Motorbike title Ride hasn't exactly reinvented the wheel. All it's really done is removed two.
The gameplay is the same as almost every racing game since Gran Turismo on PS One 18 years ago. Start with a relatively standard vehicle, then enter races, win races, earn points, buy a faster vehicle, and repeat the process on different tracks.
You can argue the same repetition goes for most sports titles every year but they are still fun to play, which is Ride's main issue.
Motorbikes may be great in real life but that feeling is hard to replicate in the gaming world. In car games I like to be aggressive, go close to corners, nudge opponents, push the limits. You quickly discover you can't do that on a motorbike because one small tap and you're sliding on gravel. Taking it easy to go around corners is not what you escape the real world for.
Developers Bandai Namco have MotoGP 14 and MotoCross GP on their resume so they know what they're doing, but it's really a title that would appeal to keen bikies.
For those who love to don the leathers there are plenty of tracks (street and circuit), loads of bikes - over 100 to ride - all which can be customised and various game modes.
Game: Ride
Rating: G
Platforms: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC
- TimeOut