dimahoo]

Better or worse than R:Racing?

Better. And it handles better then Split second too. The cars are nothing like as heavy.

[Karzee]

I've put 45mins into this game so far and can categorically state that the drifting feels absolutely wonderful. I like my rally games so I'm used to using a handbrake to swing the back end around, and by the end of the second race it clicked big time. Eurogamer IS talking bollocks, the Drift button is not a 'fun' button you hold down for the duration of a drift, it acts just like a real handbrake. You approach a corner at the right speed, you turn early, apply the handbrake full on, let go as soon as the back wheels lose grip putting you into a drift, then you control the angle/duration of drift by using a mixture of steering/counter-steering and feathering the throttle. Forget any likeness to Ridge Racer drifting, this is just like the real thing. It maybe a bit challenging at first but when you nail it it is sah-WEEEEET!

Whoever said that the cars handle the same is talking absolute bollocks. I've used three cars so far and each handles so differently that I've had to employ different techniques to control drifting. For instance, the first car you use has a drift rating of 5 and acceleration of 2, which meant I could just tap the handbrake to drift and keep the throttle fully down. The second car has a drift rating of 2 and acceleration of 3 which meant I had to hold the handbrake for longer to initiate a drift and feather the throttle a bit because it would have caused me to oversteer. Finally, the third car - used specifically in a drift event - has drift rating of 3 and acceleration of 4 which is easier to put into a drift and requires excessive throttle feathering/steering to hold the drift for as long as possible (in this event the more you drift the more you earn time on the clock). Get any of that wrong and you'll be facing the wrong way.

And that's just three 'low speed' cars I've tried, I can't wait to see how I'll handle the upper tiered super-fast cars.

It really does feel so good when you take a corner well. People just have to treat cornering like you would in a proper car and make sure you slow down for hard 90 degree bends.

Oh and when you're halfway around a corner and about to crash, applying boost to save yourself feels fucking fabulous.

I've not played enough of the game to form a decent opinion yet but I just wanted to put the record straight regarding drifting.

[Rev]

there are alot more issues with the game, other than just the name. I have problems with everything from the handling to the presentation to the almost 'soulless' feel when I play it.

I think 3hrs is more than adequate to determine whether an arcade style racer is decent or not and I knew there was very little 'ridge' content in it - its a pretty poor game, no matter what you call it

3 hours is long enough to decide you don't like it, but it's not really enough to declare:

"i think bugbear have been having a right old jolly with namcos money, when they really should have been producing a game. That japanese namco representative that i remember came over to view early stages of the game, must have been drugged to the eyeballs to give this endorsment and the go ahead. I also very suprised at bugbear, as the flatout games were great."

[Dimahoo]

3 hours is long enough to decide you don't like it, but it's not really enough to declare:

"i think bugbear have been having a right old jolly with namcos money, when they really should have been producing a game. That japanese namco representative that i remember came over to view early stages of the game, must have been drugged to the eyeballs to give this endorsment and the go ahead. I also very suprised at bugbear, as the flatout games were great."

Given what Namco have done to RR Vita this is gibble.

This looks and plays solidly and theres lots of replay value.

The cars handle like they do in any arcade racer.

Go and play split second and tell me the cars are looser. Because they're not.

Its just this has a harder different drift mechanic to nail over Burnout and HP and some might struggle. Turn early and go wide.

If you learn to drift in this you can be as pinpoint as a ridge racer game. Its easy to overdrift in some cars though - so it feels a touch like Blur (you could overslide those).

I remember once when the fun in drift style arcade games was learning the drift mechanics but thats been diluted by the likes of Burnout.

For better or worse i can't say. Its one for anal otaku debate!

[Gotters]

This seems to be a very hard game to like on your first few goes, it really does need some sort of intro or tutorial.

I was going with the eurogamer 'hold the drift button' theory but it wasn't working, I twigged myself you use it like a handbrake really but I still can't nail what I want to do with it.

I'm not ready to declare it anything yet but it took me 10 races to register a win and we just aren't used to games being tough nowadays from the outset.

[Dimahoo]

Just...wow.

Right look...like any racing you earn boost for Drifts, slipstreaming, smashing opponents if the event calls for it, or mashing obstacles.

You get power - use that to find shortcuts whilst under its influence destroy other AI.

[Karzee]

I cruised through the first 5 races (3 star'ing four of them & 2 star'ing one) over about 10 attempts and was thinking, "Hmmm, not much of a challenge", but now I'm on event 6 of the first city and can't get above 7th place! Now that's more like it.

[df0]

Just started the second city and the amount of "unfair" loses can not be counted on one hand. Without a rear view mirror or any indication (visual, audio) that an opponent behind me is boosting into me it is impossible to avoid a frag

[The Mighty Ash]

Look back with the right stick?

[Karzee]

On 360 you just pull the right stick back to see behind you. Plus you can hear when a car behinds you suddenly boosts, and (in outside cam at least) you can see an orange glow behind you if an approaching car is boosting. If I've got cars right behind me when I come out of a corner then I'm always checking to see if they boost.

[df0]

That is not a rear view mirror. Looking back using the right stick whilst going 100 mph crashing through walls and sliding around corners is not a good idea. On top of that, I use the hood cam.

[Dimahoo]

If your in front its usually a good idea to check on the straights. Also try and stay away from the cars unless you have boost.

You can also tell which cars won't have any as their lights blue too.