R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 (preview)

I recently have gotten to play a demo of R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 and although I usually don't enjoy normal racing games (snowboards, jet-skis, futuristic or armed vehicles, are my prefered means of virtual transportation) I really like what I have gotten a chance to play so far with R4. It's still an "arcade-ish" like its predecesors, but the car physics are a little more realistic without the awkward "bouncing" off the oppossing cars like the other Ridge Racers. Fans of the arcade style racing games need not to worry though, power sliding is still vital and a collision with a wall or an opponent from the side won't inflict sudden death or even a complete stop. Your speed will just decrease. The control by far sis the most impressive aspect of this game. With the analogue control you will soon find yourself whipping and sliding around the corners with ease. The graphics on this one track, one car demo are inpressive. The game is fast and the framerate is high. This is very impressive considering the detailed track and car textures, the abundant and excellent lighting effects, and the "shiny" textures on the cars. The instant replay is really worth watching. It has the "blurred" effect that reminds me of the realtime scenes in Metal Gear Solid. The music is great, but the sound effects leave a little to be desired. They aren't bad by any means, but not great either. The Dual Shock controller is used well. You can feel every driving error you make as well as see it. It is amazing that I enjoy a one car, one track demo so much because the complete version will have around 200 (unlicensed *sob* cars) and eight track. It was rumored to include a reved up 60 frames per second version of the original Ridge Racer, but I haven't heard anything of it recently. R4 will be released on May 4th. Be sure to check out www.namco.com for updates on the release date, pics, movies, and a killer presentation that includes a great pic of the Ridge Racer girl. *drool*