PlayStation 2

Ridge Racer V

If players can overlook the flickering and are comfortable with true arcade racing action, then Namco has answered your demand. Ridge Racer 5 will provide you with excellent surroundings and true arcade dynamics for a truly entertaining experience.

In the end despite of what you may have heard, RR5 is a clean polished racer, with great gameplay, excellent sound and faithful control. If you are one of the lucky few who was able to score a PS2, then go ahead and pick up Ridge Racer V, especially if you are a Ridge Racer fan as well. Although the graphics are a bit lacking, the gameplay makes up for it with the amazingly fun gameplay and the awesome soundtrack. In the end, Ridge Racer V is a fun title that will leave you wanting more.

Ridge Racer V si presenta come un prodotto scarno e per alcuni versi poco curato. Difetto, questo, dovuto probabilmente alla necessità di rilasciare il titolo in concomitanza con il lancio della console. Nonostante ciò il racing di casa Namco rappresenta il picco evolutivo di quelle meccaniche tipiche del franchise, riuscendo a più riprese a travalicare i limiti naturali di un’impostazione spiccatamente arcade.

Die "5" am Ende täuscht ein wenig über das Gameplay dieser "Ridge Racer"-Version hinweg: Hier handelt es sich nämlich keineswegs um die konsequente Weiterführung der Serie. Namco kehrt mit "Ridge Racer V" vielmehr zu den Ursprüngen zurück, denn der PS2-Debütant erinnerte mich stark an die ersten beiden Teile.

Fans of the series will certainly find little to disappoint them. The gameplay has been refined just a tad, nowhere near enough to loose the classic feel Namco has instilled into the series. The newest sequel (R: Racing Revolution) completely destroyed this aspect of the game and went for realism. Simply put, that's not Ridge Racer.

Ridge Racer V is an excellent arcade racing game marred by the lack of anti-aliasing. It seems to suffer from this much more than other games with the same problem. Options are plentiful for different types of racing, and the different car types will give you a bunch in the replay department. But, if you are looking for a realistic simulation of racing, wait for Gran Turismo 3.

Ridge Racer V is a fun, great-looking game that will please older Ridge Racer fans. Players that picked up the series around the third or fourth game may be a little disappointed with the way the cars handle, but not so much that their fun will be ruined. Overall, the game feels a little rushed with its easy-way-out track design, and it's really a shame that Ridge Racer V wasn't given the same treatment that Tekken Tag Tournament received when it was translated for the domestic market.

Ridge Racer V ravira les amateurs de la série et ceux qui peuvent se passer d'une longévité accrue. RR5 reste une référence mais confinée dans son domaine de prédilection : l'arcade pure et dure.

Namco’s flagship racing series kick starts the PlayStation 2 festivities with an impressive graphical assault and a familiar gameplay hook. Developed with the arcade gamer in mind, this high-end sequel is lacking in simulation options and really doesn’t offer a wide variety of vehicles. It does however stimulate with a strenuous difficulty that features bullish opponents and harrowing courses. In the big picture, Ridge Racer is merely an ant crushed by GT’s boot of brilliance. It’s a decent racer, but it needs more.

Ridge Racer V är ett läckert arkadspel men som ett av premiärnumren till världens just nu hetaste konsol är det ändå en besvikelse. Ett spel som alla gamla Ridge Racer-fans kommer att älska. En stund. Men efter en kort smekmånad börjar man att upptäcka de grafiska brister i form av hackiga kantlinjer, svajig bildhastighet och rena buggar som faktiskt finns där. Och man inser också snabbt att utbudet av varken bilar eller banor räcker hur länge som helst. Men det är kul så länge det varar.

There are several championship cups to race for, spanning several race tracks. Again Namco has elected to use a base number of tracks, and modified each one so that subsequent races seem to be on different tracks. The truth is that the courses are always familiar, but players may find known routes blocked off, and new ones opened up. Racers will not be confined to viewing grey cityscapes only.

There’s no way I would plunk down the clams for RR V when there’s a little game by the name Gran Turismo 2000 on the way. As much as I like racing games, this package should stay on the shelf.

Ridge Racer V doesn't try to break from the ideas set forth by its predecessors. It's still the same game of "catch up" that it ever was, only now with a slight graphics boost - a boost that tries to wind its way around a turn, but instead falls regretfully off the edge. Even despite the jaggies, the game's graphics aren't all that ambitious or new. The game engine underneath is still strong, but somehow it lacks the same charm and fun as before. A decent start, but Ridge Racer V is simply not the cutting edge.

Ridge Racer V est un retour à la tradition des Ridge Racer, tant au niveau des circuits que de la conduite. Les graphismes sont bien faits mais on est quand même déçu par les performances moyennes affichées par la PlayStation 2 et par l'absence regrettable d'anti-aliasing. Reste que, pour un premier jeu, Ridge Racer V fait bonne impression, et les fans de pilotage style "arcade" se régaleront avec ce titre très rapide. La révolution n'a cependant pas eu lieu, et il faudra attendre probablement un Gran Turismo 3 A Spec pour se faire une réelle opinion des possibilités de la PS2 en matière de jeux de courses de voitures.

Now Ridge Racer V doesn't totally blow. It's not a bad game, it's just that if they spent half as much time making the game fun, as they did making it look cool, we could really have something. Instead, we get a totally generic racing game that only gets a mild recommendation because the graphics are so amazing and everyone should see what the Playstation 2 is capable of. But only for a weekend rental though.

Gameplay hasn't changed much over the years, but its arcade style of racing still provides a good time. Like Ridge Racer 4, there are several modes,and endless setup screens to let you select car type, car color, engine type, driver name, team name, etc. The sonic music is adequate, but the announcer is an annoying idiot. Ridge Racer V is fair, but it hardly shows off the capabilities of the system.