In terms of event types, there are all the usual suspects. Not to say racing games need a story, but having additional elements to your game, especially if they're done well can help differentiate a title from its competitors and allow it to stand out as more than just another entry into the genre. Ridge Racer Unbounded starts with a premise that somewhat represents a storyline, but after that it kind of disappears. This fact isn't a negative as Unbounded still represents the arcade racing genre well, but it may leave you wishing for something just a bit different than what you've seen before.Īs for a story, well, where you'll be going you don't need a story.
Granted it is difficult to innovate within a genre such as racing, but Unbounded fails to innovate in any way or introduce any new elements to the genre. Once you load up the game and start playing, you can easily see striking similarities to other games in the genre such as Split/Second, Blur and even the Need for Speed series. This comparison to other games also brings up another relevant point about Ridge Racer. With that said the experience of driving in Unbounded is far from bad, in fact, it's enjoyable, but any and all elements of realistic feel seen in games like Forza, Gran Turismo, or even games like Project Gotham Racing are absent. This helps if you're a speed junky and want to drive fast, but if you desire even a remote sense of realism, you will likely be disappointed. In Unbounded though, you simply drive through solid objects, doing little to anything to slow you down or affect your race. In other racers, hitting a brick post would likely cause you to wreck, or at least severely damage your car and slow you down. The method by which you acquire juice to power up your abilities also points out how arcade like and far from realism Unbounded is. This is a double edge sword though as if you're in the path of an opponent when they use their power burst, you too will be 'fragged'. With this burst of speed, if an opponent is unfortunate enough to get in your way, you will destroy their vehicle. Once you have maxed out this power meter, you are granted a speed boost that takes affect for a short period. Also important to building up your power meter is destruction, be it smashing into random pillars or hitting debris around the track. Your ability to drift will not only aid you in taking corners more efficiently, it also helps you build up your power meter. Fine tuning your angle as you turn around the corner is far from necessary and races are won by slamming down on the throttle and not letting go.Īside from slamming down the pedal and going as fast as you can, Unbounded has a few other important elements. A fast paced title that plays completely like an arcade racer, where your main goal is going fast and destroying your opponents. With that clearly pointed out, you then have an idea of what to expect when it comes to Unbounded. When it comes to Ridge Racer Unbounded, it most certainly falls into the latter category. The other is where a game throws physics out the window, tells Newton and his laws to take a hike and pays no mind to how cars actually drive.
The first is where a game leans more towards a realistic driving simulation, where emphasis is placed on physics and how the car feels and reacts to the track. When it comes to video games and racing, there are often two camps a title can fall into.