Ridge Racer

 PlayStation Vita
User Score
3.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 63 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 63
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 63
  3. Negative: 40 out of 63
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  1. theshonen8899
    Mar 13, 2012
    3
    I bought this against my better judgment so I'm going to try my best to make a well-informed and detailed review. As you probably already know, this game is a terrible value, even with the added DLC. For $30 you get 5 cars and 3 courses. If you buy the digital version (which is $25) by April 30th, you get an extra 5 cars and 3 courses. This DLC pack on it's own is $7.50, so to get the sameI bought this against my better judgment so I'm going to try my best to make a well-informed and detailed review. As you probably already know, this game is a terrible value, even with the added DLC. For $30 you get 5 cars and 3 courses. If you buy the digital version (which is $25) by April 30th, you get an extra 5 cars and 3 courses. This DLC pack on it's own is $7.50, so to get the same value you will need to wait until the physical copy is ~$17. If you have the extra memory space and must have this game, you should probably buy it now.

    So how is the game itself? Well if it was strong foundation it would have made this $30 investment somewhat more palatable. However, the core game is pretty weak in all respects. First off, there is no single-player campaign. You have either Spot Race (typical 8 car race) or Time Race, and that's it for single-player. This is particularly disappointing given how well done the PSP Ridge Racer was, with many tours that were well paced. Luckily the Vita features Trophies, which gives you a good incentive to keep playing single player. This doesn't replace the campaign by any means, but it's still fun to chase trophies.

    It's a good thing then that the online is pretty robust. You get your standard online racer, but also a mode called Ghost racing, where you try to beat a "ghost"'s fastest time on the track. This offers an online facet without the problems of lag.

    The cars themselves are very detailed and look great. However, the courses are a huge problem. Having play the original Ridge Racer Portable on the Vita immediately before playing this, I see very little difference in the courses' graphics. The courses simply look like anti-aliased versions of the PSP Ridge Racer courses. Moreover, many (if not all) are the same exact courses from Ridge Racer 7. This makes the game's already paltry amount of courses even more mundane.

    Overall, if you are a Ridge Racer fan and own a Vita, you will probably buy this and enjoy it. But ultimately that doesn't change the fact that you'll be angry about spending $30 for this. I would have been much, much happier if they had simply released a remastered, HD version of Ridge Racer Portable 2 (which sadly never came to the States). I really love Ridge Racer but purchasing this game just left a horrible aftertaste in my mouth. Here's to hoping they've learned a harsh lesson with the critical reception and build a much better successor.    … Expand
  2. Gwaih
    Jan 22, 2013
    8
    Compared to the general feedback it's a surprisingly entertaining game. Good dynamics, and (by now) enough tracks to make me happy, combined with pretty slick graphics. Was probably a pretty bad value at launch, but it seems they have learned from their mistakes - and by now the Ultimate Edition including all tracks is a good value.
  3. BalloonBollicks
    Apr 11, 2012
    1
    I'm a big Ridge Racer fan and have been since day 1. This is 15% of the content of a normal RR title so I am disgusted that I was charged £20 for it. I got a Vita and thought 'RR is usually a safe bet.....' This belongs in the 'Fireworks' and 'TTFB' pricerange ie FREE. Shame on you SCEE.
  4. SCS_85
    Mar 20, 2012
    8
    When you get the game it only has 3 tracks on the cart, but the game comes with a downloadable code to give you 3 more tracks(though only two of those are available right now), which brings the total number of tracks to 6. Or 12 if you count the fact that you can reverse each track.

    In April 2012 there will be another set of DLC which will include 3 more tracks, 5 cars and some extra    When you get the game it only has 3 tracks on the cart, but the game comes with a downloadable code to give you 3 more tracks(though only two of those are available right now), which brings the total number of tracks to 6. Or 12 if you count the fact that you can reverse each track.

    In April 2012 there will be another set of DLC which will include 3 more tracks, 5 cars and some extra songs and that will cost about 7 bucks.

    Yes there is a lot of DLC in this game but a lot of it is free or reasonably priced.

    There are about 56 free music tracks up for download on PlayStation Network(bringing the total of free music tracks in the game to over 60), this game has more music than any other Ridge Racer game.

    The most important part of the game for me is the gameplay and it is great there and the CPU is challenging; the online mode is pretty fun as well(though its tough at first as some people have much higher car stats).

