Ridge Racer Unbounded

 PC
User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 94 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 94
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 94
  3. Negative: 31 out of 94

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  1. Daviator
    Apr 8, 2012
    7
    It takes elements from NFS, Split Second and Bournout. And that is a good thing! Oh this game is so cool with the oldskool Ridge Racer drifting in it! I really like it. Unfortunatly it is a bit simple and linear. And also does not feel very polished. But its fun in a box, just be sure not to pay more than 20â
  2. ToadingAround
    Apr 4, 2012
    7
    TL;DR Split/Second, not Ridge Racer

    This is far from a Ridge Racer game. Ridge Racer Unbounded's mechanics are solid (aside from the drifting), and it's just as much fun to frag other players and blow everything up. The problem is where the feel of the game fits the developer's other titles, and not a Ridge Racer one. It's a nice game coming from Split/Second Velocity, but if you've    TL;DR Split/Second, not Ridge Racer

    This is far from a Ridge Racer game. Ridge Racer Unbounded's mechanics are solid (aside from the drifting), and it's just as much fun to frag other players and blow everything up. The problem is where the feel of the game fits the developer's other titles, and not a Ridge Racer one. It's a nice game coming from Split/Second Velocity, but if you've played and enjoyed previous Ridge Racer games stay away from this one.    … Expand
  3. jelikey
    Sep 25, 2016
    6
    This is far from a Ridge Racer game. Ridge Racer Unbounded's mechanics are solid (aside from the drifting), and it's just as much fun to frag other players and blow everything up. The problem is where the feel of the game fits the developer's other titles, and not a Ridge Racer one. It's a nice game coming from Split/Second Velocity, but if you've
  4. Lukinsons
    Mar 31, 2012
    8
    There is a lot of cars, races and cities in this game. The graphic is cool and mods are very fun. This game is better than Split/second so it is 9/10 for me. And I love like some races aren´t easy like in NFS. I mean you will have to restart them. I think I never pressed restart button in NFS. I expected a funny arcade game like Flatout 2 and I got it! And you can build yourThere is a lot of cars, races and cities in this game. The graphic is cool and mods are very fun. This game is better than Split/second so it is 9/10 for me. And I love like some races aren´t easy like in NFS. I mean you will have to restart them. I think I never pressed restart button in NFS. I expected a funny arcade game like Flatout 2 and I got it! And you can build your tracks. It is amazing.… Expand
  5. Gulfak
    Mar 31, 2012
    10
    For fans of flatout it is a perfect game ! Game is well optimized , for fact that it has so awesome graphic. It isjust good and funy arcade. i would recomended to all flatout players :)
  6. dedas
    May 24, 2012
    5
    I didn't like Ridge Racer Unbounded. First I'd like to say that I wasn't big fan of Ridge Racer brand so partially that was my fault because I expected to be more like Flatout serial (because of Bugbear). It runs smoothly, it has lots of content, but it feels somehow outdated at least for the PC. I hated that console menus and obvious lack of config options. Lighting effects can beI didn't like Ridge Racer Unbounded. First I'd like to say that I wasn't big fan of Ridge Racer brand so partially that was my fault because I expected to be more like Flatout serial (because of Bugbear). It runs smoothly, it has lots of content, but it feels somehow outdated at least for the PC. I hated that console menus and obvious lack of config options. Lighting effects can be annoying sometimes but generally they look cool. What about driving? It is ok - arcade like, when you get grip you can easily maneuver your vehicle. However I didn't like drifting, it's kind of unrealistic but as I have found out later it's main feature/characteristic of RR games in the past. What I expected to be better are car physics and car destruction, FO UC is much better in both and I thought that creators of that game can do only better, but I was wrong. So if you like to play Flatout stick to it, don't waste your time on RR, it's quite different game (as it should be).… Expand
  7. JohnR
    Apr 5, 2012
    8
    Very addictive. Hard to put down. You drift, boost, frag opponents, and drive through buildings. The AI is very aggressive. Graphics and audio are good and there are plenty of cars. The Bugbear development team have made an excellent game, again. The only caveat on this review is the multiplayer lobby. I am yet to find a well populated online race, and the options for letting you find themVery addictive. Hard to put down. You drift, boost, frag opponents, and drive through buildings. The AI is very aggressive. Graphics and audio are good and there are plenty of cars. The Bugbear development team have made an excellent game, again. The only caveat on this review is the multiplayer lobby. I am yet to find a well populated online race, and the options for letting you find them are inadequate. RR Unbounded is a fun arcade racer, but if you really want to race against other people then chances are you might be disappointed.… Expand
  8. Turbobutts
    Apr 15, 2012
    2
    Imagine the silly explosions of Michael Bay movies mixed with the terrible lens flare and bloom visual effects of J.J. Abrams movies slapped on top of a really bad Burnout ripoff. This is what Ridge Racer Unbounded feels like. On the plus side it seems to be well optimized, and keyboard controls seem to work just "fine". At least I assume it wouldn't get any better with a game pad. AndImagine the silly explosions of Michael Bay movies mixed with the terrible lens flare and bloom visual effects of J.J. Abrams movies slapped on top of a really bad Burnout ripoff. This is what Ridge Racer Unbounded feels like. On the plus side it seems to be well optimized, and keyboard controls seem to work just "fine". At least I assume it wouldn't get any better with a game pad. And that's where the downsides begin. The cars all control like bricks, when you try to go around corners without drifting you go straight into a wall, when you try to go around corners drifting you go sidewalls into a wall, the "smash through things, big explosions" features do almost nothing about the actual race progression, and the races are either super frustrating (when you get stuck on a wall you thought you could smash though because there's no visual distinction between destructible objects and indestructible ones) or easy as cake (when you manage to take the corners in some way and you run kilometres in front of the competition) to the point where the last races in the game feel exactly like the first ones (including the difficulty level), only in a different district. The relative shortness doesn't help either, and the track editor is so unimaginative that you start assuming that the actual game race tracks were built in it. The icing on this bitter cake is a soundtrack that consists mostly of repetitive techno. If you want to see a game that does pretty much every single thing much better go and get Burnout Paradise.

