Ridge Racer Unbounded PlayStation 3
User Score
6.7 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 21 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 21
  3. Negative: 5 out of 21

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  1. sinadoom
    Jan 26, 2013
    8
    I was expecting this game to be average and get boring very quickly, but with this level of all-round quality I'm struggling to think of anything wrong with it! Yes, it may be similar to some other games and there is no doubt that it's lacking in variety, but come on. Other than that, this game couldn't really be improved. Graphics and lighting are phenomenal (except for shadows and texture detail at some points), the (fictional) cars are good-looking, there is a track editor (which can be used to create and play custom tracks online as well), user interface is very minimalistic and modern (so you focus on the game than a load of HUDs) and the difficulty level is practically perfect. Cars handle differently, there is almost no frustration because you don't have to restart every time you crash into the smallest object (but you do if you plainly drive into a wall) and it's generally just so much fun. The pacing, the soundtrack, the user interface, the graphics, the driving physics, game modes and its sheer simplicity combined with a very user-friendly and pick-up-and-play-yet-still-challenging experience make it one of the most accessible, fun and also fairly innovative racing games on the market. Also, the whole game is only 1.6GB! That is extremely efficient given the amount of content. The AI isn't too easy but not impossible either. You know when you've done well and when you've done bad, and you get what you deserve accordingly. The fact that the controls are VERY simple (no manual or anything) and the linear tracks make it easy for anyone to play since there isn't an emphasis on precision. However, if you are a racing veteran you will still have plenty of fun mastering the satisfying drifting or outrunning your opponents with razor-sharp precision cornering. The balance of cars is good too, with varying performance in handling, drifting, top speed and acceleration. So no matter how you want to play the game, you will have fun doing so because there is a car for everyone. The power meter also adds an interesting element. You can gain powershot nitrous by drifting, taking down opponents or by boosting through some specific scenery (e.g. a cafe or billboard). What I'm trying to get across is that this is a no-nonsense game. Very straightforward, very simple, very fun, appropriately challenging and yet still rewarding since the points you earn during racing go towards ranking you up and unlocking new tracks and cars. From the Burnout-style 'frag attack' (where you take out as many opponents as you can within a time limit) to time trial (similar to TrackMania games), 'drift attack' (earn points by drifting) and the standard racing, there really is something for everyone regardless of their skill or experience with racing games. I'm really impressed with the overall package. I play a lot of racing games and it's such a joy when one comes across something so simple and different to the majority of other racing games. Overall, a solid package which excels in all departments, and it's something different to the typical cohort of arcade racing games.… Expand
  2. Braders790
    Jun 24, 2012
    5
    In a nut-shell: sort of okay.

    The game has decent graphics and some with different tastes may find the game fun, but in comparison with other, (better) driving games, like Gran Turismo and Split/Second Velocity, the driving physics are difficult to master and the drifting is annoying. The gameplay and menu look and feel very close to the Split/Second game. It's hard for me to summarise     but really I don't like the game. not worth the money. Wait until it's like £10 or less then i recommend buying it.… Expand
  3. MisterSparkle
    May 30, 2012
    1
    This game is terrible, play the demo theres so many things bad with this game it would take me months to write down into a review and explain, it looks like they tried to copy Burnout Paradise and Split/Second and failed miserably, get either Burnout Paradise or Split Second instead you could prob buy both with the price charge for this shower and still have change left over for a swift half!
  4. ALFONZ
    May 18, 2012
    6
    I bought this game thinking that id be able to use it with the logitech gt driving force steering wheel, but its not currently supported, so im hoping support for steering wheels will be patched in at a later point as I think the same was done for the excellent need for speed hot pursuit. As mentioned elsewhere the soundtrack is pretty awful and seems to be limited to only a handful of tracks that include classic ridge racer music and poor dubstep. This needs patching with an option to use your own playlist as the default music makes the game a little depressing to play on for me. I found the handling difficult at 1st as you find yourself trying to rebound slightly off walls when you have to do right angle turnings through the city streets and memorise what points to start drifting. The right angles I can now cope with, but what I cant handle is one 270 degrees turning (pretty much) that always seems to send your car into either a near halt or a spin! while the other drivers happily pass on by. The wrecking scenery bit is fun, but compared to split second its small fries!. You can go through walls or buildings and come out the other side, often with a jump through the air from the buildings. It proves how much effort must have gone into spit seconds set pieces and course layouts. Overall this racer doesnt seem to match up to the competition. If you want rally go for dirt3, if you want arcadey go for need for speed hot pursuit, if you want destruction/arcadeyness/big set pieces go for split second and for all out destruction/stunts dirt showdown should fit the bill (I think blur is supposed to be good also).… Expand
  5. EvaM
    Apr 18, 2012
    9
    What alot of people do not know about this game is that it is done by the creators of Flatout. You will not find a new burnout experience because it wasn't supposed to be. The game is like the Flatout series expcept more burnout and split/second like. There is the over the top destruction of split/second, the boost and drifting/handling of burnout (along with takedowns), with the graphic and menu style of Blur. I find that the only downside is that there are not enough cars. Those that complain that it is not enough like burnout can shut up. The game is done by different developers.… Collapse
  6. B30
    Mar 30, 2012
    6
    It's a quite good racing game, difficult at times, but fun to play (but be aware, it's not a new burnout-style game). Anyhow, a really big drawback for me is this horrible soundtrack. This is the worst in-game music I've ever heard in a videogame. I can't even call it a "soundtrack", 'cause it's just a noisy sound carpet.
    So, please Bugbear, gimme a custom soundtrack patch!
  7. slartibartfas
    Mar 30, 2012
    6
    RRO is unfortunately not a Burnout Paradise - it's a mixture between Split/Second Velocity and Blur. The graphics is solid and the framerate is smooth in most cases. All in all it could be a good racing game, if there weren't 3 terrible A's (A = Awful ;-) First A: the very very very awful soundtrack. I know music is a matter of taste but I can't imagine that there is anyone out there, which likes this soundtrack (some kind of speedy dubstep). The only chance to get rid of this, is to mute the sound channel. Second A: the very awful controls. You have never the impression, that you are controlling the car. Instead the car jiggles like wobble pudding especially if you have to correct the drifting angle. And the Third A) It's not clear, which things you can crash to gain power - some obstacles are crashable others are not. Often you will hit a wall and destroy your car, because you thought you can crash it. More clarification in sense of visualization would be helpful. I'am a little bit disappointed about RRO, because I thought it will be the new Burnout Paradise, but I'am sure I will play it again, if there is no other game to play.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
72 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    May 30, 2012
    70
    Though a create-and-share track builder does add to the fun, this is essentially just an enjoyable change of direction for the series. [July 2012, p.79]
  2. Gamer.no
    May 21, 2012
    70
    Ridge Racer Unbounded is a good racing experience, being fast-paced, slick-looking and explosive. At the same time we have learned to expect «bigger and better» from each new racing title over the years, and it's here Unbounded fails dramatically, only rehashing ideas from older, and ultimately better racing games.
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  3. Game Informer
    May 16, 2012
    68
    Falling somewhere between a traditional Ridge Racer title and a Burnout game, Unbounded fails to fully succeed at recreating either experience, ending up in between the two racing franchises in terms of quality.
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