Game Review | RIDE 2

Hello everyone, its Kiki here back with another game review. Recently I had the opportunity to play a motorcycle simulation game by Square Enix called Ride 2; the awaited sequel to the original Ride.

Short Version:

Overall, the graphics of the game were astounding. Crisp and sharp colors made the metallics of the bikes stand out in beautiful detail. The mechanics of the game were not the most user-friendly at first, but after a few practice races and testing the sensitivity of the R2 button on the Playstation 4, I found my time with the game enjoyable. Motorcycle fans and enthusiasts looking for a virtual collection of bikes and the opportunities to race them, will find this game to meet all of their expectations.

Long Version:

Anyone that knows me and my gaming preferences, knows that my first impression of a game is solely dependent on story and intriguing premise. Going into Ride 2 with not much research, I was anticipating minimal story with great emphasis on the motorcycles and the races; to which I was not disappointed. The game thrusts the player right into a race to teach the basics of the game, R2 to throttle, L2 to break, left analog stick to steer and right analog stick to adjust camera angle. After your first race, the game takes you to the core, which is collecting motorcycles and customizing them to meet your racing needs. There was no real story to the game, which could be a deterrent to some players compared to other race simulation games. I am taken back to some of my old favorite racing games, like the classic Need for Speed Underground 2 for Playstation2, that was also limited on story but gave you an endgame of gaining reputation as top racer in the game. Ride 2 attempts this, with the world series events and the ranking system, but unless you choose the World Events on the main menu for racing, there is no introduction to it at all. Because World Events are the primary source of earning credits to purchase upgrades for your bike, not being fully introduced to the events took away from a beginner’s experience.

 

 

The one complaint I had with the game were the mechanics. One thing that the game wasn’t particularly clear on, was the initial controls of racing. When I attempted my first race, it was filled with falls, crashing, wide turns that resulted in crashing and so forth. The only direction I was given as the R2 was to accelerate and throttle. Little did I realize, that the trigger reacted to pressure and you could half-press it for minimal acceleration or a full-press for full acceleration. Once I learned the pressures of the trigger, when to release and when to press, wide turns or sharp turns, I enjoyed my races much more. It reminded me of when I learned to ride a real motorcycle. For that, I think Square Enix succeeded.

The best part of the game are the graphics, and the refresh rate of the graphics. The bikes look as real as possible, to the degree you could reach through your screen and touch them. Each screw, coil, nail, light shine, and tire mark is crisp and fleshed out with vivid colors. When you do finally take your bike out onto the race tracks, each track is painted with landscapes, weather affects, people that will appear on the sidelines that are watching the race, other bikers that you are racing against, and so forth. During the World Events, each track is featured on a different country, to which each are very clear and different from one another. One thing I looked closely at, was how smooth the graphics transitioned as your bike sped across the track. There was no delay, pixelation, or any type of lag within frames. The overall experience was as life-like and smooth as possible, which made the racing experience fun and enjoyable.

As far as the motorcycle side of things, I am not the most knowledgeable when it comes to building, fixing or upgrading. And the game goes very in-depth with its customization and parts options. For motorcycle enthusiasts, I could see much more enjoyment and experience bonuses. This is a plus to the game, because it is advertises itself as a motorcycle simulation game.

Final Verdict

Overall, my time on Ride 2 was enjoyable. The mechanics were difficult at first, but I believe Square Enix strived to mirror the experience of learning how to ride a real motorcycle with the limitations of a dual-shock controller. There wasn’t much of a story, but this is to be expected with any racing or simulation game, so it wasn’t so much a setback for me. The graphics were stunning, on a level that surprised even me. And finally, growing up in a motorcycle-enthusiast family, it was fun to learn about different parts that go into building and fixing a motorcycle that I never thought about before. Any fan of racing games will enjoy their time on Ride 2, and motorcycle fans will enjoy it even more.

The copy of Ride 2 used for this review was provided to us by Square Enix. 

Kirstyn Rae

The definition of a hardcore gamer, language included.
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