Ridge Racer Type 4

After Rage racer , the development team at Namco would once again go back to the drawing board in order to redivise their approach for the next upcoming game releasing in an ever-growing competitive market of racing titles.

And the end result is one of the most aesthetically pleasing games on the PS1, helped terrifically by its fittingly soothing soundtrack (composed by Kohta Takahashi, Hiroshi Okubo, Asuka Sakai, Tetsukazu Nakanishi, and Ko its Nakagawa) and it's overall graphical presentation found both inside it's menus and detail ridden tracks.



Gameplay wise, however, type 4 doesn't stray too much from the series' established formula. The biggest new addition are the playable stories, which will change accordingly depending on what team you choose upon the beginning of the grand Prix mode. You basically get a supporting character who'll leave different comments based on the positions you finish the race in. Also, each character has their own backstory which you will uncover gradually while making progress on the tour. It's honestly an extra cool way of providing motivation to the player and I felt like each story wraps up quite nicely.

The driving has also once again been altered. Depending on what car manufacturer you choose, you may either choose a strict grip or drift-based play style where you will be given an appropriate vehicle at crucial points on the tour. Things feel a lot more streamlined as a result, but I saw it as a welcome change if it meant my car wouldn't go sideways every time I lightly pressed the brake. Drifting is also generally easier to pull off than in previous games.



Overall, this entry ends up being one of the most memorable in the series so far for me

Ultimately, what makes R4 compelling is its distinct style and soundtrack. The latter being one of the best videogame OSTs, as well as one of the greatest breakbeat albums of all time. As for the racing, there really isn't much of note. Driving is rigid and rudimentary, with a heavy emphasis on drifting; though the AI will put up a decent fight. There isn't much of a story either, with each of the four teams delivering both the same narrative structure and tracks to play through (there are only 8). Quantity went into the 320 cars you're able to collect, but the only way to obtain them is to make certain placements under a specific car manufacturer. Overall, this game doesn't offer much in terms of replayability, nor can I endorse its progression system, it just has a great atmosphere.

Presentation, graphics and music are undoubtedly where Ridge Racer Type 4 stands out. The menus and character of the game are excellent, the colours and lighting give the game a superb atmosphere, and the soundtrack is the kind you'll want to listen to outside of the game. Sound effects are decent, though the cars usually sound like vacuum cleaners.

Gameplay wise, the game leans heavily towards the arcade side of things; in the so-called 'grip' cars, you might be tempted to use the gears realistically, but you'll lose. You're better off playing in automatic transmission and remaining in the highest gear. Even better, play the 'drift' cars, which seem to be the focus of the game and have the ability to slide around corners at top speed. Little technique or control is required despite the 'drift' cars supposedly made for expert players; this, combined with the game's collection of only eight admittedly well-designed tracks, makes things a little dull after a while. The grand prix is short and your only motivation for replaying it is to unlock additional cars, which isn't particularly compelling given they're not real, licensed vehicles.