worked on Ridge Racer Revolution. The game was unveiled at the August 1996 Tokyo Game Show, at which point it had yet to be titled. Reception Reviews for Rage Racer were positive, though generally mild. Critics widely approved of the use of more photo-realistic visuals than the previous games in the series, though some complained that they were comparatively drab and lacking in color. Comments on the game varied widely, but criticisms tended to focus on a lack of improvement over the previous games in what the reviewers saw as key areas. For example, a Next Generation critic summed up, "Ridge Racer games have never been deficient in gameplay or graphics, and Rage Racer is the best of the lot, but this third incarnation still lacks the depth and replay value that can only be satisfied by finally knuckling down and giving players more tracks." IGN concluded, "It's not a bad game, we've just seen it all before (and before that even)." Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot criticized it for failing to improve upon the unrealistic crashes seen in previous installments, though he nonetheless described it as "an outstanding sequel". Next Generation re-reviewed the game three months later, saying, "Rage Racer has all the classic elements of Namco's series - the pounding techno music, cheesy but encouraging vocal soundbites, slick power slides - but it ultimately leaves you with the uneasy feeling of déjà vu. Sure, it's a good series, but let's see something new next time." Kraig Kujawa and Dean Hager of Electronic Gaming Monthly both described Rage Racer as a dramatic improvement over the original Ridge Racer. GamePro concluded that "Once you get over the game's initial lull, you will have plenty to rage about with this cool new Racer." Official UK PlayStation Magazine said that Namco had succeeded in developing their game even further, and praised the track and car count, before concluding: "The pick-up-and-play experience of the original remains, only now there is more longevity because of the incentive to progress through the classes and upgrade to the fastest cars." Rage Racer was a runner-up for "Racing Game of the Year" (behind Diddy Kong Racing) at Electronic Gaming Monthlys 1997 Editors' Choice Awards. Notes References External links 1996 video games Namco games PlayStation (console) games PlayStation (console)-only games Racing video games Ridge Racer Sony Interactive Entertainment games Video game sequels Video games developed in Japan