|
|
|
If
there is anyone out there who has not heard of this classic racing series from
Namco, then suffice to say that they have missed out on the closest thing to
true arcade racing that the PlayStation has to offer. Ridge Racer was brilliant
and Ridge Racer Revolution even better, the graphics were of arcade quality but
what set these titles above the rest was the truly realistic 'feel' of the car.
Connect a mad-catz steering wheel, switch on the T.V, crank up the volume and
you were instantly transported to the race track for a truly adrenaline pumping
experience.
The only disappointment was the longevity of these games.
Within a week the three courses were perfected, mirror mode was cracked and you
were probably just getting pipped at the post by that damn ghost car in Time
Trial mode. The introduction of link mode in Revolution offered the player a
game within a game and still holds as the best link-racer to date. |
|
|
|
Who
are the mysterious Rage Racers? It appears that no one knows how the race began
or why it's drivers became known as Rage Racers. We do know that they live
dangerously close to the edge, show an overwhelming desire for victory and
boldly claim the whole world is their speedway (traffic cops take note).
Unfortunately there can only be one Rage Racer.
Namco's third offering
promises to be the best of the trilogy, so lets put the key in the ignition and
prepare to give this baby a quick spin! |
|
|
|
The
opening FMV hits you right between the eyes and screams out I'm beautiful, so
cool, super smooth and one piece of fast merchandise. Gone are the old race
excerpts to be replaced by an FMV sequence that oozes quality.
Rage
Racer offers you the facility to design your very own racing car. First choose
your vehicle then book it into the workshop where you can select a team logo
from the catalogue available. However, if your a budding young artist then why
not design your very own motif to parade on your hood as all the tools are
available within this option. Once this is in place, how about a tasteless sun
strip so you can plaster you own name across the windscreen. Finally it's off
to the paint shop for a re-spray where you can clash colors to your hearts
content. This is all good fun and the first race hasn't even started yet.
When
race time arrives your first few attempts will see you busting up the barriers
and damaging that new coat of paint. Not 'cause the circuit is too difficult to
negotiate but because the background detail is simply jaw-dropping and you will
struggle to keep those eyes fixed to the road. Buildings are exceptionally
detailed and varied, neon lights brighten the shadowed track, airships and
airplanes fly high above, windmill blades rotate, ancient ruins jut out of the
ocean, waterfalls cascade from the surrounding hills, trees line the route
casting shadows over the track and look at those clouds, absolutely stunning.
The attention to detail is evident wherever you glance.
As you race
there is very little Polygon pop up visible to the naked eye. Although there is
a hill on the track Overpass City Group 3 that launches your car into the air
with such great speed that your vision is temporally lost.
|
|
|
|
The
sound effects are superb. You can hear the engine revs of the car dramatically
drop as it painfully tries to pull up a steep hill only to scream with relief as
it thankfully reaches the brow before accelerating off into the distance. As
you swerve from one side of the road to another in a frenzied bid to overtake,
the sound of the air really makes you feel that you're actually in the driver's
seat.
The background noise also changes in the sense that it reflects
your surroundings. When you enter a tunnel you can hear the echoes of the
throaty car sounds rebounding from the enclosed walls, while passing a waterfall
surrounds you with the roar of a falling river plummeting 100 feet to it's
watery grave.
The background music is a sort of thumping, techno music that
really gets you into the racing mood. There is also an in-built music player
that lets you sample all the tracks as you watch cars whizzing past you. |
|
|
|
Rage
Racer offers two modes of gameplay. Attempt to set new lap records using Time
Trial Mode or embark on a Grand Prix. Selecting the latter will launch you on
the road to become the ultimate racer, the Rage Racer, while T.T. may also be
useful as a test circuit for a new or upgraded motor.
There are 12
vehicles to choose from - eventually, but you must begin by racing a Gnade
Esperanze- Grade 1 on the opening circuit Mythical Coast. You are allowed to
customize your car by selecting manual or automatic transmission while the tyre
traction can be increased five fold.
3-2-1- GO!
The most
noticeable difference from Ridge Racer is the presence of steep inclines and
falls that give the feeling of a Roller Coaster ride. Keeping up top speed is
imperative and non more so than the second corner of the race. Clip that corner
and it will be a time consuming drag to the top of the hill, while a full speed
power slide will catapult you to the summit and knock seconds off your lap
times. At last we have a racing game where the use of manual transmission will
be richly rewarded as an error can be quickly corrected by dropping down a
couple of gears and upping those revs.
