The inaugural installment in the long-running Ridge Racer racing series, Ridge Racer Unbounded, is the first game entirely developed by a Western firm. It continues the tradition of having players race in expensive sports cars through an urban environment while pounding electronic music is playing in the background. However, it differs from the previous games in that the emphasis has shifted away from clean racing to crashing into opponents and breaking through objects in the environment to use shortcuts and introduce debris onto the track. The Unbounded are the primary protagonists of the game’s narrative. They are a group of street racers who compete in the fictitious city of Shatter Bay. The player takes on the persona of one of the racers and must compete in several competitions to advance in rank. In the primary Shatter Bay mode, increasing your level makes more automobiles and districts of the city available to you as you progress through the game.
During the competitions, the power bar can be increased by doing maneuvers such as drifting, jumping, or staying in the slipstream of other vehicles. The power mode is ready to be engaged when the bar is filled. It not only gives the car an increase in speed but also transforms it into a weapon that can “frag” (crash) other vehicles in a manner comparable to the takedowns in the Burnout series. It is also possible to drive through specific buildings and barriers, which will cause them to be destroyed and cause rubble to flood the route, making it more difficult for the other racers. Minor obstacles can be hit at any time, while truly massive ones like tanker trucks are only emphasized in the power mode, which wreaks havoc in a manner comparable to Split/Second. The various types of races include standard Domination races, which center on the finishing position and the destruction of other vehicles, Shindo Racing, which emphasizes clean racing by avoiding the destruction of opponents; Drift Attack; and Time Trial. In the video game Frag Attack, the player takes control of a unique vehicle and is tasked with destroying as many police vehicles as possible. The player’s performance is rated out of a possible three stars, and each of these stars is required to move further in the game.
The City Creator is an entirely new addition to the series. It is a full 3D editor that allows users to design new cities, courses, and scenarios that can then be shared with other players. These are played through the game mode known as The World, comprised of cities created by various other players. It is necessary to play through the primary Shatter Bay level to unlock many building elements that can be used in the editor.