    After extensive playtime(about 20 hours on game clock) I still highly recommend this game if you want a portable Ridge Racer game that you can take online, I've now leveled up to the highest level and maxed out my vehicles stats and the game is still very fun and challenging.    … Expand
  5. DroP
    Aug 10, 2012
    0
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME! It is like a demo, and I've seen demos that are much bigger than this game.
    and then we have the dlc. it is the only thing with good stuff for this game. I REPEAT DO NOT BUY THIS GAME! BUY ANYTHING BUT THIS GAME! A demo could have everything this game has. Only buy it if you are on a hunt for more trophies. No wait! Don't even buy it then!
  6. Eros
    Mar 14, 2012
    1
    a new ridge racer...but where is the game ....is a demo 3 tracks and 5 cars......and now you can buy a dlc (3 tracks and 5 cars....) is a new game on dlc....the rigge racer on psp have a lot of cars and tracks... nanco why..........
  7. fongy
    Mar 29, 2012
    10
    Look, I'm not going to pretend it's the fullest, best racer ever released...
    BUT
    For me, it's the best racing experience on the Vita (not inc. Wipeout - different style) For your £17 - you have on your memory card at all times (very handy) 12 tracks (6 back and forward) a host of cars and more downloadable tunes that you can shake a stick at.. Arcade racing is fun, but the    Look, I'm not going to pretend it's the fullest, best racer ever released...
    BUT
    For me, it's the best racing experience on the Vita (not inc. Wipeout - different style)
    For your £17 - you have on your memory card at all times (very handy) 12 tracks (6 back and forward) a host of cars and more downloadable tunes that you can shake a stick at..
    Arcade racing is fun, but the real drive here(!) is going against real opponent ghosts and online lobbies...
    I've played people across the globe with zero lag and tried to best people's ghosts and not to mention the surprise you get when you received the devil's gift!
    Honestly, it plays a million times better than asphalt and all the dross that lingers in the 40s / 50s on metacritic... it's cheap, it handles perfectly the graphics are pretty damned good too...
    Sometimes reviews are wrong - this is one of those times... worth every penny...    … Expand
  8. Clessy
    May 10, 2017
    8
    Once again another Sony system has come out and that means its time for a new Ridge Racer. Now this game has been getting some really harsh reviews that are only some what fair.

    The main grip is the content of the game. The game comes with a handful of cars(4 by default I believe) and 3 tracks. Now the thing is this is the Japanese version people are talking about. The us version    Once again another Sony system has come out and that means its time for a new Ridge Racer. Now this game has been getting some really harsh reviews that are only some what fair.

    The main grip is the content of the game. The game comes with a handful of cars(4 by default I believe) and 3 tracks. Now the thing is this is the Japanese version people are talking about. The us version instantly gives you 5 more cars, 3 more tracks and some extra songs. While not an over whelming amount of content it truely is enough. In Ridge Racer theres only 3 car handling types anyways so every car is just a reskin of those 3 cars.

    Music: The music is awesome as usual. This is one of those you hate it or love it things. If you love Ridge Racer games you will love this. Its driving mostly technoish and viby music. Its all very fitting and it makes you wanna drive fast.

    Graphics: Its either this or Uncharted. Nothing else on the system looks even remotely impressive yet except these 2 games. Ridge Racer for psp was and still is one of the best looking titles ever released for psp. You can assume Ridge Racer for the vita will be pretty much the same. The interface is probably the sharpist and slickest i've seen in the series.

    Gameplay: Its arcade style fun. If you liked part 6,7 or, the 3ds one there is absolutely no way you wouldnt enjoy this. There is one oddity that sucks. You cant set the L and R buttons to be your shifting up and down for the manual transmision. Lastly I feel that the content should be mentioned. There is a **** ton. It may not be in tracks and car select its in races. Constant download missions appear that you can have which adds tons of value if you've got access to some wifi ( the 3g for gaming is a joke and the 3g model of the system should be shunned ). This also features one of the most solid online vs modes that RR series has seen out of part 6 on 360.

