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Good: Solid controls, plenty of gameplay, customization

Bad: Re-used tracks, music, catching walls

Ridge Racer 7 is probably the second biggest title of the PS3 lineup (behind Resistance). Fans of the series will feel right at home, as the emphasis stays squarely on perfecting your drifting skills. While it doesn't exactly re-invent the wheel or take the series in any drastic new direction, it's certainly a quality racing game on its own accord.

This series doesn't feature the extreme realism of Gran Turismo, but doesn't tread into complete arcade ridiculousness a la Burnout. Crashes and car damage are non-existent, but the physics remain far from the realm of reality. There are two main strategies to learn during RR7 usage of both drifts and nitrous.

Drifting is easy in theory, but takes time to perfect. It's performed by releasing the gas as you start your turn, followed by leaning until you're back on the straightaway. Each car features a different drift type. Mild is very easy to perform, standard is slightly more advanced, and dynamic is for those who are very familiar with the series and its control mechanics.

Nitrous goes hand in hand with drifting, as the three gauges fill during cornering. Tapping the L2 button activates the boost, and is crucial in advanced races. Ideally, you'll time the boost to end as a large turn starts, as your nitrous fills at a dramatically enhanced rate in this state. Later upgrades to your car will allow for added turbo gauges and even different methods of charging them. My personal choice omitted the enhanced charge during turns, and simply charges the gauge at a constant rate throughout the race.

Another important strategy is the use of slipstream. Just like the "slingshot" maneuver from Talladega Nights, you can stay directly behind cars to benefit from the decreased air resistance. Oftentimes this will turn a seemingly impossible situation into an opportunity to regain the lead.

Most of your time will be spent in the grand prix mode, which is filled with many hours of gameplay. Outside of the standard grand prix races, you'll also encounter UFRA single events and Manufacturer's trials. The latter are extremely important, as this is how you earn new cars and available upgrades. The customization options are great, and they're a fantastic incentive to keep playing.

The basic control scheme is almost identical to recent entries in the series, and it's been noticeably refined. Despite this, there are certain times (especially in later races) that a slight bump into the wall will entirely screw you over. You could be in the middle of a perfect run, and a slight mistake during one turn will throw you in 8th place immediately. It's terribly frustrating, especially when the courses are longer than usual.

RR7's framerate is consistently solid with no noticeable drops. The draw distance is great, and the courses are filled with activity of all sorts. Longtime Namco fans will notice plenty of references to past games, including Soul Calibur, Ace Combat, Katamari Damacy, and Dig-Dug. I'm not positive, but I swear that the lyrics of one of the songs repeats the words "bad house music" over and over. That's basically what to expect from the soundtrack bad house music. It's fast-paced and fits the mood, but it's just a bit too generic and cheesy for my tastes.

Series veterans certainly won't be disappointed by this solid outing, as long as they don't expect anything revolutionary. The single player will last gamers quite a while, and the online play only extends the experience. Well worth checking out for racing fans with a PS3.

Graphics: 8.0

Sound: 7.0

First Play: 9.0

Replay Value: 8.5

Gameplay: 8.5

Overall: 8.7