ResidentDante
Member
I'm joining this thread late, and sadly missed the Ridge Racer vote. Glad to see it ended on one of the PS1 classics I love the most at least! Though I would also have loved a Rage remake!
Looking through posts here and talking style and atmosphere, some thoughts come to mind of the early series:
RR1 (Arcade + PS1), RR2 (Arcade) and RRR (PS1) all have this bright, colourful and virbant look to them, distinctly looking typical like an arcade 3D title from the early/mid nineties. They are also all very typical built for arcades in their options and gameplay type. One could add RR64 (Nintendo 64, and RR DS which is the same game for the DS) as a later and slightly RRT4 influenced take on continuing this artstyle and simplicity.
Rave Racer (Arcade), however, takes a step into a more gritty and realistic looking style. While maintaining the classic RR feel and look. It's artstyle is taken to it's gritty and dark limits in Rage Racer (PS1).
Rage, imo, sets a new era for the series. It's a home version game built from the ground up with this in mind. Gone are short races and a simply menus and replaced is an actual campaign, complete with a moody intro text and CGI. It marks the step from the typical early fifth gen games that were straight up arcade conversions into the more time consuming home versions with proper singplayer experiences. Rage Racer is one of the few racing games I have truly felt atmosphere around. It feels moody and atmospheric, and features 4 really different courses with tons of trackside detail and variation. Racing feels dangerous, like you are on the edge, and a huge challenge as you progress each car with upgrades. the tracks have some really brutal corners and narrow sections that become real challenging at high speeds!
RRT4 maintained the realistic look, but stepped down the upgrade part (sadly!) and went back to a more colourful palette. It's typically influenced by Gran Turismo, like many other racers of the time, with a little to much focus on having 200+ cars. The gameplay is easier and more classic RR again. The singleplayer is built around joining a team and reading stories during each season.
Both Rage and RRT4 are amazing in their own ways, I'd love a combination of both!
I've posted a more length post on my blog about the early series: http://residentdante.blogspot.no/2014/09/looking-back-rage-racer-and-ridge-racer.html (for anybody interested, though it's only my opinion).
I'd love to see Ridge Racer 2 for the PSP added to the PS Vita library though. It contained EVERY track from RR1, RRR, Rave, Rage and RRT4, unlike a selection in the first PSP game. It's an amazing collection with "remastered" tracks. Though they loose some of their original and atmospheric look from the individual games.
Looking through posts here and talking style and atmosphere, some thoughts come to mind of the early series:
RR1 (Arcade + PS1), RR2 (Arcade) and RRR (PS1) all have this bright, colourful and virbant look to them, distinctly looking typical like an arcade 3D title from the early/mid nineties. They are also all very typical built for arcades in their options and gameplay type. One could add RR64 (Nintendo 64, and RR DS which is the same game for the DS) as a later and slightly RRT4 influenced take on continuing this artstyle and simplicity.
Rave Racer (Arcade), however, takes a step into a more gritty and realistic looking style. While maintaining the classic RR feel and look. It's artstyle is taken to it's gritty and dark limits in Rage Racer (PS1).
Rage, imo, sets a new era for the series. It's a home version game built from the ground up with this in mind. Gone are short races and a simply menus and replaced is an actual campaign, complete with a moody intro text and CGI. It marks the step from the typical early fifth gen games that were straight up arcade conversions into the more time consuming home versions with proper singplayer experiences. Rage Racer is one of the few racing games I have truly felt atmosphere around. It feels moody and atmospheric, and features 4 really different courses with tons of trackside detail and variation. Racing feels dangerous, like you are on the edge, and a huge challenge as you progress each car with upgrades. the tracks have some really brutal corners and narrow sections that become real challenging at high speeds!
RRT4 maintained the realistic look, but stepped down the upgrade part (sadly!) and went back to a more colourful palette. It's typically influenced by Gran Turismo, like many other racers of the time, with a little to much focus on having 200+ cars. The gameplay is easier and more classic RR again. The singleplayer is built around joining a team and reading stories during each season.
Both Rage and RRT4 are amazing in their own ways, I'd love a combination of both!
I've posted a more length post on my blog about the early series: http://residentdante.blogspot.no/2014/09/looking-back-rage-racer-and-ridge-racer.html (for anybody interested, though it's only my opinion).
I'd love to see Ridge Racer 2 for the PSP added to the PS Vita library though. It contained EVERY track from RR1, RRR, Rave, Rage and RRT4, unlike a selection in the first PSP game. It's an amazing collection with "remastered" tracks. Though they loose some of their original and atmospheric look from the individual games.
