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Ridge Racer Unbounded
I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the biggest racer fan, but when I was offered the chance to play the Ridge Racer Unbounded demo I felt it rude to refuse. My preference to 4 wheels leans towards the arcade styling of Burnout Paradise, so I was in luck.
The Ridge Racer series has always had an arcade feel, but also remained a true racing game at heart. Unbounded is still racing, but has added elements of Split Second and Burnout style gameplay. By drifting around corners you build up your boost. This then allows you to see several short cuts. To open said short cut you need to boost through them; this includes walls, banks, fountains and other forms of masonry! Now that is arcade action.
Graphically it looked good and the cars handled well, allowing you to drift with relative ease. This shift from arcade racer to ARCADE racer will not go down well with Ridge Racer purists, but as a fan of Split Second it did appeal to me. However, with the likes of Split and Blur unable to find an audience last holiday season, why would Namco think they can do any different?