Review
Played on: PC & Xbox 360Released: 2012
Unbounded, a word Ridge Racer fans try to forget. For those unaware, it’s a Bugbear developed Ridge Racer, released in 2012 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Meant as a sort of spin-off from the franchise, with a strong influence from titles like Blur and Split/Second.
The problem? It was never meant to be a Ridge Racer during development. Namco approached Bugbear on their latest project, and they shoehorned the title into a pre-existing racer in development.
The result was a racer that didn't appeal to Ridge racer veterans, which at this point were starved for a new release, nor did it sit well with fans of Bugbears fantastic Flatout 1 & 2, which were even more starved for a new Bugbear racer.
However, let’s just forget all this for a moment. The hopes of what could've been lead nowhere and end with disappointment, wanting Unbounded to be something it’s not. It's not a proper Ridge Racer, nor is it a Flatout. Just let that go.
If we just assume it’s an arcade racer, called Unbounded, with no relation to the Ridge Racer franchise, perhaps we can get a better understanding of if it's actually good?
I let my old Xbox 360 copy reside on its shelf and decided to pick up the PC version on Steam instead. Allowing me to take a crucial step up in framerate, arcade racers at 30fps don’t sit well with me, and resolution. With my gaming laptop connected to the TV and an Xbox One pad in hand, I booted up Unbounded to give it a fair chance.
Running at a sharp and fluid 1440p@120fps, it’s a new experience altogether for me. Making the responsiveness in the controls and the sharp picture a superior way to enjoy this racer. What’s nice is that it retains the fictional car brands, just like the previous Ridge Racer titles, probably why it has survived on sale to this date on Steam. Licensed music aside.
The intro shows us Shutter Bay, a fictional urban city with a massive dockside. In a weirdly Mirror’s Edge-like narration, a female character introduces us to the thin premise of the story: you need to dominate the city, one part at the time, as a street racer. Strangely enough this anonymous character, and her small human touch to the game, is the only time you see her. Unbounded quickly loses any personality or sense of story at all, not that it really matters in racer.
The main mode is structured in titled, city areas, on a selection screen. Within each city area are seven races to complete. Successful completions earn you up to three stars and a highscore. The score, will in turn, unlock new city areas and cars. A typical unlocking system seen in racers like Split/Second and Burnout 3.
Races are surprisingly varied, perhaps Unbounded strongest suit. Spanning five distinct types: Shindo Racing is clean racing, Drift Attack is about drifting to earn points, Time Attack alters the layout of the racetracks with jumps and obstacles, Domination Race are reminiscent of Burnout and lastly Frag Attack where the goal is destroying as many infinite spawning cars as possible. Each type of race requires a distinctly different approach, which in turn helps keep the playthrough refreshing.
Even the gameplay mechanics change somewhat between the two main race types. Shindo Racing will fill up a boost meter from either tailing an opponent, catching air in jumps or consistently drifting. In contrast, in the Domination Races there's a power meter that replaces the boost meter. This is filled up by smashing opponents, driving in their orange slipstream or taking down competitors completely in nasty crashes!
The result was a racer that didn't appeal to Ridge racer veterans, which at this point were starved for a new release, nor did it sit well with fans of Bugbears fantastic Flatout 1 & 2, which were even more starved for a new Bugbear racer.
However, let’s just forget all this for a moment. The hopes of what could've been lead nowhere and end with disappointment, wanting Unbounded to be something it’s not. It's not a proper Ridge Racer, nor is it a Flatout. Just let that go.
If we just assume it’s an arcade racer, called Unbounded, with no relation to the Ridge Racer franchise, perhaps we can get a better understanding of if it's actually good?
I let my old Xbox 360 copy reside on its shelf and decided to pick up the PC version on Steam instead. Allowing me to take a crucial step up in framerate, arcade racers at 30fps don’t sit well with me, and resolution. With my gaming laptop connected to the TV and an Xbox One pad in hand, I booted up Unbounded to give it a fair chance.
Running at a sharp and fluid 1440p@120fps, it’s a new experience altogether for me. Making the responsiveness in the controls and the sharp picture a superior way to enjoy this racer. What’s nice is that it retains the fictional car brands, just like the previous Ridge Racer titles, probably why it has survived on sale to this date on Steam. Licensed music aside.
The intro shows us Shutter Bay, a fictional urban city with a massive dockside. In a weirdly Mirror’s Edge-like narration, a female character introduces us to the thin premise of the story: you need to dominate the city, one part at the time, as a street racer. Strangely enough this anonymous character, and her small human touch to the game, is the only time you see her. Unbounded quickly loses any personality or sense of story at all, not that it really matters in racer.
The main mode is structured in titled, city areas, on a selection screen. Within each city area are seven races to complete. Successful completions earn you up to three stars and a highscore. The score, will in turn, unlock new city areas and cars. A typical unlocking system seen in racers like Split/Second and Burnout 3.
Races are surprisingly varied, perhaps Unbounded strongest suit. Spanning five distinct types: Shindo Racing is clean racing, Drift Attack is about drifting to earn points, Time Attack alters the layout of the racetracks with jumps and obstacles, Domination Race are reminiscent of Burnout and lastly Frag Attack where the goal is destroying as many infinite spawning cars as possible. Each type of race requires a distinctly different approach, which in turn helps keep the playthrough refreshing.
