Ridge Racer 7 Updated Hands-On

At this point, Ridge Racer is the sort of established franchise that requires no introduction. So let's introduce it anyway! Namco's long-running driving series is practically synonymous with the launch of Sony hardware. The first game came along with the PlayStation. The PlayStation 2 saw the release of Ridge Racer V right alongside it. The PSP got its own Ridge Racer game, too. Then, just to shake things up, Namco put Ridge Racer 6 out on the Xbox 360. But now the series is back on Sony hardware with Ridge Racer 7, which keeps the nitrous boosts from the last couple of games, adds a new slipstream mechanic, and also lets you customize your vehicles.

There's a grand prix mode in the game that will serve as the game's career-mode equivalent. Here, you'll get new cars while racing around the game's various tracks. New to the series this time around is a customization mode that will let you make some significant changes to your cars. For starters, you can choose from different types of nitrous boosts, so you can have the standard segmented three-stage meter, or you can opt for one long meter. We're not quite sure what, exactly, that will do to your car's performance, but you can also get new engines for more speed and acceleration, as well as new tires, which will have an impact on how your car handles and drifts.

Much like the previous game, Ridge Racer 7's cars are broken up into three types. Dynamic cars are all over the road, making them great for drift masters. Mild is more about gripping the road, and standard is a happy medium. Of course, the fastest cars are usually dynamic cars, so it'll pay off to learn the dynamic handling as early as possible. You can also make cosmetic changes to your cars by adding spoilers, new paint, and so on. Custom cars will be viewable online. Online, the game will let up to 14 players race at once. Also, the game stays connected and reports your progress to the world via a sports-like news ticker. So if you finish a series of races and win, that info will go out over the network.

One of the most striking features about Ridge Racer 7 continues to be its visuals. The graphics are really sharp, especially when running in 1080p, and the game appears to maintain a smooth frame rate, as well. The game is currently expected to be available alongside the PlayStation 3 on November 17.