In case you haven't already gotten into Ridge Racer, this game will seal the deal for sure.
As you've might have predicted, the story in Ridge Racer Type 4 is your basic finish-before-your-opponents deal. There is however a little more depth to the story this time around. When you begin the Grand Prix mode, four teams are available for you to pick. After picking the one you wish to represent, you'll have a short talk were you're introduced to the team's manager, who is a bit skeptical to his/her new recruit. Eventually the manager becomes more supportive and starts saluting you after a successful race. It's nice to see more of a story this time around, but thankfully there's never too much story.
In case you haven't already gotten into Ridge Racer, this game will seal the deal for sure. While the racing is just the same as it was in the previous Ridge Racer games, there have certainly been huge improvements. For instance, Namco hasn't recycled the same four tracks over and over again, but instead made 8 tracks that all look different. Some of the tracks might share similarities with others, but they're never the same. That's not all though. This game has a very stable difficulty level as well. The Grand Prix mode starts out easy, only requiring you to come third but later requires you to come secondly and the last four races requires you to be the first one to cross the finish line.
That's not all that's changed though. The cars handle differently depending on if they're of the Drift or Grip type. Drift cars skids around corners while Grip cars take them without skidding. Also the annoying "bumping-the-car-from-behind-causing-it-to-shoot-further-forward" problem from the previous games isn't as much of a problem anymore. Control is very neat, enhancing the already stunning gameplay.
If you thought that the graphics in Rage Racer were great, you'll think that the graphics in Ridge Racer Type 4 are completely outstanding. It's not just the visuals that are a feast to the eye, though. Sometimes planes and helicopters fly over the race tracks, setting a very realistic tone for the tracks. By now, it should come as no surprise that the music is as great, but it should come as a surprise that this game has the best music of all the Ridge Racer games.
There's not much to complain about Ridge Racer Type 4. There might be some minor flaws, but none which will annoy you. If you have every other Ridge Racer game, then you need this to complete your collection. If you haven't, then you need this to be immersed into the Ridge Racer universe.