basically an extension of the original ridge racer on psx with a new track and some new vehicle customization features. thankfully the novice/intermediate/expert courses each have modified layouts compared to novice/intermediate sharing a course in the original, with some pretty claustrophobic turns added as the difficulty is ratcheted up. unfortunately these narrow turns present a new issue the original never really suffered from: the AI cars frequently bunch up and completely stymie player efforts, and it's not made any better by the fact that hitting another car will result in it not only getting pushed forward but also oddly rotating to the side, which results in it sitting lengthwise across the road. the spinout mechanic now also feels much more difficult to control now, meaning that the brake+gas combo I described in my previous review now feels like the only option for tight turns. while these components make the game more difficult than the first (and often more frustrating), I did appreciate the turns requiring a bit more finesse in terms of gear choice. in the original I rarely ever had to shift out of 6th, whereas here some particularly tight U-turns and narrow corridors had me slotting down to 4th if things were dire or 5th if I could get my line right. in that sense, it's a solid iteration on the first: increase the difficulty, require smarter use of the mechanics, and add some extra bits and bobbles here and there. not a particularly inspired sequel, but enjoyable for fans of the original.