There are not many better feelings than throwing a high-powered vehicle into a hairpin bend at 200mph, quickly initiating a drift, holding it and sliding it through a massively long and swooping arc and then coming out of it having maintained the perfect racing line.

Except maybe doing it all again at the next bend. Whilst firing off a triple nitrous. Then crossing the finish line in first place. And cackling down the headset microphone into the ear of a fellow Rodent.

Ridge Racer 6 is not your typical racing game. Its over-exaggerated dynamics mark it out as being something wildly different from the current crop of realistic racers. Blistering, 60 frames-per-second, lightning quick arcade action. It's everything we were promised on a home console over a decade ago. It's also one of the only games that looks like it's running on a high-definition setup even when it's not.

Thank goodness then the visuals take a back seat to the actual act of racing. Or should that be the art of racing? With lively and responsive handling, the cars are almost balletic in their movements, poetic even. Make no mistake, Ridge Racer 6 is very much The Fast and the Furious mixed with Dancing on Ice. To be successful means knowing when and where to fire off that tank of nitrous but also being poised and graceful while you're doing it. Best of all you won't need to be told you've earned kudos - you'll just know.

World Explorer is where it all starts. A long and winding road where you'll hone those skills. Drifting and boosting quickly become your friends. Short sharp skids turn into super stylish showboating. You'll have to put in plenty of work for a full quota of Achievements but it's "just one more go" level of addictiveness only seeks to spur you on further towards them.

Racing via Xbox Live only exacerbates the situation, sucking up even more hours and snatching precious 'other' next-gen game time away from you. It's also the main reason why the disc has not left the immediate vicinity of my 360 since purchase. It continues to be played and picked at almost one year after release. You too will find yourself sneaking in a few races here, half an hour there, and with good reason. Whether you're on or off-line it's a flawless experience. No slowdown, pop-up, lag, polygon tearing or even your car turning up at the start line with no wheels. In fact, the only thing you will have to worry about is setting your alarm for 5 a.m. in order to battle fellow Rodents on the other side of the world!

Ridge Racer 6 and its myriad of high-octane adrenaline rushes may not appeal to everyone but it perfectly encapsulates the Original Spirit. Those willing to take it for a spin will find it slick and nimble, dashing and devious but above all, unbelievably challenging. It is also, unquestionably, Game of the Year for 2006.

February 2007

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