Ridge Racer 6

EA/Xbox 360 (£49.99)

Electronic Arts’ Need for Speed: Most Wanted defied its many detractors to top the games charts for more than six weeks. Ridge Racer 6 will surely struggle to make a similar impression. This is a sterile affair which, although adequate in every department, excels in none.

There was a time, six incarnations ago, when Ridge Racer turned heads. But each subsequent console version has seen its pulling power ebb, as glossier racers joined the fray. While other titles harness miraculous lighting techniques, RR6 seems to be built around constantly repeating environments with identical roadside boxes cropping up at regular intervals.

The game may fare a little better in the multiplayer stakes via Xbox Live, since playing against real people rather than Ridge Racer’s erratic AI competitors is always more fun, but the single-player game is hardly likely to trigger much excitement. At this price, it really should.