much has already been said by writers (or racers) more skilled than i on this site, but i felt the need to stress how aesthetically and mechanically mesmerizing the R4 and R5 combo is for me. their epoch stands as one of the most unique representations of the shift in era at the time. R4’s sharply stylized mellow post-90s tones have now been smoothened out in favor of industrial Y2K aggressiveness in R5. bubbly synths with deep pulsating electronic baselines hang over photorealistic cityscapes - genuinely still starstruck by how well this holds up visually as well.
R4 recognizes that racers are frequently perceived as limbs for their team manager’s goals while R5 displays individuality in racers as promoted by the lack of direct narrative: the announcer is never shy in enlightening us that all racers on the track deserve our respect. furthermore he’ll happily declare our tight corning as wicked or crazy. the steeper difficulty curve is also indicative of the millennial shift as racing has become more commercialized and widespread; making it to the top requires more perseverance than ever. races are broadcast over the radio due to their popularity and thus require enhanced narration layered on from the announcer.
would undoubtedly assert R5 as one of the most important games during its release. as far as ps2 launch titles go, this, the bouncer, & evergrace are some of the best in communicating 2000 as a year towards greater things in gaming.