Complete the first race within
the top three positions and you are awarded credits. The higher you finish, the
more credits awarded. These credits are used to purchase alternate vehicles
which perform in a similar way to the cars that were available in Ridge Racer:-
good handling, great acceleration and high top speed. They range from a nippy
Mini 'Abeille' to super slick 'Assoluto' dream machines.
Once the
first group of three races are complete you will move up to the Group 2
classification. To enable you to compete against the faster opponents you may
decide whether to cash in your credits for a different vehicle or visit the
engineer shop to tune up your existing motor. You have a choice of cars from
four different manufacturers. Each of the manufacturers, with the exception of
the first one, has a selection of models. Most of the more powerful variants
only support manual transmission adding to the realism of the game (does any
real life racer use automatic?), therefore if you wish to try out all on offer
then practice with the gears is imperative (which is where the T.T. mode comes
in really handy).
There are only three courses to choose from but if
you persevere you will discover the oval track which is designed for high
speeds, and I mean high speeds. If you become bored of the four tracks then
Mirror mode is also available, which in effect doubles up the number of track
available.
Computer AI has also improved in the sense that you
opponents will now relentlessly race to further their own placing instead of
just letting you pass them.
You'll clamour for more as you race again
and again just to earn enough money to purchase your dream car before finding
out that you'll need to upgrade it in order to kick some serious butt. It may
be slow in the starting but once you earn enough credits to purchase the mini,
the speed really starts to kick in. Come class 4 or higher and you'll find out
the real meaning of speed as you race at almost 300mph on the oval track which
is an exhilarating experience.
For some reason Namco have removed the
link cable option within the game, I guess it must push the PSX to the limits.
Its still a shame to see it left out of the game options, as it would add the
final touch to a brilliant game. |
|
|
|
As
in the previous versions of this game, its very easy to pick up and play this
game, but will require some serious skill to if you are to go all the way in
this one. If you're only prepared to use the automatic transmission cars then
you will never get the most out of the game due to the fact that the more
powerful car variants only have manual transmission. An excellent buy. |
|
|
|
MARTIN |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Good |
When
I first picked up Rage Racer I was disappointed at the speed of the vehicles.
Sure the graphics were cool, the engine sounds were gritty and the music was
suitable. But by the time I reached the Grade 4 Oval the speed had reached head
splitting proportions. If it's speed your after and you've got the balls, then
go for Rage Racer Grade 5, one of the fastest arcade racers in town. |
|
SOUND: |
Good |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
|
VALUE: |
Good |
|
OVERALL
9/10 |
|
|
SOO |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Good |
The
best racing game currently available for any console. This one should make you
automatically reach out and grab it from store shelves without even taking a
glance at it. What this game is missing is the availability of automatic
transmission for the later car models and a 2 player split screen-link option.
Overall, this is a great game that you should get regardless of the cost. |
|
SOUND: |
Good |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
|
VALUE: |
Good |
|
OVERALL
9/10 |
|
|
JIM |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Good |
Like
everyone else who has played Namcos racers, I wish there were more tracks. Look
at Formula 1, 17 different tracks!
Having said that, if its an arcade
quality racer that you are after, then this stands alone way out in front of the
competition. The combination of the perfect "Feel" the car has,
combined with the awesome speed of later levels makes this an easy choice for
arcade racing fans. |
|
SOUND: |
Good |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
|
VALUE: |
Good |
|
OVERALL
8.5/10 |
|
|
TOM |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Brilliant |
An
incredible arcade racer with some of the best graphics to be found in any
Playstation game. The feeling of speed is captured very well (just think of
WipEout XL and you start to get the picture). My complaints on this game are
few, but here they are: -Only three tracks (not counting the oval)...even in
mirror mode, you only come out with six. Definitely more tracks should have
been added to beef up replay value. -A two player mode would have been
nice...again, it would add to the replay value. -More realistic collision
detection...but hey, it is an arcade racer so this complaint can really pass...
Those drawbacks aside, this game is it for an arcade screamer...get in your car,
stomp on the accelerator and rage race to your nearest Playstation store now!
|
|
SOUND: |
Good |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Brilliant |
|
VALUE: |
Good |
|
OVERALL
9/10 |
| |
