While it has not been confirmed, gamers can bet that Bandai Namco’s next Ridge Racer title will be one of the PlayStation 3’s launch titles. The game reunites director Masaya Kobayashi and associate producer Hideo Teramoto, whom both worked on Ridge Racers for the PSP and Ridge Racer 6 on the Xbox 360. The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu provided some juicy details on some new modes that will be found in Ridge Racer 7.
Many features of Ridge Racer 7 will include the usual range of play options. Online competitions with up to 14 players will be supported, adding cooperative modes such as team battles and relay races to the mix. Like the Xbox 360 title, RR7 will include a Global Time Attack mode that allows players to post their fastest times to an online scoreboard. The mode will also support split-screen, allowing up to two players to compete against one another as well as the clock. The generally expected single-race arcade mode for up to two players will also be present. Lastly, the game will have a separate mode entitled UFLA Special Event, which will allow gamers to play downloaded add-ons such as event races.
The main component of the single-player experience will be the wide-reaching Ridge State Grand Prix. Set in the fictional nation of Ridge State, players will begin as an unknown racer, but will eventually earn fame, new rides, and customization parts by winning races and building ties with certain manufacturers. The mode will feature 44 courses, including mirror courses, and will span roughly 160 individual races.
According to Famitsu, the network experience will be emphasized throughout the game. For example, when playing the single-player mode, rankings and news will be automatically downloaded and displayed on the menu screen. The game will rank players in a number of ways. The Ridge Racer Rankings will provide players with an overall rank based on their performance throughout the game. A “reputation score” will also be used to rank players based on performance in the Ridge State Grand Prix and online matches. The Online Battle Point (OBP) ranking is based on points that are earned only during online matches. Players will also be ranked based on how much cash they’ve earned throughout the course of the game.
While details are noticeably starting to come in, there is still quite a bit we don’t know about Ridge Racer 7. Stay tuned to Advanced Media Network for any updates.
