- Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America
- Release Date: Mar 27, 2012
- Also On: PC, PlayStation 3
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Apr 7, 201293Ridge Racer Unbounded might not be the Ridge Racer game your dad played back in his day, but don't let the name fool you. It's dark and dirty visual style is second only to the dirty and explosive racing action that awaits when you strap in behind the wheel of this addictive arcade racer where the only limit to your fun is your imagination.
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Mar 27, 201290The action-racing genre has delivered numerous treats this generation, but not one of them has been as rewarding and relentlessly entertaining, nor as feature-packed, as this. This is Ridge Racer unbounded from the shackles of its heritage, rebuilt from the ground up into one of the most subversive, sublime street-racing games ever made.
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Apr 9, 201287A bold new direction for the series, one that slightly remembers the drifting fundamentals while throwing in all sorts of new rules and tricks to liven things up. It's a lot of fun to play online and off, and the presentation really guns it in all directions.
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Apr 11, 201285The game's long-term entertainment value is tied up in multiplayer, and while I'm confident the user-generated tracks will always yield new and interesting experiences, playing with other players won't so much.
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Apr 2, 201285Unbounded may not have much to do with the things that defined Ridge Racer, but if you can get over that, you'll discover an energetic, entertaining racer, with gratifyingly destructive environments, challenging gameplay and interesting online. Ridge Racer was due for a reboot, and here it is.
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Mar 27, 201285Ridger Racer is back and manages to impress with some great gameplay and a brilliant soundtrack. The City Creator is bigger then ever, yet is only at its best when you've finished the game. The tons of new possibilities are great but they make the game a bit cluttered, giving you the feeling that you aren't accomplishing much. The multiplayer has also been expanded and will keep you entertained for many hours to come.
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Mar 27, 201285Ridge Racer Unbounbed departs from the series' classical style, offering us a grittier, urban and destructive world, with very satisfying gameplay and good variety even without introducing great innovations to the genre. If you love arcade racing games and maybe you look back with nostalgia at series like PGR, you won't be disappointed. A good new starting point that deserves to be expanded further.
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Apr 20, 201284Overall, Ridge Racer Unbounded is a great game with some fairly annoying problems that drag it down. The good news is I think they're all issues that could be addressed with a patch - the bad news is I don't know of one coming out, which means that while this game is worth your time, I don't quite think it's worth full-price in its present state.
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Apr 13, 201283From the explosive tankers to the destructible environments, Shatter Bay makes a great first impression. Franchise loyalists may be turned off by this brand new direction, but anybody who loves Burnout will have a blast playing through Ridge Racer Unbounded. It's not without a few problems, but Namco's newest racer packs enough content to make up for any imperfection!
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Apr 3, 201283Stick with Ridge Racer Unbounded long after you want to throw your controller in frustration, because patience reveals a solid, intense and fun arcade racer.
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May 11, 201282The Finns sure know how to make a crash-and-burn driving game. Bugbear has transformed the Ridge Racer franchise in to a whole new level. This game has attitude. [May 2012]
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Apr 3, 201281Ridge Racer Unbounded may not be true to the arcade series, but it is nonetheless a well done action racing game that surprises with a great online experience – and many explosions, of course.
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May 9, 201280It is a challenging game that demands precision and patience to master and in exchange it delivers tense, thrilling racing. It isn't perfect, but it's a step in a great direction for the franchise.
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Apr 6, 201280Even though it borrows a lot from other driving games, Ridge Racer: Unbounded still manages to find its own identity with fast-paced racing in high-octane environments. It may not feel like a Ridge Racer game at all, but who cares when the racing is this well-crafted?
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Apr 4, 201280The frustrating moments in Ridge Racer Unbounded are far outweighed by the deeply satisfying ones. It's anarchic, well designed, thrilling to behold and will put a massive grin on any true petrol-head's face.
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Apr 3, 201280Ridge Racer Unbounded might be one of the biggest missteps of this generation. Not because it is a bad game, in fact far from it, but because of the lack of explanation and more importantly, the dearth of advertising it has received
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Apr 3, 201280As the latest incarnation of the series, Ridge Racer Unbounded switches focus to violent crashes and destructible environment. And it works! By delivering a great driving experience, this game takes the top position of arcade racers.
