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Ridge Racer
Developer(s)	Namco
Publisher(s)	Namco Bandai
Designer(s)	Isao Nakamura
Engine	RR6 Engine
Native resolution	1080p
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3
Release date(s)	JP March 2, 2007 NA March 23rd, 2007 PAL March 31st, 2007
Genre(s)	Racing game
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer, Online
Rating(s)	ESRB: E OFLC: G[1] PEGI: 3+
Media	Blu-ray Disc
Input methods	Gamepad

Ridge Racer 7 is the latest installment in the Ridge Racer series of racing games, released on PlayStation 3. The game has around 40 cars, many of which return from Ridge Racer 6 and the PSP incarnations of the game. There are also 22 courses, available in forward, reverse and mirror mode. The game runs at 1080p resolution and at 60 frames per second. It also features Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and free online gameplay via the PlayStation Network.

The game was first unveiled at the 2006 E3 event in a teaser trailer, and the first trailer of game footage was shown at the 2006 Tokyo Game Show. On February 22, 2007 a free downloadable demo was released on the PlayStation Store.

Like many other games in the series, it features a Full Motion Video opening that stars Reiko Nagase.

Gameplay

As always, gameplay revolves around highspeed circuit racing featuring Ridge Racer's "drift" handling, where the player slides the car around hairpin turns without any great loss of speed. New features to this iteration include car body and engine customization which can have an impact on the performance, handling and nitrous system of the car. Ridge Racer 7 also boosted the use of slipstreaming as a prominent feature in the game, compared to previous iterations which included the feature but did not show its presence.

Racing modes

Single Player

• Ridge State Grand Prix - the basic Grand Prix mode.
• Manufacturer's Trials - special races where the player can earn parts to customize their car.
• UFRA Single Event- special races with restrictions.
• Extreme Battle - extra races with a much higher difficulty.

Multiplayer

• Global Time Attack - a time trial mode where players race their cars around the circuits as fast as possible and post their best lap times on a global leaderboard.
• Standard Race - a standard race over the Internet for up to 14 players.
• Pair Time Attack - Similar to Global Time Attack, but instead combines the times of two racers working in tandem to achieve fast lap times.
• Team Battle - players are split into red and blue teams (other colors are featured, such as yellow, green and pink), with a points system used to decide which team wins after a race.
• Pair Battle - players are split into teams of two to race, and the winning team is that with the smallest total race time.
• UFRA Special Event - A set of 25 extra events, downloaded for free from the PlayStation Store, which boast a much higher difficulty than any event in the Ridge State Grand Prix mode. The choice of cars is often preset or massively narrowed down.
• Multi Race - a racing mode for two players on the same screen. This is not an online mode.

Ranking System

A global ranking system is used to rank players. It uses a combination of FP (Fame points), CR (Credits, the game's currency) and OBP (Online Battle Points, gained in the online races) to work out an overall number of RP (Ridge Points), which are displayed on the player's Ridge State ID Card. A more in-depth explanation is featured here. A number of players have used an in-game flaw to gain massive amounts of FP and CR in a short space of time.

Extras

On 22 March 2007, Namco released downloadable extras and content for Ridge Racer 7 through the PlayStation Network. This content includes extra events (the UFRA Special Events) and special decals for customizing the roof of the car. Players also have the option to purchase extra background music for their game. These add-ons were added to the US PlayStation Store on June 1, 2007. The decals and events are free, while the background music can be bought per song or in packs for prices from $0.99 to $14.99 (or £2.99/3 euro per song pack on the UK/Ireland store).

Reception & Awards

• Famitsu Magazine (JP) 100/100
• IGN 8.3/10
• Gamespot 8/10
• Eurogamer 7/10
• Electronic Gaming Monthly 10/10
• Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine 10/10
• Edge Magazine 6/10

Awards

• Received the IGN Award for Best PlayStation 3 Racing Game of 2006

External links

• Official Ridge Racer 7 Site (Japanese)