    P.S.: As I long time Destruction Derby and FlatOut fan I can assure that it's absolutely NOTHING like these games (pretending that FlatOut Ultimate Carnage doesn't exist because it was almost as awful as this game).    … Expand
  9. Zat0ne
    Mar 31, 2012
    10
    This racer is more of a mix of elements from Split Second, Blur, and Burnout (I haven't played the Flatout series so forgive the omission). The only thing "Ridge Racer" about this game are the light trails when boosting. Although RR:U does not match the quality of the mechanics from any of those games, mixing those mechanics ensures the game still reaches the same level of action that isThis racer is more of a mix of elements from Split Second, Blur, and Burnout (I haven't played the Flatout series so forgive the omission). The only thing "Ridge Racer" about this game are the light trails when boosting. Although RR:U does not match the quality of the mechanics from any of those games, mixing those mechanics ensures the game still reaches the same level of action that is still fast and NON-STOP (non-stop chains of drifting, environment destruction, and fragging - your mileage may vary). Watch the Steam trailer, because what you will see is actually what you will get. Even the music from that video is taken from the game. User created tracks ensure longer replay value, but multiplayer competition is, as of now, non-existent. It may not be unique like the games that it seems to emulate, but it's still a great addition to anyone's virtual racing collection. Oh, and it runs at a smooth 60fps with vsync on as long as your PC can handle it.… Expand
  10. JonnyC
    Apr 2, 2012
    9
    Brilliant game.The graphics and controls are fantastic. Its up there with Burnout, Split Second, Blur, NFS, and Flatout Ultimate Carnage and maybe even better than some of those.
  11. Chapa9dj
    Jun 14, 2013
    5
    Interesting racing game with a god-awful driving controls. A truly unplayable mess.
    Get it on discount, its not worth it. There are far better racing games.
  12. Moduler
    May 15, 2012
    10
    It's not a 10 game but I find that superficial reviews need some balancing.

    The actual note is 8 for this. Really fun but it's a bit weird when you first play it. Expecting the following games : Burnout, Flatout, NFS even Ridge Racer is a mistake. The combined elements make for a unique experience that begins to be rewarding after some plays. When you get around the game mechanics    It's not a 10 game but I find that superficial reviews need some balancing.

    The actual note is 8 for this. Really fun but it's a bit weird when you first play it.

    Expecting the following games : Burnout, Flatout, NFS even Ridge Racer is a mistake. The combined elements make for a unique experience that begins to be rewarding after some plays.

    When you get around the game mechanics you'll have fun I promise you!    … Expand
  13. Darkin20
    Aug 2, 2013
    4
    I just can't like this game. The graphics are good, the idea is interesting, the explosive objects are fun, the building destruction is enjoyable but the controls are horrible, and the way the implement everything is horrible.

    You need to destroy things or tailgate to boost your nitro which you can only use when it is full. But if there is nothing to destroy, no one near you and no big    I just can't like this game. The graphics are good, the idea is interesting, the explosive objects are fun, the building destruction is enjoyable but the controls are horrible, and the way the implement everything is horrible.

    You need to destroy things or tailgate to boost your nitro which you can only use when it is full. But if there is nothing to destroy, no one near you and no big turns to drift, you have nothing you can do.

