New rev 'em up looks like a PlayStation 1½ title

There are a lot of people going about pronouncing themselves distinctly underwhelmed by PlayStation2's launch offerings. "So much for the hype," has been the catchphrase of late, now that the hysteria has died down a little.

Judging from what we've seen of the machine, such talk is simply knocking the platform because it's been built up so much. Whatever the state of the first crop of games, the sheer power of the machine provides a solid base that will undoubtedly be built on.

Ridge Racer V is a prime example of a game which looks good but doesn't fill the black box anywhere near up to the brim. The car models look great at first, especially in the replay modes, but then you notice that they don't look as photo-realistic as you'd hoped, with a few flickering lines and rough edges. The same goes for the scenery: "Wow!" you go. "Look at the glass front of that building." Then you add, a touch disappointed, "Oh. Look at that..."

What has to be remembered though, even through we found its steering a trifle heavy, is that Ridge Racer V still makes Gran Turismo 2 look like scrap, and that Ridge Racer VI is going to... No! We'd better not go down that road just yet...