Ridge Racer 7
Ridge Racer 7
Sorti le 11 novembre 2006 sur PlayStation 3, Ridge Racer 7 constitue le septième opus principal de la série de jeux de course développée par Namco Bandai Games, qui en assure également l'édition aux côtés de Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Le titre propose une quarantaine de véhicules, dont une grande partie provient des épisodes précédents, notamment Ridge Racer 6 et les versions PSP, ainsi que 22 circuits jouables dans les sens normal, inverse et miroir. Sur le plan technique, le jeu se distingue par un affichage en 1080p à 60 images par seconde, une prise en charge du son Dolby Digital 5.1 et un mode multijoueur en ligne gratuit via le PlayStation Network.
Présenté pour la première fois à l'E3 2006 sous forme de teaser avant de dévoiler ses premières images de gameplay au Tokyo Game Show la même année, le jeu conserve la tradition de la série avec une introduction en full motion video mettant en scène le personnage de Reiko Nagase. Il a par la suite été réédité dans les gammes « Platinum » et « The Best » à prix réduit. Une mise à jour majeure, intitulée « Ridge Racer 7 3D License Version », a été déployée en octobre 2010 pour ajouter la compatibilité avec la 3D stéréoscopique.
Côté réception, l'agrégateur de notes affiche une moyenne de 77,46. La presse spécialisée a souligné la profondeur de la série, TotalPlayStation notant que l'opus, sans être un bond majeur par rapport à la version Xbox 360, offre une expérience suffisamment distincte, tandis que GameBrink s'interrogeait sur l'intérêt pour les vétérans de Ridge Racer 6 au vu des six nouveaux circuits, de la bande-son, du système d'aspiration et de la personnalisation des voitures. Du côté des joueurs, les avis divergent : certains regrettent un remake inférieur à son prédécesseur avec une physique du boost affaiblie et des textures de ciel et de route moins détaillées, malgré une palette de couleurs plus vive ; d'autres estiment au contraire que la franchise a tiré sa révérence en beauté, considérant cet épisode comme l'un des aboutissements de la série. Pour en voir le bout, il faut compter environ neuf heures pour l'histoire principale et jusqu'à trente-trois heures pour en faire le tour complet.
Médias
Avis des critiques et joueurs
Critiques de la Presse (Metacritic)
« There is real depth in this series, though most won't see it, and while the game isn't a massive step up over the 360 version, it is different enough -- and finally online with a Sony system -- that it bears at least a look. »
« Fans who played through Ridge Racer 6 will have to decide if six new tracks, a new soundtrack, slipstreaming, and car customization makes the game worth buying "again." Regardless, there's no denying that Ridge Racer 7 is a solid, fun arcade racer. »
« Simulation hardliners need not apply, but pound-for-pound, this game makes a very good case for itself as the top title of the PS3 launch. »
« With solid visuals, excellent arcade drifting action, car customization, and promising online, Ridge Racer should hold up well against competitors like "Need for Speed Carbon" and the rest. »
« It’s not cheap, it’s excruciatingly difficult. There is a difference. »
« Ridge Racer 7 is certainly not a system seller, not when the game is readily available on other platforms, especially a 360 version that's somewhat similar and only $20 these days. »
« Give Ridge Racer 7 a test drive and find out why it's one of the most underrated PS3 games at launch. [Jan. 2007, p.76] »
« What makes Ridge Racer unique is that, even though the entire race is driven at top speed, it requires total concentration, control and pin-point precision to capture the chequered flag. Your performance has to be consistent throughout. »
Avis des Joueurs (Metacritic)
« An inferior remake of RR6 with nerfed boost physics. It's more colorful than RR6, but skyboxes and road textures are less detailed. »
« Despite being the last main game we have seen in the Ridge Racer series, Namco’s beloved racing franchise went out with a bang. Ridge Racer 7 stands as one of the best racing games on the PS3, with stunning graphics rendered in 1080p, running at a smooth 60 frames per second. The gameplay loop is simple yet engaging, truly pushing the player’s skills to the limit. Ridge Racer has never felt as fast and as exhilarating as it does in this installment, and the soundtrack and announcer amplify that feeling to an incredible extent. Ridge Racer 7 expanded upon the driving model that the series has always been known for, creating a uniquely challenging but satisfying to master game. »
« Ridge Racer's unique handling has been tweaked to perfection in this game; cornering has never felt more exhilarating, and if you're skilled enough you can fly through the tracks like a bolt of greased lightning. Namco's final addition to the series is the culmination of more than a decade of passion. The 1080p visuals hold up remarkably well, along with almost everything else. Personally, I like it a little bit more than Ridge Racer Type 4 (often regarded as the best in the series) although I admit Ridge Racer 7 has an inferior soundtrack. But the gameplay and presentation in RR7 are so smooth that I can't help but favor it over R4. Without a doubt, this is one of the best racing games on the PS3. »
« Slick new visuals but under the hood it's the same old Ridge Racer, which makes for some unpretentious racing and a nice change of gear from the realism-obsessed crowd. »
« I haven't played the previous ridge racer yet but damn, this is fun as hell. Also waifu 10/10. »
« This game is underrated. Even though no one will read this, i just wanted to say that. It feels goooooood to play the game. »
« I was surprised to see that in 2023, the graphics are FULL ON 1080p 60FPS for a racing game and Ridge Racer 7 isn’t too bad, for 2006 standards. »
« This game has aged so well its mind blowing. I HIGHLY recommend playing this on a 4K TV with good upscaling software (Samsung GUTU series for example) and it will look better than lots of PS4 games. Super smooth controls at native 1080p 60fps, I guess people were used to more clunky controls in 2006 and thats where the average reviews are coming from. Actually doesn´t take a lot of time to learn the drifts, maybe 1-2 hours. This game is super high tech through and through, even more today when more and more PS3 era games are deemed unplayable due to their graphics and performance. Very very impressive stuff! »