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Apr 2, 201280The problem with Unbounded is that it doesn't seem comfortable sharing its secrets with you. It's called Ridge Racer, it looks like Burnout, and anyone who has played an arcade racer will, not unreasonably, expect a certain handling model...Unbounded is not that game.
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Mar 29, 201280It's not really Ridge Racer, but whether you consider it a reboot or a spin-off this is the best arcade racer since Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit.
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Mar 29, 201280Ridge Racer Unbounded is a dramatic departure for the series, but one that's filled with some gloriously destructive, fast-paced racing.
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Mar 29, 201280This is a cautionary tale: nowhere in Unbounded does it tell you that you have to hold down the drift button the whole way through a corner, going against instincts built up by every other arcade racer ever, in order to have fun. When you do hold it down, though, Ridge Racer Unbounded is brilliant.
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Mar 27, 201278More a spin-off than a reboot, Bugbear destructive racing introduces an innovative track editor, and great fun... but no real Ridge Racer feeling.
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Apr 30, 201277It's Drive, Destroy, Dominate remit is delivered in spades, but after while, it can start to get a tad repetitive.
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Mar 29, 201277Those looking for a reboot of Ridge Racer or for something which may resemble the iconic Namco Bandai series will become dissapointed, but anyway Unbounded is a good racing game, which control you may love or hate, a bit limited in single player content but with a great potential for used-created content in the multiplayer mode.
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Apr 16, 201276This is not Ridge Racer as we know it; it is a complete re-imagining of the series. For the better or worse Ridge Racer has changed, it is no longer a circuit racer but it still features similar drift centric handling.
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Apr 4, 201276With an emphasis on vehicular carnage and shattering buildings, Ridge Racer Unbounded rides high as long as you can find new thrills. However, the way it recycles elements from course to course quickly wears away the sense of discovery and makes it hard for user creations to truly stand apart.
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Mar 29, 201276Ridger Racer is back with a solid and entertaining arcade racing game.
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Apr 18, 201275Ridge Racer Unbounded is made for the patient and the determined.
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Apr 17, 201275This departure from the franchise is an invigorating reboot that should satisfy both racing enthusiasts and action junkies alike while the decidedly robust track creation system should have the community upping the ante for months to come. Frag, destroy, create and decimate - it's all on the cards in Ridge Racer Unbounded.
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Apr 2, 201275If you've grown tired of having your hand held through tutorial after tutorial, and incredibly easy arcade racers, the challenge offered by Unbounded is sure to appeal to you. I've definitely found myself enjoying this title a lot more than I would have anticipated, and urge racing fans to check it out.
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Mar 29, 201275The real strength of Ridge Racer Unbounded is its Track Editor. Gameplay, options and cars are inspired by other racing brands, without bringing anything new to the arcade racing genre.
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Mar 30, 201273Many little problems hamper an arcade-racer that is more Burnout than Ridge Racer - the track editor is a huge achievement though.
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Mar 27, 201273Overall, Ridge Racer: Unbounded is a good arcade racing game, which offers many interesting features like its multiplayer modes, the track creator, the destruction of environments. But it could have been a better game, as it's unoriginal, all the cars are almost the same and its story isn't interesting. A good racing game that could have been a greater game.
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May 18, 201270Racing with an old flair, yet creating with a new one, Ridge Racer fans will find a lot to love here.
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May 14, 201270An intense and addictive adrenaline rush, a high-speed power fantasy that will make you feel like Jesus on Wheels - when it works. When it doesn't, which is a lot, races tend to reduce to exercises in tedium and frustration. [June 2012, p.73]
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May 3, 201270Unbounded has got something recent Ridge Racer games have lost sight of: a sense of unbridled, anarchic fun. [Issue#84, p.80]
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Apr 26, 201270The first non-Japanese-developed Ridge Racer borrows heavily from games like Burnout and Need for Speed to deliver an enjoyable and full-of-adrenaline racing experience. It's not the best racer out there, but it can be fun!
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Apr 24, 201270Whether Unbounded is a game for you depends on temper. If you won't tire of always flooring the throttle and going through every corner sideways, this is a technically solid arcade racer that hits home more often than it misses. But if you demand more variety and focus on driving skills, you should look elsewhere.
