Volume 2 Issue 5 November 2006 Grand Theft Auto - Hardcore Gamer

Say it with me, kids: RIIIIIIIIIIDGE RACER!
Namco’s Ridge Racer series is one of the cornerstones of the PlayStation brand,
so of course there’s a new title in the series to go along with the PS3 launch.
Much like the 360-exclusive Ridge Racer 6, RR7 is a system exclusive designed
to exploit the strengths of the PS3. This means mind-blowingly detailed highresolution
pseudo-realistic graphics that give the Ridge Racer driving fantasy an
unprecedented level of intensity.
It also means twenty-two unique tracks, forty cars, a 160-race career mode,
worldwide online multiplayer for up to fourteen simultaneous racers, and a
mind-bogglingly detailed car customization and tuning system. For the rst
time in the Ridge Racer series, you’ll be able to alter the look and performance
of any car into one of thousands different possible combinations. Even more
customization content will be available via download from the PS3’s online service.
Online multiplayer in RR7 will blend traditional competitive play with a variety
of co-op modes like Team Battle and Pair Time Attack. A worldwide leaderboard
called the “World Hub” will track every player’s performance.
Despite these neat features and fantastic screens, RR7 is going to face an uphill
battle when it comes to getting the respect of the hardcore. Much like Genji 2
and its GIANT ENEMY CRAB, Ridge Racer 7 emerged from the aming wreckage
of Sony’s E3 2006 press conference as an enduring symbol of corporate failure
and stale gameplay. Of course, the nal proof is in the gameplay, and in all
likelihood few of RR7’s vocal naysayers have ever laid hands on the game.
Can Namco Bandai deliver a product good enough to make
the internet eat its collective words? We’ll
nd out this fall.
Publisher: Namco-Bandai
Developer: Namco-Bandai
Release Date: Q4 2006
Genre(s): Racing
Category: Arcade
# of Players: 1 - 14
Preview by Lynxara
20_PREVIEW_RIDGE RACER 7
HARDCORE GAMER MAGAZINE_VOLUME 2_ISSUE 5_CALL CHUCK