Ridge Racer 2 (PSP) > Reviews > Ridge racer 1.5 not 2

Author's product rating:   

Playability & Enjoyment	A good game - playable and enjoyable
Addictiveness	Not exactly addictive but certainly playable
Graphics	Excellent
Difficulty & Complexity	Average - suitable for most
Value for money	Limited value

Advantages:	good graphics, controls, familiar settings
Disadvantages:	No Originality, All tracks / cars from previous games

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

Having now played the much hyped ridge racer 2 I thought it was time I told the reviewing commuinity exactly what i thought of it. Its at this point I try to think of an interesting way to introduce the subject and to grab your attention about new gaming brilliance. However this time I don't feel like i really should put the effort in as it would be a very good reflection of the game designers behind Ridge Racer 2.

The first PSP ridge racer title can basically be summed up as simply a graphical re-working of older titles, with little in the way of new game play. As a new console's launch title this is almost acceptable but surely there should be a few new touches in the sequel. Do we not deserve something new for our money? Well apparently Namco do not think so.

I can see the argument in that a game's sequel should be similar to the original to breed contempt and familiarity to it but this game goes to far. Gamers should not expect anything new in terms of layout. Infact let me just list all the things that are IDENTICAL to the previous title: the menus, the graphics, the sounds, the loading prompts, the game structure, the multiplayer mode, the tracks (the new ones here have still been seen on other titles), the cars (again some new old ones), the controls, the HUD, the classes, the icons.

The game does still have a lot of good point though, yes the grahics are very similar but they are still beautiful. The draw distance is good and the frame rate is high enough to generate a real sence of speed. The music is of the correct style and tempo to add to the adrenaline rush. The controls are still easy to pick up and provide enough depth for the expert gamer. These are all very good points but can be experienced at a fraction of the price on the original rather than on a new sequal. This game provides very little that you could call NEW.

The actual game structures follows the same basic structure as previous titles. With a series of races grouped together into a World Tour. As you race against compter controlled cars to win races and unlock new cars and courses. Again nothing particually new there.

For the first half of Ridge racer 2 the average gamer will not be challanged. It is very easy to simply turbo slide around every corner and cut through the field like a hot knife through butter. By the end of lap two you will be so far ahead you can just sit back and admire the view. The difficulty level does raise towards the end of the game to a decent level. However I hate the fact that for long periods you never really feel to be actually RACING other cars. Yes, there are other cars there but they just seem to be out for a sunday morning strole.

After slating this game for its lack of originality it is important to point out that there is a good solid game here to be enjoyed. The major trouble is that to fully appreciate it you need to be new to the ridge racer series. As most gamers have experienced at least one previous title, this game will only truely appeal to a select few. I personaly would reccomend a second hand copy of ridge racer (currently less than 10 pound on ebay) and forget this title

Overall = 6/10