Even the gameplay mechanics change somewhat between the two main race types. Shindo Racing will fill up a boost meter from either tailing an opponent, catching air in jumps or consistently drifting. In contrast, in the Domination Races there's a power meter that replaces the boost meter. This is filled up by smashing opponents, driving in their orange slipstream or taking down competitors completely in nasty crashes!
This Domination Race power meter, when activated, allows you to take down competitors in a single hit or smash through marked shortcuts, even blow-up tanker trucks to crush all the other cars nearby you in an explosion! These hidden shortcuts and explosions all bring back strong memories of Split/Second and become second nature as you get used to spotting them and using them tactically in races.
The drifting, weirdly enough, is placed on a separate button. A step away from the Ridge Racer, Burnout or Split/Second mechanics, where letting of the accelerator and slightly touching the brakes makes the car drift. This dedicated drift button kicks the car into an aggressive drift, which you need to control successfully.
The drifting, weirdly enough, is placed on a separate button. A step away from the Ridge Racer, Burnout or Split/Second mechanics, where letting of the accelerator and slightly touching the brakes makes the car drift. This dedicated drift button kicks the car into an aggressive drift, which you need to control successfully.
It’s less refined than I wished it to be, reminding me of how Split/second plays. Although, after a few races, you get the hang of it. I only wish 90-degree corners allowed for a less wall smashing curve to properly cut them.
Visually, it’s an extremely orange tinted, contrast heavy style, with blinding light sources everywhere. A sign of the time it was released, but once you dig in, it shows more variation in its environments and visuals. It’s heavy on the dark, minimalist look, but I enjoyed passing by the highway streetlights, the orange sunsets and the unique visual style. Setting it apart from modern times.
On my PC, Unbounded moves at a super smooth, 120fps framerate, holding up well and looking flashy still. I really can't stress how satisfying this super high framerate is for the movement and smooth feeling of racer! The PC version is great for scaling up the resolution to suit the larger TVs too. Something to reconsider when the alternative is the 720p@30fps console versions, which look muddy and are less responsive in comparison.
Races take place in city themed racetracks, varying somewhat with highways, vintage brick house areas, dockyards and modern high-rise buildings to speed past. There’s even an Arc de Triomphe, look-alike, in there for old Rage Racer fans!
Visually, it’s an extremely orange tinted, contrast heavy style, with blinding light sources everywhere. A sign of the time it was released, but once you dig in, it shows more variation in its environments and visuals. It’s heavy on the dark, minimalist look, but I enjoyed passing by the highway streetlights, the orange sunsets and the unique visual style. Setting it apart from modern times.
On my PC, Unbounded moves at a super smooth, 120fps framerate, holding up well and looking flashy still. I really can't stress how satisfying this super high framerate is for the movement and smooth feeling of racer! The PC version is great for scaling up the resolution to suit the larger TVs too. Something to reconsider when the alternative is the 720p@30fps console versions, which look muddy and are less responsive in comparison.
Races take place in city themed racetracks, varying somewhat with highways, vintage brick house areas, dockyards and modern high-rise buildings to speed past. There’s even an Arc de Triomphe, look-alike, in there for old Rage Racer fans!
While the racetracks are possible to learn by heart, they have this slight track editor vibe. This is reflected further in the fact that Unbounded indeed has a track editor. Here you can make thousands of your own creations. Connecting prefabricated road squares and adding elements like trees, jumps and streetlights. Not my cup of tea, but I'm sure people will enjoy it.
Note: All online features, either sharing your self-created racetracks or online racing are shut down and can't be accessed any more.
While the aforementioned track editor isn’t something you care much about as you speed through the main campaign, it does explain the repetition each race environment has. That said, it captures a solid modern city vibe, with neat detail in overhanging bridges, cool tunnels and highways with overhanging streetlights.
The soundtrack is probably the only place where it captures a small Ridge Racer vibe, with an electronic based, futuristic sound. There are even some famous electronic bands here like Crystal Method and Skrillex. The music elevates the modern, cool vibe, while also reflecting the time it was made.
Overall, Unbounded is a solid arcade racer for its generation, unfairly compared to the old Ridge Racer titles. It’s addictive and easy to get into, while tricky to master in the harder races. There’s solid variation in the race types and the racing is intense and fun, once the unusual drifting mechanics' stick.
It lacks a more obvious art direction of its own, falling quickly into a minimalist experience with little originality. Visually neat, but lacks that something to make it stick out.
The soundtrack is probably the only place where it captures a small Ridge Racer vibe, with an electronic based, futuristic sound. There are even some famous electronic bands here like Crystal Method and Skrillex. The music elevates the modern, cool vibe, while also reflecting the time it was made.
Overall, Unbounded is a solid arcade racer for its generation, unfairly compared to the old Ridge Racer titles. It’s addictive and easy to get into, while tricky to master in the harder races. There’s solid variation in the race types and the racing is intense and fun, once the unusual drifting mechanics' stick.
It lacks a more obvious art direction of its own, falling quickly into a minimalist experience with little originality. Visually neat, but lacks that something to make it stick out.
Fans of racers from this era should give it chance, there's a forgotten arcade racing treat here!
