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Why did this have to come with my PS2???

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 16 / 18
Date: December 06, 2000
Author: Amazon User

In short, this game is poo. The graphics are awesome, but then that is nothing unexpected. It looks like you are driving a real car and watching the replay on the TV. It's that good.

But then you are not watching a replay, you are playing the game. The idea is that you are supposed to drive these cars and win races. The controls are horrible: there is no realism to the gameplay. You simply cannot round hairpin turns at 120mph! Oh, wait, sure you can. I just now did it in Ridge Racer V! I suppose I was spoiled by the realism of Gran Turismo on my Playstation I. I simply grew bored with this game within 0.5 hours of tearing the plastic from the jewel case.

The announcing grates on my very soul. When you are in 7th place in a race of 20 cars, a good 2 miles back from the leader going into the final lap, the announcer simply should not state you still have a chance!! Whatever, that is a small complaint. I just found myself cursing the woman who popped out the child which developed the lispy voice of this games announcer.

If you are looking for a great racing game, get a different one. GT has better graphics, more realistic game play and does not have a hell-spawn announcer. Namco had better titles out when I was 12!

Average Game - Nothing New To The Series

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 16 / 21
Date: July 31, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I too own the import of this game and while it certainly has flashy graphics it's very shallow and has nothing significantly different from Ridge 4.

One ironic thing is that the first track is the exact same track from the first Ridge Racer game. When you play it you think, "Wow, it looks almost exactly the same as the original", that's how lackluster the track graphics are.

There are also frequent and distracting problems with the game flickering, and the game is nearly impossible to play split screen.

I'd recommend Gran Turismo 2000 or Metropolis Street Racer on Dreamcast over this one.

not awful, just more of the same

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: December 01, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The RR series has always been sort of self-explanatory. Realistic looking cars in a realistic environment, but playing like an arcade racer. No great amount of depth (like the Gran Turismo series) but not quite as cartoony as Beetle Adventure Racing or Top Gear Overdrive.

This is just more of the same. Is it the best looking RR ever? Yeah, and it should be, given that its the only PS2 version of the bunch. And, truth be told, it should look better. It does score above-average marks in the style department, but the highly Japanese flavor to it might turn off some gamers. Basically it is what it is: another Ridge Racer game. Type 4 was good for PSX, and a lot of people expected more from this one, but didn't get "the next level" of RR games, just another in a series.

If you want a decent racing game, wait for Gran Turismo 3, or if you've been a RR devotee, then by all means go for this one. For most gamers it's a "been there, done that" kinda thing.

Ridge Racer V has some flaws, but it's still a blast to play

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: December 02, 2000
Author: Amazon User

The original Ridge Racer carried the Playstation launch years ago with it's state of the art graphics (for it's time) and blistering, fast-paced, arcade racing action. Now, a few sequals later, Ridge Racer V attempt to do the same for the Playstation 2 launch. Mixing some good graphics, a rockin' soundtrack, and the same great Ridge Racer gameplay that fans of the series have learned to love, Ridge Racer V is without a doubt the best racing game you can get for the PS2 at launch.

RRV has received much hype in the videogame world, much of it is becuase of the graphics. As a premier PS2 title, RRV was hyped up by many to be the best-looking racing game of all-time. Is it? In my opinion.. not really. While the game does manage to impress with good car models, outstanding track track designs, and a fully-polygonal chick in the opening movie who looks likes she's from a CG scene straight out of the Final Fantasy series, the graphcis are not without their flaws. The game suffers from clipping problems, and (yes, you guessed it) pop-up. While these problems aren't really that bad in one-player mode, 2 player mode is a whole nother story. The draw-in distance gets cuts in half, and the clipping is more severe. To top it all off, only an in the car view is available in 2 player mode! The graphical downgrade that appears when player with 2 players really hurts the game in my opinion.

The soundtracks found throughout the Ridge Racer series are often top-notch, and RRV is no exception. The game features varius artists such as the Boom Boom Satelites and others. Some of the songs are really good, and fit perfectly with the game. However, some songs aren't so good. A few of them are actually un-listenable to me. Fortunetly though, you get the option in each race to put on whatever song you want, so it isn't so much of a problem. On a whole, there are definetly mroe good songs than bad. The sound effects are right on target. The cars sound realistic, and there are alot of extra neat sound effects like the echo heard while driving in the tunnel. The announcer, who has come under much scruitny from others, I actually liked alot. He wasn't nearly as annoying as announcers found in most other racing games, and I feel he added alot of personality to the game. Good job.

Now on to the best aspect of the game; the gameplay. What sets this game apart from the rest of the pack is the amazingly fun racing action, and the absolutely perfect controls. Once you get used to the turning, I'm sure you'll find that not only does RRV control better than any other racing game on the market, it's also the most fun. The races are always full of competative action, and there is always the perfect balance of fairness and difficulty to make each race equally exciting. Some may complain that the game doesn't have varied enough tracks, but I really don't see it as a problem. Each track is an extention of the last, since all the races are held in the same city. The reason this works better than more tracks in different places of the country is becuase the track design is so creative and perfect on each track that it really doesn't matter. You'll have fun on each track, regardless of the setting.