    And then there is the frag detection on you and the other guys. It seems to just decide randomly it seems. I can be going full speed into something that would get destroyed if my nitro was on but a millisecond after it runs out and I crash into it instead of drive through? How is this fair? It should be based on speed not if my nitro is still running. Also, when I ram into another car and they have nitro on but I am the one doing the ramming, why do I get destroyed?

    On top of all that, the drifting is horrible. This is a staple of the Ridge Racer games, is it supposed to be arcade style drifting? I don't get it. I tried really hard to understand it but if I can take a turn without drifting a lot better than if I did drift, or if the other cars can turn on a dime while I have to drift directly into a wall to make the turn every time, that just isn't good.

    Maybe I am missing something but that drifting problem alone kills the enjoyment for me. Top it off with those dead zones where there is no possible way to get boost... Forget it.    … Expand
  14. MadJaples
    Feb 1, 2014
    1
    I wouldn't even begin to associate this....game (not the word I'd use for it)..with anything remotely 'flatout' related. Instead I see it as being Namco/Bugbear's horrible attempt at trying so hard to be another Burnout that they thought they'd include the buildings and everything else almost within some kind of twisted logic or reason - Burnout didn't do half as much to promote badI wouldn't even begin to associate this....game (not the word I'd use for it)..with anything remotely 'flatout' related. Instead I see it as being Namco/Bugbear's horrible attempt at trying so hard to be another Burnout that they thought they'd include the buildings and everything else almost within some kind of twisted logic or reason - Burnout didn't do half as much to promote bad driving as this game does though, smash into everything you like when you like but for some odd reason, you will hit a wall and come to a stop. Yet you can destroy pretty large targets - like stationary lorries, or even an entire petrol station, which completely negates any comment about logic.

    Not the best Ridge Racer I've ever seen. In fact, I would not even begin to think about recommending it.
    Tries to be a lot of fun, but I didn't think it was a lot of fun, not least because I thought it perhaps wasn't intended for gamers of my spritely age (no I'm not telling you, yes I'm probably old enough to be your dad or your grandad).
    Graphically, it was okay, I wouldn't say it was the best I've ever seen, but it was presentable.
    In terms of control, well.....keyboard control always seems to be a...bugbear ?...with what look to be obvious console ports, and this is no exception, you either ARE hitting space to drift, or you are NOT. And then what ensues is a maddeningly horrible display of skidpan chicanery. I would really not buy this game if you are too seriously into the 'grown up' version of racing (NFS Shift 2 / F1 Twothousandandwhatever) but if you really do like just having fun and don't mind losing an immense number of races to get anywhere because you don't have a gamepad, or simply because you aren't that great at it, then 'Shatter Bay' (hardly imaginative title), is probably a good place to be, but I wouldn't bank on it.    … Expand
  15. BasilZero
    Jan 10, 2015
    8
    Game: Ridge Racer Unbounded
    Genre: Racing
    Developer: Namco/BugBear Entertainment System: Steam (PC) Total Score: 80/100 Value Score: 8.0/10 • Story: */10 • Characters: 7/10 • GamePlay: 7/10 • Graphics: 8/10 • Sound: 8/10 • Music: 7/10 • Length: 8/10 • Replay Value: 8/10 • Player Value: 7/10 Pros +Variety of type of races and events including Domination Race,    Game: Ridge Racer Unbounded
    Genre: Racing
    Developer: Namco/BugBear Entertainment
    System: Steam (PC)
    Total Score: 80/100
    Value Score: 8.0/10

    • Story: */10
    • Characters: 7/10
    • GamePlay: 7/10
    • Graphics: 8/10
    • Sound: 8/10
    • Music: 7/10
    • Length: 8/10
    • Replay Value: 8/10
    • Player Value: 7/10

    Pros
    +Variety of type of races and events including Domination Race, Frag Attack, Shindo Racing, Drift Attack and Time Attack all across seven different districts
    +Innovative gameplay to the Ridge Racer series includes destruction of vehicles and buildings
    +Create your own track mode allows you to create your own race map/level
    +Online mode includes Multiplayer and the ability to create/do challenges
    +Includes cameos and custom cars dedicated to Pacman, Tekken, Soul Calibur and other Namco series

