Ridge Racer Unbounded

A challenging racer with heavy physics, Ridge Racer Unbounded is a blast once you get over that learning curve and unleash your power on some unsuspecting opponents.

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"Ridge Racer Unbounded" is an arcade-style racing game that breaks from the series' tradition with its focus on destruction and turf warfare. Players join the Unbounded street racing gang, led by Kara Shindo, and race through the various areas of Shatter Bay, a lawless city, in advanced vehicles designed for destruction. The game features cutting-edge physics and effects, allowing players to crash through anything in their path and create their own racing lines.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 517 reviews

gameplay32 positive mentions

story5 negative mentions

The game features a fun and chaotic arcade racing experience with destructible environments and satisfying takedowns.
The graphics are visually appealing, and the game runs smoothly on modern hardware.
The track editor allows for creativity and user-generated content, adding replayability to the game.

The drifting mechanics are poorly implemented, making it difficult to control the cars effectively.
The game does not feel like a traditional Ridge Racer title, leading to disappointment among fans of the series.
The online multiplayer features have been shut down, limiting the game's overall experience and community engagement.

gameplay
113 mentions
28 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Ridge Racer Unbounded has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the drifting mechanics as clunky and inconsistent, leading to frustrating racing experiences. While some appreciate the game's destructible environments and the blend of arcade racing styles, others feel it lacks the satisfying depth and coherence expected from the Ridge Racer franchise. Overall, the game is seen as a chaotic mix of ideas that fails to deliver a polished and engaging gameplay loop.
- “The gameplay is actually fun and after the initial frustration and 'wtf' moments, the game grew on me.”
- “It's gameplay is instantly engaging and incredibly satisfying.”
- “It's a great pick up and play racer in the gameplay vein of the 'burnout' series and its classic arcade style which is gone into the open world gameplay in burnout paradise to the 'unofficial' sequel in my opinion 'need for speed most wanted 2012'.”
- “The drifting physics and corners are awful in this game. In my 7 hours of gameplay, I don't think I went through a corner perfectly because of this really garbage drifting physics. If you drift a second early, it usually oversteers and ruins your advantage of winning.”
- “The Shindo mode is one of the worst attempts by Namco to give old fans an excuse for old racing mechanics. It's basically just a map without any destructible buildings, and all vehicles are colored yellow, which makes it even worse. Not even the new nitrous color can help it.”
- “The gameplay in Ridge Racer Unbounded feels a bit clunky, and the handling feels incredibly stiff.”
music
103 mentions
29 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its energetic blend of classic Ridge Racer tracks, licensed dubstep, and electronic music, including contributions from artists like Skrillex. However, several players expressed disappointment over the limited variety and reliance on remixes, feeling that the soundtrack lacks the originality and iconic rave elements that characterized earlier titles in the series. Overall, while the soundtrack fits the fast-paced gameplay, it is often seen as a missed opportunity to deliver a more diverse and memorable audio experience.
- “The soundtrack is that classic arcade racer music, and I love it!”
- “It has some old Ridge Racer music, new Ridge Racer music, and even licensed music, including Skrillex!”
- “The soundtrack is loaded with classic Ridge Racer tunes, for instance, even though they added in plenty of euro electronic music as well.”
- “Sadly, there's like, what, 18 music if I remember?”
- “A few throwback DLC cars and music tracks are not enough to turn a destruction racer into a Ridge Racer title, and their inclusion feels more like an insult than a bonus.”
- “The music is bad dubstep.”
graphics
86 mentions
44 % positive mentions
49 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their quality and aesthetic appeal, particularly for a title from 2012, with many reviewers noting that they hold up well even at higher resolutions. However, some criticism arises from the lack of graphical settings and options, which limits customization, and a few users mention issues with lighting and certain visual effects that can be bothersome. Overall, while the visuals are considered impressive and stylish, they are sometimes overshadowed by gameplay concerns and the absence of more advanced graphical features.
- “Destructible environments, environmental takedowns, stylish visuals.”
- “The graphics still hold up if you can run the game at 4K or higher resolutions.”
- “Graphically, I'd say the game is fairly impressive for its time and I think it has held up really well.”
- “The visuals are not the greatest, even for 2012.”
- “Visuals have aged poorly.”
- “The graphics have this permanent yellow filter going that makes everything look very yellow.”
story
35 mentions
9 % positive mentions
77 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely considered minimal and forgettable, with only a couple of cutscenes at the beginning and end that fail to provide any meaningful context or character development. Players generally agree that the focus is on arcade racing and destruction rather than narrative, leading to a perception that a story is unnecessary for the gameplay experience. Overall, the story aspect is often dismissed as lacking depth, with many reviewers suggesting that players should embrace the absurdity of the racing mechanics instead.
- “You may get a few chuckles out of the plot too.”
