RIDE 2 Announced, Scheduled to Arrive in Fall 2016 on Xbox One, PS4 & PC

[Steve_OS]

RIDE 2 has been announced and scheduled to arrive in the fall for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Quote:

Exciting game modes, new content, over 200 bikes to tame, an unprecedented level of customisation and new race tracks to explore. All this and much more in the new motorcycle videogame developed by Milestone Studios The major innovation in the second edition of RIDE is the relationship between the rider and motorcycle, now more connected than ever and directly integrated in the game in the career mode. The primary goal of the game is as usual to race on the motorcycle of your dreams and, thanks to a level of customisation that includes many more new components for both rider and bike, build your own bike down to the finest detail. The collectability of bikes turns into a significant element of this new instalment with the introduction of the Two Strokes, Supermotards and the Café Racers that will add up to the bikes already available in the first version including the Nakeds, the Supersports and many others. While the bikes have a key role - reaching over 200 types - the tracks are nothing less and will now include Road Racing tracks such as Nürburgring Nordschleife, Northwest 200, and other circuits to further push the boundaries of competition. And if that’s not enough to get all motorcycle fans intrigued, Milestone is also introducing new game modes that will accompany players on the road of the true motorcyclist, social interaction with friends, a competitive AI always ready to challenge even the most hard-core players, plus many enhancements to the graphic and physical model that will be announced in the course of the next few months.

[Dazraz]

Great news. But please Milestone, make the acquisition of new bikes a far less labourios task than in the first game!

[pk500]

I've jonesed for a good motorcycle racing game since the days of MotoGP and MotoGP 2 on the original Xbox. It's a sad commentary on the genre that those remain the best motorcycle racing console games of the last 15 years, although a couple of Milestone's Superbike games were close.

So my curiosity was piqued by the Xbox Store sale on Ride 2 for $24 last week. I read many reviews of the game, and it appeared to be an improvement over the original Ride, which I didn't play. They said the sim qualities were believable enough, there was a great selection of more than 200 bikes, and a solid lineup of real and fantasy tracks. The addition of the Nordschliefe, Ulster 200 and Dunrod road racing circuits sealed the deal for me. (Oh, how I would love to buy the Isle of Man TT course as DLC!) Many reviews and users called this the "Forza of bikes," which sounded good to me.

Reviews and gamer feedback also indicated Ride 2 was the best motorcycle racing game of the last years, which is a pretty low bar to clear. So what the hell: $24 is less than half the price of a new game. I bought it.

What a pleasant surprise Ride 2 has unfolded for me in the last week! This is a solid, fun game for anyone who likes motorcycles and motorcycle racing.

Ride 2 never will be mistaken for a pure sim. But the grip and physics are believable, and there are three physics levels. I'm on the middle level, and you will lose the front end or be flicked off the bike on a high-side if you're too aggressive. While contact between riders is too permissive, any contact with guard rails or barriers will result in a painful crash.

The racing AI is solid. AI riders will leave holes to slide under in corners, and the AI riders will pass you easily if you make a mistake.

Control options are abundant, too. You can use separate front and rear brakes or just use the left trigger to control both brakes. And in a huge plus, the entire controller can be mapped any way you want. Every function can be edited.

Ride 2 is set up like Forza, with a career mode, individual challenges, equipment upgrades in various categories, full bike setup options and the like. No Rivals like Forza, but Milestone clearly used Forza as a model for the Ride series. My only frustration with the career mode is that credits are stingy after non-podium performances, so it can take some time to raise enough money to buy new bikes or upgrade existing bikes.

Milestone never will win any awards for the graphics, either. Very average, with steady 30 FPS framerate. But the sense of speed in the cockpit view on a Superbike or even a 600 is fantastic.

The fictitious track designs are excellent. And the real-life tracks are faithfully re-created.

There are three areas in which Ride 2 stands out.

One, the previously mentioned sense of speed and lean in cockpit view. I find myself tilting my torso at 45 degrees in either direction on long, sweeping turns, a great sign of immersion.

Two, you really feel the difference between bikes. A 125cc bike or cafe racer feels pedestrian compared to a Superbike or even a juiced-up 600. Much like the difference between a Class D or E and a Class P or X car in Forza.

Finally, the racing is very compelling. Some of the races are so competitive and hard-fought that I find myself trying to pull my right trigger through my controller in the search for more speed. You really pay for bad corner lines and improper throttle and brake control.

Ride 2 isn't iRacing on two wheels. It probably isn't even Forza or Project Cars. But it's damn fun, the best motorcycle racing game I've played since MotoGP 2 in 2003 or 2004 on the original Xbox. It deserves to be closer to the center of the console racing game radar. One of the true gaming surprises of the year for me.

[Dave_S]

I don't remember what game it was, but there was an open world car racing game that took place on one of the Hawaiian islands.

It had motorcycles, and it was great fun imo. (Not sim at all, but fun)

[pk500]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dave_S

I don't remember what game it was, but there was an open world car racing game that took place on one of the Hawaiian islands. It had motorcycles, and it was great fun imo. (Not sim at all, but fun)

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