Want to feel the rush of going around corners at over 80km? Well, for now, you can with Ride 4 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Come back to the series that is the leader in motorcycle racing video games.
As the Gran Turismo of motorcycle games, it has more than enough detail to entice the true racing fans. With the fourth game of the series not only do we see updates in graphics, but also many other aspects of what makes a great game. Being rated the “Best Italian Game” at the Italian Video Game Awards. Let us take a look at why it won that award. Go from your home regional races to the world league. Explore getting all the licenses and cups when you do not race other racers online or thought the career mode. If you want to play with friends online or by yourself in exhibition mode. With so much to do let’s see if the new version of the game can make everyone enjoy come back again.
Pros
The amount of customization is mind-blowing in this game. Pick your favourite bike and make it your own. Everything from rims, colors, mirrors, decal, and even the chain color. With over 125 bikes to choose from, there is endless possibility. The intervals like suspension, the gear ratio, and brakes can be tuned to fit whatever style you play. Don’t forget about your rider he can also get the same treatment, aside from the body type. Choose how the rider learns into every turn or how aggressive they ride. With so many unique designs no two-players will be the same.
With over 30 different courses from around the world that have many variants, it all adds up to over 50 different tracks to test your skill. Using real-world tracks helps make it feel so real. With multiple perspectives to race from being behind the glass to a 3rd person view. Change the weather to make it harder or easier on yourself. Excellent sound design lets you hear each drop of rain to the grains of sand off the track.
As you progress throughout the game you will earn 3 types of exp. Racer exp which unlock more gear for your ride and unlocks new courses. Model affinity exp so while you ride a certain bike it gets better and adds more customization. Then finally we have a constructor affinity for each brand of bikes. So the more you ride with there bikes the more bikes you can buy from them. Earn experience with everything you do no matter how you do.
The racing itself feels superb from the handling of each corner to the feeling of flooring it down the straightaway. Each turn has its unique feeling and puts you in your sit. The game also has a rewind feature so if you want improve a turn you can at any time go back redo it. There is also an assortment of other aid to use or not which makes things easier or more challenging. The more challenging the race the more money and exp your earn. To race with none you are a true champion.
Cons
This game has the same problem as every other simulation game in that the learning curve is very sharp right from the very beginning. Even with all the aids turned on it is hard to know how to play the game the right way. There no tutorial to do or to begin the game with right from the start. The game starts with a time trial where you can not go off the course once and still have to make a good time. It doesn’t let you skip this or do it later. If you have never played Ride before you will be doing this for a while. Without any type of tutorial, many will quit before even starting. With all the aids on this game is still very hard and without the aids, this game is for the dedicated.
Final Thoughts
For such a small studio this game is amazing. The passion is seen in every part of this game. From the customization to the racing nothing feels out of place. Even though there is a steep learning curve. Once mastered it feels as real as it can for a video game. Yes, it lacks certain things like tutorials but makes up for ever-evolving gameplay in this 4th entry to the series. The feeling of riding a bike at 150km is a rush and puts you right in the front of your seat. So for thoughts out there you have ever had the urge to ride a supercross bike here you go. Plus with the release of this to PS5 and the Series X/S who know what improvement there with be. This game may seem impossible but remember nothing is impossible you just have to keep at it.
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