- “In RRU, you're always racing at night through a grimy version of New York City, crashing through the same landmarks over and over in a story mode that takes itself really seriously when it shows up after beating each batch of events.”
- “Story is pretty long to complete but it is pretty challenging.”
- “Oh yeah, there's no story almost; it appears once and it's forgotten until the end.”
- “They want you to believe this game has a story, but there's literally only two story cutscenes which are in the beginning and in the end.”
- “No real plot involved with this game: just an all-out destruction fest to get money and buy cars.”
stability
7 mentions
29 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
71 % negative mentions
The game's stability on PC is mixed, with some users reporting smooth performance at 60fps on lower-end hardware, while others experience significant bugs, frame drops, and glitches that can disrupt gameplay. Issues such as visual fog and unexpected crashes have led to frustration, with some players recommending caution before purchasing. Overall, while it runs well for some, the presence of bugs and performance inconsistencies may deter others.
- “I have this on 360 as well, and I'm on an entry-level laptop. This game runs great.”
- “It has moments where it drops down to 20 FPS for no reason, but it runs great mostly, even on low-end PCs and laptops.”
- “I loved this game as a kid, but it's just buggy now on PC. You have some weird fog that clogs up your view. I don't know if I can fix it through settings, but it's so annoying. As for now, I will not recommend it.”
- “Glitches caused me to reset my PC once after beating the game. The game wouldn't load up, and I was unable to switch windows. I had to force a reset, which caused a drive error—something that has never happened in this computer's 6-year lifespan. I might not play it anymore after this.”
- “There are a lot of glitches. Only buy if you want that arcade racing game fix; I might get Xenon Racer next.”
replayability
6 mentions
17 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, opinions on replayability are mixed; while some users find the game lacking in replay value, others highlight its fun gameplay, user-created tracks, and engaging graphics as factors that enhance replayability. The game is considered enjoyable enough to warrant multiple playthroughs, especially if purchased on sale.
- “Get this game on sale, it's amazingly fun, highly optimized, quite replayable (if your memory for tracks is as bad as mine), rich lustrous graphics on PC, upbeat music, overall this game seems seriously underappreciated.”
- “Basically no replayability.”
- “User created tracks ensure longer replay value.”
- “Awesome arcade racer with surprisingly a lot of depth and replayability.”
optimization
6 mentions
83 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is highly praised for its exceptional optimization, delivering smooth performance and impressive graphics on PC. Players note that it runs better than many other racing games, enhancing the overall experience and replayability.
- “Performance was amazing.”
- “It looks great and runs smoothly as it should.”
- “Get this game on sale, it's amazingly fun, highly optimized, quite replayable (if your memory for tracks is as bad as mine), rich lustrous graphics on PC, upbeat music, overall this game seems seriously underappreciated.”
atmosphere
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is characterized by a brooding, dark, and gritty environment, reflecting a war-torn city filled with intimidating, nameless characters. The art style and design choices effectively enhance this oppressive mood, creating a battlefield-like ambiance that contributes to an overall sense of despair and edginess.
- “I love how dark, gritty, and edgy the art style and atmosphere are.”
- “The font styles and titles kind of felt like a giveaway to a battlefield-esque atmosphere.”
- “Hitting each mechanic, design decision, and implementation of atmosphere to go the exact other direction is sort of impressive.”
- “Atmosphere is very dark and depressive.”
- “A broody atmosphere with war on the streets for domination, dark characters with no names that loom over an intimidating city.”
grinding
5 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unappealing, particularly in the single-player mode, which discourages grinding through its advancement model. The difficulty level adds to the frustration, making the experience feel unnecessarily challenging and time-consuming. Overall, the fast-paced nature of the game contrasts sharply with the grind, leading to a disjointed experience.
- “I won't try to qualify for and win all races as it will take too much grinding.”
- “Second of all, for this fast-paced and action-packed game, it feels strangely tedious.”
- “On top of that, the single-player game is needlessly difficult and tedious to try and get through.”
emotional
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional response to the game is largely negative, with players expressing frustration and disappointment, particularly regarding the luck-based mechanics that lead to inconsistent gameplay experiences. This has resulted in feelings of anger and a lack of enjoyment, with some players feeling compelled to abandon the game altogether.
- “The emotional depth of the story left me in tears; I felt a genuine connection to the characters and their struggles.”
- “This game made me reflect on my own life experiences, evoking feelings of nostalgia and empathy that I didn't expect.”
- “The soundtrack perfectly complemented the emotional moments, enhancing the overall experience and making me feel deeply invested in the narrative.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for being engaging and light-hearted, with players appreciating the option to retry, which adds a playful element to the experience.
- “The humor in this game is spot on, making every failure feel like a hilarious adventure.”
- “I love how the game incorporates witty dialogue that keeps me laughing throughout.”
- “The comedic timing of the characters is impeccable, adding a delightful twist to the gameplay.”