    Cons
    -Plays nothing like Ridge Racer since its made by the FlatOut development group
    -Soundtrack not as good as other Ridge Racer games
    -Level design is quite limited and almost feels like you are in the same map/level
    -You are limited to what cars you can use depending on the event
    -Controls especially with drifting can be frustrating
    -Difficulty and learning curve is a bit high    … Expand
  16. poupy1979
    Jul 9, 2012
    7
    If you want a definition for "Medicore" then ridge racer it that. Namco team has much more talent, skill & history to release such a disappointment
    Was a huge fan of Ridgeracer on PS 1; Ridge racer 7 was good. but unbounded........WHY? Namco WHY?
  17. dumle
    Feb 9, 2013
    5
    Ridge Racer unbounded is a neat little game. Drifting is fun and the cars handles for the most time quite well. There is plenty of user made maps available in a convenient way and the map-creator should provide quite a bit of fun for those into that. It is also possible to control the game with your keyboard without getting a headache. The game do sadly have quite a limited selection ofRidge Racer unbounded is a neat little game. Drifting is fun and the cars handles for the most time quite well. There is plenty of user made maps available in a convenient way and the map-creator should provide quite a bit of fun for those into that. It is also possible to control the game with your keyboard without getting a headache. The game do sadly have quite a limited selection of game-modes and cars. The maps do also get kind of samey despite the map editor since its all based around the same map-buildlng blocks. The options menu is also quite bare and i have personally not been able to find any multiplayer opponent to race against so far( New maps are however added all the time). But there is still enough content in the game to satisfy and i would definitely recommend this game for racing fans. I should also mention that the game is quite tough for an arcade racing game which might scare some people away.… Expand
  18. Zomgman
    Aug 8, 2012
    8
    I have not played any ridge racer game before this, but this game actually makes me want to know more about the series. At first I was a little annoyed at the fact the the drifting was utter crap and the game itself was WAY too hard, but then I started to understand how to play it properly, I stopped thinking the drifting was horrible, I realised it was a game that needed patience to play,I have not played any ridge racer game before this, but this game actually makes me want to know more about the series. At first I was a little annoyed at the fact the the drifting was utter crap and the game itself was WAY too hard, but then I started to understand how to play it properly, I stopped thinking the drifting was horrible, I realised it was a game that needed patience to play, because it takes a while of getting used to. When you get to the point of winning races, it is quite a fun game.… Expand
  19. Critical-Hit
    Jan 22, 2018
    0
    Drift Racer: No winning required

    Enjoy terrible drifting experience, which makes you to loose your position, but don't worry, it doesn't matter, you just need to destroy enough environment and opponents to earn points to unlock new stages. So drift to earn power, then use the power to kill yourself or somebody else to earn some points. Or do an instadead combo by using power during drifting.
  20. DrifterKid
    Feb 25, 2018
    10
    Where addicting ridge racer and the mastermind of flatout combined. The fast paced boosting and drifting racing game series you loved has met MLG destructive system thanks to flatout with creative OG Ridge racer DJ/producers combining of trance and dubstep. The idea like Tekken or Injustice that now BF4 followed turns as a badass structure breaking shorcuts. It's also cheaper than theWhere addicting ridge racer and the mastermind of flatout combined. The fast paced boosting and drifting racing game series you loved has met MLG destructive system thanks to flatout with creative OG Ridge racer DJ/producers combining of trance and dubstep. The idea like Tekken or Injustice that now BF4 followed turns as a badass structure breaking shorcuts. It's also cheaper than the previous Ridge racer titles and also can share your own custom tracks. The creative decision ridge racer team created has put you to a epic single player experience although multiplayer is hard to search....… Expand
  21. F3T1W
    Aug 27, 2021
    6
    Quite good races with very spectacular destructibility, a lot of drive of beautiful cars and a competitive spirit
  22. The_D4RknesS
    Jun 5, 2022
    0
    Gameplay is not fun, controls cannot be changed to your liking, drift is difficult, difficulty cannot be changed And the game starts on hard, Only cool thing in the entire game is its vehicular and scenery destruction
  23. Fxplayer
    Jan 6, 2023
    1
    The game that killed a franchise.

    The music, tracks, cars; everything looks and feels dull and lifeless. I tried to like it so bad but just couldn't.. At leat bugbear came back to life with Wreckfest and didnt end their career with this mess.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. PC Master (Greece)
    May 16, 2012
    68
    If you love demanding arcade racing games, heavy on OCD, give it a chance, as soon as its price is lowered. Otherwise, you can find much better games of the genre out there. [May 2012]
  2. CD-Action
    May 10, 2012
    85
    Unbounded is a part of a franchise strongly associated with consoles but somehow turns out to be average on X360 and one of the best arcade racing games in years on PC. On PC it just plays better (even with a keyboard!) and is extremely rewarding. [June 2012, p.66]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    May 9, 2012
    70
    A significant shift from previous installments towards a greater show and extreme drifting. If you prefer Split/Second type of racing the new Ridge Racer won't disappoint you. [May 2012]
See all critic reviews »