The crashes aren't nearly as stylish as those in the Burnout series.When you played with matchbox cars as a kid, you didn't obsess over gear ratios and downforce: you sent those miniature whips flying off jumps and crashing through buildings made of blocks. Like your inner five-year-old, Ridge Racer Unbounded is far more interested in bashing scenery to bits than it is in realistic physics.
Accessible arcade handling makes drifting a breeze, and forgiving side-on crash damage encourages almost homicidal recklessness. Hell, driving like a lunatic is a requirement: As you tailgate opponents, sail off jumps, and powerslide, you'll fill up a power gauge. Once it’s charged, you're a button-tap away from a turbo boost that lets you plow through solid buildings and annihilate rivals with so much as a love-tap.
Multiplayer events can feature drifting contests and time trials, but the vast majority of them wisely emphasize vehicular violence.Sounds like a blast, right? Well, it would be, if Unbounded didn't impose a bunch of arbitrary limitations on the havoc. The back of the box says "crash through everything," but don't believe it: only each track's small collection of approved targets may be reduced to rubble, and even then only when your power gauge is completely filled. For that matter, the giant text labels that indicate permitted targets don't even appear unless you have a full meter. Also, while Domination events — which feature a fair amount of crumpled metal and crumbling concrete — are the most frequent, clean racing–only events, lame obstacle-course time trials, and lifeless drifting competitions make even minor destruction an afterthought. So much for unhinged chaos.
None of the cars are licensed, but some of their inspirations are obvious.Strangely, Unbounded is actually at its best when you're building things instead of tearing them apart. As you rack up points, you'll unlock more than just new cars and events; you'll also gain access to new pieces to use in the surprisingly rich event creator. Plop prefab blocks of asphalt and architecture onto a simple grid, sprinkle the environment with all sorts of stunt ramps and explosive goodies, and then publish your customized event online for other gamers to ruin.
Amateur design is tricky and time-consuming, and you won't find any of the rating and keyword systems that might encourage a community of any worth to develop around it. But even so, some imaginative souls will happily spend hours placing gas tankers and towering loops, and you'll never have to buy DLC to find a fresh arrangement on which to race your buddies over Xbox Live. Unbounded can't compete with the genre's best, but it's not devoid of value.
Even cars on the edge of ruin are remarkably reflective.PUBLISHER: Namco Bandai Games • DEVELOPER: Bugbear Entertainment • ESRB: Teen • MULTIPLAYER: 8 on Xbox Live • ACHIEVEMENTS: Meager • COST: $60
+ Approachable, attractive arcade street racing that rewards aggression over technical prowess.
+ Track-creation tools expose a surprising wealth of creative possibilities.
– Pointlessly limited landmark destruction; dreary secondary events; no splitscreen multiplayer; nothing but dubstep on the soundtrack.
? Why no online leaderboards?
