Ridge Racer 2 Assessment (PSP)

The unique launch of PSP’s Ridge Racer 2 could possibly be criticised for being nearly precisely the identical recreation as its predecessor, solely with a couple of extra tracks and modes. Nevertheless, that does not actually matter right now, particularly now it is one of many uncommon Ridge Racer titles playable on trendy consoles. With its one blemish now moot, what we’re left with is among the most joyous, trendy, and satisfying arcade racing obtainable — in the event you’re a PS Plus Premium member.

Basically a collection “biggest hits”, this recreation cherry-picks programs and music from earlier entries and options dozens of more and more speedy autos to whip round all these sweeping corners. For followers in 2023, that is about nearly as good as you possibly can hope for — all of the classics are right here, and it is offered with crisp upscaled visuals, although it’s a slight disgrace some components stay untouched.

Ridge Racer’s core attraction lies in its emphasis on over-the-top, fantastically clean, endlessly enjoyable power-sliding, and it feels simply nearly as good now because it did again in 2006 on PSP. There’s nothing on right now’s market that gives such immediately rewarding arcade racing — it simply feels incredible to play. The enhance mechanic additionally made its debut right here, including a small however appreciated further layer to the motion.

Its construction may be very easy, with a collection of World Excursions comprising two or three races which require you to zoom from final to first. Nevertheless, in an age the place many racing titles are pushing open world extravagance, the stage-based method is refreshing. A handful of different modes allow you to play single races, elimination, and time assault, and apart from step by step unlocking new vehicles, that is your lot.

Sadly, any multiplayer choices have been stripped away, and so have the prizes for finishing every World Tour, which rewarded you with issues like opening motion pictures for outdated Ridge Racer video games. The one different frustration comes from AI drivers, who may be difficult to overhaul. All in all, although, that is simply among the many greatest traditional video games on PS Plus Premium. This can be a well timed reminder that, at their peak, arcade racers can simply rank among the many most gratifying video video games you possibly can play.