    Fans freet not if you loved RR this is worthy purchase and for $30 you'll defanitly get your value out of it.    … Expand
  9. vask8219
    Mar 22, 2012
    0
    yeah i bought this one on impulse as i am a huge fan of the series..... unfortunately it is a complete ripoff, i was expecting a similar experience that its predecessors offered but with only 3 courses and 5 cars(a little more if you bought the dlc version right away) no solo campaign at a $25-$30 price point..... this game is just garbage! With that said, DON'T BUY THIS GAME AT ALL!!
  10. JDConspirator
    Sep 14, 2012
    3
    Ridge Racer on the PS Vita feels like a demo rather than a full game. With a criminal lack of content, it serves only to infuriate consumers who had to fork out £20 for this quick and dirty rush job. But the more agonising truth is that despite the lack of content and some awful light RPG mechanisms, it had the potential to be a perfectly fun pick up and play racer. Drifting andRidge Racer on the PS Vita feels like a demo rather than a full game. With a criminal lack of content, it serves only to infuriate consumers who had to fork out £20 for this quick and dirty rush job. But the more agonising truth is that despite the lack of content and some awful light RPG mechanisms, it had the potential to be a perfectly fun pick up and play racer. Drifting and sliding around corners is still decently handled, though the AI and the RPG systems do much to sour your experience. Whether you own the gold pass or not, it's quite clear that Ridge Racer on the Vita is an aftermath of a metaphoric cyclone, where there is very little value for money.… Expand
  11. ucell
    Jul 21, 2012
    2
    After playing through this game, I can't help but write all its negative aspects, as the positives are few and far between. The value of this game (I bought it for $20) is worth only 1 or 2 dollars. The modes offer very little diversity, and the graphics are obnoxious. Steer clear of it.
  12. Tjackson31692
    Mar 18, 2013
    0
    Ridge Racer is a disappointment on all fronts, and feels more like a horrible car wreck. While the racing itself is decent, it crashes dead smack into a brick wall of poor planning, lazy development, and a complete lack of content just 3 tracks
  13. gregthreet
    Jan 19, 2013
    3
    While the Ridge Racer for the PSP supplied us with a beautiful racing game that had amazing race mechanics us poor PSVita owners were left with this utter **** It would be excusable if the game was only £8. But this is a big price for so little.
  14. DaltonCarl
    Oct 27, 2012
    2
    As once a massive fan of the first Ridge Racer, this game was just upsetting. Whole game is based around power-sliding at 200mph into a wall. All cars look the same, and all tracks are the same maybe just backwards. Quite upsetting for the price!
  15. ALeX_Oliveira
    Nov 22, 2012
    1
    Good graphics and playability, but I still can't believe it does not have a single player campaign! I'd never seen any game that didn't have something so basic. What a waste of money!
  16. SuperVideogamer
    Jun 16, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Do not waste your Money or time of yoir life plagin this i can honestly say this is the worst racer ive ever played lets start with the bad,first off the game doesnt have a freakin carrer mode!!!!!!!!!!!(WTF!?!?!?!?),no special mission modes no bonus races not even a cruddy minigame,and all u do is race there are no races with special conditions its just tight roads and plain driving,In the entire game there is only three courses and five cars at first i thougt u can unlock the rest but no you cant .,But i have to say the visualls are amazing and stuning,Interviews are a cool feature,bein part of a team is fun and upgrading your velhicles interior is great((too bad you cant upgrade the outside) my final score is 4/10(Terrible racer)… Expand
  17. cn2305
    Jul 7, 2013
    3
    Ridge Racer for the Vita is the worst game of the series. First, Namco decided to remove most of the cars as a ploy to get users to buy a DLC containing cars from Ridge Racer 7 (a game which was met with positive reviews). Another thing is that the game only has multiplayer and there is a lack of career mode, making this game a more poorer feel unlike Ridge Racer Unbounded. I stronglyRidge Racer for the Vita is the worst game of the series. First, Namco decided to remove most of the cars as a ploy to get users to buy a DLC containing cars from Ridge Racer 7 (a game which was met with positive reviews). Another thing is that the game only has multiplayer and there is a lack of career mode, making this game a more poorer feel unlike Ridge Racer Unbounded. I strongly advise against non-essential purchase of this game.… Expand
  18. Jrc126
    Feb 28, 2014
    1
    new ridge racer true excitement...but where is the game oh wait ....is a tech demo that cost money. 3 tracks and 5 cars is not satisfied my likes. its particularly disappointing given how well done the PSP Ridge Racer (which is the great game BTW) was made a thumbs-up jump to PSP with many tours that were well paced and more contents. however Vita has Trophies system. they got the onlinenew ridge racer true excitement...but where is the game oh wait ....is a tech demo that cost money. 3 tracks and 5 cars is not satisfied my likes. its particularly disappointing given how well done the PSP Ridge Racer (which is the great game BTW) was made a thumbs-up jump to PSP with many tours that were well paced and more contents. however Vita has Trophies system. they got the online racing but is has meaning of "no balance". then there ghost race lag less when you fish the race the fastest.but the progression is the worst to the series. if anyone asked i don't care about this game. even the N.american version.… Expand
  19. Alupang
    Apr 12, 2014
    10
    I've played PSP RR, RR4 and PSP RR and will say that Vita RR is far superior. Why? Because it's the first RR I've played where you actually RACE against other cars. In previous RR games, the AI cars were simply lame place holders--like checkpoints you blow by until the final lap. Yawn. Here in Vita RR, you RACE against 7 AI cars from the start. Think powersliding sideways at insane speedI've played PSP RR, RR4 and PSP RR and will say that Vita RR is far superior. Why? Because it's the first RR I've played where you actually RACE against other cars. In previous RR games, the AI cars were simply lame place holders--like checkpoints you blow by until the final lap. Yawn. Here in Vita RR, you RACE against 7 AI cars from the start. Think powersliding sideways at insane speed into a corner with 3 nasty AI forming a barrier impossible to pass. Think using nitro to thread the needle through 4 AI in the final stretch after constantly trading paint & places for the entire race. This is the most intense racing I have ever experienced--the AI in this game will break you at times. I am now only level 8 and play mostly offline spot races--I'm grinding to get max upgrades then I will compete online against even tougher world ghosts and real time online racers. This game is very deep and so rewarding with all the trophies to earn + secret devil and angel cars to unlock. I paid $24.99 + about $15 for Gold and Silver Passes--that's very cheap for all the content you get imo. The 84 tracks of original RR music is great. My only explanation for why this game gets such low review scores is simply this: The reviewers got their a$$es handed to them. They are used to winning without skills. They never raced against 7 mean AI and cannot buy or grind out an unfairly overpowered car to "succeed". Nope; not here--you have to work to learn the tracks and have skills. If you love Ridge Racer, don't let all the whining lazy reviewers fool you. This is the best RR. Buy it. Namco deserves GoTY for releasing this masterpiece.… Expand
  20. theresort
    May 13, 2023
    5
    I played this with all the DLC, so I have a different outlook on this game. With that said, the game is still barebones. There is no race varieties and the online lobbies are dead. If this game had more game modes, then this game would have been better.
  21. BenTajima
    Jul 9, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Look, this review needs re-reviewing because it is not fair to judge a game simply by its contents. Yes, this game is not cheap and with all the DLCs coming in, it's going to ruin the experience, but I'm pretty sure that if one can buy an iPhone, he can own the game for a price 10000 times cheaper than an iPhone. And iPhone can break, but Ridge Racer Vita won't.

