From a presentation standpoint Ridge Racer 6 is a mixed bag. The tracks don’t look so hot. The cars are a bit better, but they still only have the look of perhaps a very good Xbox 1 game like Forza Motorsports. Since the visuals are one place you can absolutely directly compare Ridge Racer 6 and Project Gotham Racing 3, Ridge Racer 6 pales by comparison to Microsoft’s flagship racer. Lighting, texture details and car models are all inferior. To Ridge Racer 6’s credit, the frame rate does hold a constant 60 fps.

Audio is only workmanlike: adequate but not outstanding. The sound effects are okay. The techno-music soundtrack has some fair tunes. Custom soundtracks are supported so you can rip and play your favorite driving tunes while playing. In the continuing effort to give every game possible some “street” flavor, Namco added an announcer to the game known as the “DJ.” His inane prattle will drive you to distraction, but thankfully Namco gave us the ability to shut him up completely in the options.

So is Ridge Racer 6 the Xbox 360 launch racer for you? Fans of simulation racers are going to crap a brick when they see this game: the physics are incredibly implausible. Arcade-racing fans will be more forgiving. If you are looking for some fast and furious racing action that can just be picked up and played, Ridge Racer 6 is probably a fair selection. It doesn’t do a whole lot more than its predecessors, and it is probably the shallowest play experience of the three launch titles, but as an arcade racer it works pretty well. And that earns it at least a respectable B- score.