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Apr 6, 201270There were times when Unbounded crept into frustration territory that almost saw it as a complete write-off, but perseverance eventually unlocked something special indeed.
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Mar 28, 201270A solid and entertaining arcade racing game, with a monstrous tracks editor and a good amount of content… but please, don't call it Ridge Racer!
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May 16, 201268Falling 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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Apr 18, 201265Different than the other Ridger Racers, Unbounded looks like more a spin off with a new style than a new fresh episode. We are not sure that the fans will like this new direction.
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Apr 2, 201265Unbounded can't compete with the genre's best, but it's not devoid of value.
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Apr 27, 201262A pale imitation of many more competent racers. A wasted chance to revitalise the series. [June 2012, p.74]
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Apr 2, 201260With Undounded, Ridge Racer gets closer to games like Burnout, Blur, or Split Second. It's more accessible, and more aggressive, with a very nice tracks editor and nice multiplayer. Too bad its production values aren't on par with the genre champions, and traditional Ridge Racer fans will probably disappointed by this new orientation.
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Apr 2, 201260Lacks the sparkle of games such as Split/Second or Burnout. The destruction elements feel a bit weak, the cars control poorly at times and the computer AI is truly merciless. The biggest problem, though, is the lack of a proper tutorial in the game, a sure-fire way to alienate many players almost instantly.
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Mar 28, 201260While it's inarguable that Ridge Racer was very much in need of a makeover, Unbounded's formula is far from the required antidote. The focus on destruction has overshadowed everything else to the point where other elements are merely along for the ride. It's all well and good designing a game with a specific focus in mind, but not when that focus renders everything else pointless.
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Mar 27, 201260It's a quick thrill – a little bit of fiery eye-candy and raw destruction to pass the time – but as its explosions grow more tiring, there's little else to see among the streets of Shatter Bay, and its focus is clearly muddled. While Unbounded is no doubt a step in the right direction for the franchise, perhaps it was a little early to leave the safety of Ridge City behind.
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Apr 24, 201258A lot of different pieces that don't work well on their own, let alone together.
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Mar 30, 201258As a successor to the glorious Ridge Racer franchise Unbounded is quite disappointing, the controls are sluggish, the AI is unfair, the destruction feels superficial. Almost everything that you once associated with Ridge Racer is gone. Thanks to the editor and the well executed online mode it might still be worth a look for some.
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Apr 3, 201255Ridge Racer Unbounded simply doesn't manage to make all its separate elements gel together.
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Apr 14, 201250Bugbear clearly knows what it's doing, but seems hampered by the odd, shoehorned-in license and a repetitive single-player campaign. Unbounded's testosterone-drenched theme and crazy destruction might appeal to the mainstream, but its considerable difficulty and lack of extras will send them packing just as quickly.
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Apr 13, 201250You have to give Ridge Racer Unbounded points for trying something new. The series has gone downhill at a blistering pace following industry embarassments like this one. Bringing fresh ideas to the table and executing them in a stylish matter is exactly what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, none of these ideas are original and they were all better accomplished in the titles that originated them. Take one of the older models for a spin around the block and see for yourself.
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Mar 29, 201250There's an absolutely excellent Ridge Racer game to be had with Bugbear's occasionally thrilling mix of speed and action, but unfortunately Unbounded is far too muddled and confused to be it.
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Apr 11, 201248A glossier coat of paint can't hide Bugbear's signature unbalanced gameplay and defective physics. At worst, I barely had any fun no matter how hard I tried to. At best, this game makes me wish I was playing the vastly superior Split/Second instead.
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Apr 25, 201247This is supposed to be a reboot for the Ridge Racer series, yet it feels like it's just trying to be a Burnout, Split Second, or FlatOut rather than a true Ridge Racer.
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Apr 9, 201240The scripted sterility of a Ridge Racer and the destructibility of a FlatOut go togther like peanut butter and fish oil. This arcade racer deserves credit for elevating the Ridge Racer name above the level of a punchline. But it doesn't manage to crucial task of giving you a reason to play it instead of the current standards of arcade racing likeSplit Second, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, or Driver.
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Mar 30, 201240The problem is that such a brilliant editor just makes you wish it resided in a better racing game.
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Mar 30, 201240Terrible car physics and equally bad track design make this the black sheep of the series.