    Now, all things considered, this is a pretty good Ridge Racer game with PS3 graphics running at a solid 30fps in a Vita. Yes, you heard me right, 30fps, but it's better than other Vita games which can slow down at some occasions. There are 17 cars in total, with only 2 special cars, which is understandable since many of them require extensive design for special nitro output styles. The best thing for this game is it doesn't have two versions of the same car, ie stock vs racer, but instead gives us all sorts of models that can be found from previous installments. Same goes to the tracks.

    There is no single player campaign, but spot racing is enough for you to play however you want, anytime and anywhere you like. Sure the contents are copy and paste from the previous games, but think of it as a portable version of Ridge Racer 6/7, for a Ridge Racer fan who doesn't bother about the crazily expensive iPhone, this plus DLC is totally worth it.

    I personally like this game a lot to be honest, especially the core of racing itself. unlike other Ridge Racer games which you can only play overtake to win the race, this one actually puts you in a starting grid behind 7 other cars, all behind the start line. Throughtout the race, all cars race at the same pace, running around tracks, drifting around corners at 340kmh like how the Speed Racer movie does its job. This is how a modern Ridge Racer game should be.

    I personally don't play online much, but you can play ghost battles in time trial method, and unlock a special Duel mode which two special cars can be unlocked by simply racing them one on one. Of course, it only takes one ghost battle with a player which has a label saying "You don't own this machine" and it's done.

    All in all, it plays better than NFS Most Wanted on Vita, and a good racer when it comes to seriously high-octane racing. I wouldn't recommend it to people who don't like the sound of DLC, but as far as it goes, this is the best portable Ridge Racer 7 game that you can play anytime anywhere you like, especially when you don't play RR7 on PS3. For a person who likes to draw and remake car designs, this is one of the games that I keep until now, because I like the details of the cars, and some kits never really existed in RR7.    … Expand
  22. Promesty
    Jun 30, 2023
    8
    This will be my first Review this Game is one of the Best Car games for PS VITA, is like Wipeout but Cars.

    I get all the reviews saying the game was not worth it but thats getting old.

    Nowadays You can get the game and all the DLC for free try it and You will see my Critic is accurate to this good PS VITA Game.

Awards & Rankings

69
#69 Best PS Vita Game of 2012
28
#28 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2012
35
#35 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
44

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 39 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 19 out of 39
  3. Negative: 20 out of 39
  1. Gamer.nl
    May 19, 2012
    40
    There's a nice idea hidden somewhere in Ridge Race for the Vita, but it just doesn't come out of its shell. The focus lays on online races, and not even very expansive. Just being able to have a good race has been overlooked with this racer.
    Read full review
  2. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    May 7, 2012
    50
    The problem here is the convoluted content and pricing structure: 30 bucks delivers a measly three tracks and five cars. [June 2012, p.79]
  3. PlayStation Universe
    Apr 18, 2012
    50
    What could be isn't in this portable Ridge Racer, and what is should be in a better game.
    Read full review
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