You know Ridge Racer, right? It's that arcade racing stalwart that occasionally revives itself for a new platform launch or awkward update, but consistently delivers drift-heavy, if not somewhat stale, racing mechanics? Or maybe you know it like I do, as a game to occasionally obsess over, to replay over and over while its electronica soundtrack bounces along in the background.

Either way, Ridge Racer Unbounded is none of those things. Sure, Unbounded's driving still leans heavily on drifting, and the soundtrack is still composed of bouncy, synthetic beats, but Unbounded is an entirely different beast from previous entries in the series. It combines elements of both Split/Second and Need for Speed to concoct a hybrid Ridge Racer experience like none before, and -- at least thus far -- creates a surprisingly refined experience as a result.