Overall, I'd say that if you're in the market for a PS2 racing game at launch, Ridge Racer V is your best bet. Despite it's flaws, it's still the most fun racer on the market, even if it's 2 player mode is stinky. If you're a fan of the Ridge Racer series, or arcade racers in general, this is the game for you. However, if you're more of the Gran Tourismo, sim-style, racing fan, rent this, and wait for GT3 to arrive sometime next year.

Good Game, But Bad Announcer/Average Gameplay.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: November 11, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I had never played any of the other Ridge Racer games, so when I bought this title for the PS2, I expected something like the PS1 Gran Turismo series. I was right in terms of graphics, but it's a disappointment otherwise.

The tracks zoom by at an awesome rate of speed, and the lighting effects are top notch. If I could rate the game on graphics alone, I'd give it a 5 star rating.

However, the one aspect of the game that irritated me the most was the announcer. Anyone familiar with the cultural differences between Japan and America would understand why the radio DJ in the game is horribly out of place. The voiceover is of a guy supposedly on the radio talking about the race and occasionally making a comment or critique. He'll often "That was CLOSE!" when you narrowly miss hitting another car.

But there's one moment early on when the announcer talks about how there are multiple racers racing in races all over Ridge City (How's that for alliteration?), and that we (the radio listeners of Ridge City) should "give all of them our full support."

Our what? What American-based game would have this kind of cheesy, communal camraderie between its citizens? None. We're the country of the hard-edged and arrogant, finger-flipping, competitor. The trash-talking capital of the world is right here in the U.S., baby! The Japanese value their sense of community, which is all well and good for them, but it feels Pollyanna-ish and cutesy in the States, and it was quite irritating to me.

At any rate, this is not a horrible game, but I expected much more from it. It has rather mediocre gameplay, which surprised me, and it's certainly not a title you should run out and buy. If you have a PS2, (Lucky, lucky us, huh?) then I'd suggest that you wait until the next Gran Turismo game. It will make this game seem like it's standing still by comparison.

Bleh. Don't waste your time.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: October 27, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I got a playstation 2 (opening day, no reserve ticket, 6 hours of suffering- thank you very much) and bought madden 2001 and ridge racer V. Let's just say I will immediately be returning the latter. Ridge Racer V was a big let down... not only did it take FOR-ever to load between scenes, but sometimes it would just hang up and make me restart the ps2!! I've had no such problems with the other game. Verdict: spend your money on something else.

Simple strokes for simple folks....

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: October 27, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game is a cynical rushed project which should fool no one. Put simply it is Ridge racer 1 tarted up. That's right Ridge 1! It lacks the subtleties, playability, handling and innovation of Ridge Racer 4, and is not fit to wipe the feet of the likes of Gran Turismo. Do not buy this! The PS2 can do far, far better (hopefully).

Disappointing

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: December 05, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This was the first game I played with the PS2, and it immediately put me into a panic. I felt like I wasted a lot of money on the PS2 for graphics & performance & game complexity that aren't at all apparent in Ridge Racer V. This is a simpistic game with graphics that you'd expect to see on the original Playstation. Luckily, I loaded up Madden 2001 next and was treated to some of the advanced capabilities of the PS2. If you must have this game, buy it used. Do not spend the full 50 bucks for a new copy.

Ridge Racer V is arcade racing at is best. Fans rejoice!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 6 / 9
Date: December 29, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Ridge Racer V proves that the great gameplay of the Ridge Racer series is still alive and well on the PS2. Namco is a master on making arcade games, their top games is the Ridge Racer series. For those of you that were expecting Gran Turismo-like game, this is not it. RRV is an ARCADE RACER, not a simulation racer like the GT series by Sony.

I have to agree that the graphics are not top notch, they did have to make some sacrifices in order to have the game running at 60 frames a second. It still looks great though, the speed and fun factors are there. Not bad for a first generation PS2 title. I just wish they would of kept their original Ridge Racer girl Reiko Nagase in the game.

Best way to control the great cars in this game is by using Namco's own neGcon controller. I have been using this controller since the first Ridge Racer game on my PSX.

Overall, a great game for Ridge Racer racing fans. For anyone looking for a simulation racer, wait until GT3 comes out. However, do not overlook Ridge Racer V.

The Best Ridge Racer Yet

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 18
Date: July 10, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I own the Japanese import and i must say this is by far the best Ridge Racer Yet.Ridge Racer V is a fun, great-looking game that will please older Ridge Racer fans.If you have Played other Ridge Racer Games you might be disspointed on how the game handles.The sound effects in Ridge Racer V are pretty nice. The squealing tires and engine noise of the cars sound realistic.A Must have Game for your PS2.

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