It's Good, but could use more work...

Well, I thought that a racing game would be fun to have, so I bought Ridge Racer 5 with my PS2. I'm not regretting my decision at all, either. I think it's a solid title, though that doesn't mean that I'm not waiting for GT3(I am...).

First off, the one player mode is very solid, in my opinion. While many people may say that there are "only 4 tracks", don't let that sway you - while sections of track are replicated in races, there are MAJOR differences in each track, such as length and number of turns. Also, tracks may be raced at night, which changes the track completely, or in reverse(which alters the track as well with a relocated start line). Also, as you win GP races, several things happen. You win the cars and engines that you drove to victory, and your car number will become smaller as you become higher raked in your team(Get it to #1, and you can PICK your number). Also, there are many other unlockable races. Win a car, and you can race in the Time Trial, trying to set records. Beat a rival's record, and you can be challenged to a duel against the Duel-class cars that you can win. (This is how you get the most powerful car in the game, the Kamata Angelus.) And for those of you with 2 hours to kill, there's the 99 Trial, the endurance race that will have you glued to the screen (though after 50-60 laps, it's more because you have to finish the race out of a sense of honor...) And if you can get it, there's even...PAC-MAN RACING!!!

As for the visuals, they are very stunning. Real time shading on the cars is amazing-you can actually see the scenery in your car. But there are some bad things-Namco could have used more detailed car skins, as there is the tendency to pixelate when you get too close. The music is good, with a solid techno beat, though a few more music tracks would be nice(and yes, I do know that you get more tracks). The DJ/announcer can get on one's nerves, though. And many of the later cars in the Duel class are just overpowered-it took 20+ tries in the Angelus to win the Battle Royale, due to a lack of control. But these are minor flaws, and don't detract too much from the game.

And the amazing thing-this is all on one CD! This is not a DVD title like Armored Core 2 or DOA2:Hardcore, but a blue-backed PS2 CD. There's a lot there for a CD. But the flip side is that I wish that Namco would have used a DVD, so that more could be added to the game, like a few more tracks, more music, and more detail on the cars. But overall, I'm happy. Ridge Racer V is a solid racer for now, though it will pale to GT3, as a launch title should to later generations of titles.

P.S. "Easy" in this game is a relative term, though...the Easy mode is pretty challenging...I'd hate to see what Normal is.