The Italian racing game pros at Milestone have fully dedicated themselves to motorcycle simulations. After Monster Energy Supercross and MotoGP 20, RIDE 4 is up next and will release in October. We played the latest spin-off and give you our impressions in our RIDE 4 preview.
RIDE 4 Preview: After Milestone's race bike series took a break last year, the engines will be revving up again on October 8 and next year they will even be on the next-gen consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Will the upward trend continue with RIDE 4?
RIDE 4 Is a Smooth Ride
If you like bike racing games, there is no way around the Italian developer studio Milestone. MXGP, Supercross and MotoGP have been firmly in the hands of the Milanese for years. The specially developed RIDE series made its debut in 2015, which put adrenaline-loaded races on two wheels in the spotlight.After the qualitatively manageable debut, the successors were able to continuously improve. , The latest offshoot, RIDE 4, will be ready to start this October 8. The game will also benefit from an upgrade and the additional hardware power of the next-generation consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in the coming year.For the current-gen release, we went for some laps with the PC version of RIDE 4 and got the preview for you.
Let’s RIDE
The good news: RIDE 4 picks up exactly where its predecessors left off. Thus, we can look forward to realistic motorcycle races again. So realistic, in fact, that even pros who normally ride four wheels will have to get used to the handling first.The result is very authentic and, with optional driving aids and setup settings, there are enough possibilities to adapt the motorcycles to your own preferences. Everything just as fans of the series would expect it.One of the biggest criticisms of RIDE 3 has been improved on: The artificial intelligence. RIDE 4, like MotoGP 20, relies on the A.N.N.A. system, which is based on machine learning. In fact, the AI acts relatively cleverly and regularly puts you under pressure, especially at higher levels of difficulty.
More Variety in Career Mode
Arguably the most exciting new feature of RIDE 4 is the overhauled career mode. 175 licensed motorcycles are something to behold and the track selection with almost 30 courses is impressive.This time, however, there are also extensive possibilities to adjust the rider and bike. From the helmet to the gloves to the suit, every detail, no matter how small, can be customized. Furthermore, the bikes in RIDE 4 can be equipped and improved with tuning upgrades. And this time there will even be endurance races for the most hardcore racing game fans.Day and night changes, dynamic weather, and pit stops are naturally included. So, RIDE 4 actually offers everything a racing game heart desires. In fact, the career mode was one of the biggest points of criticism of RIDE 3, which is why the redesign was given top priority by developer Milestone. We couldn't fully witness the scope and innovations in the preview version, but on paper it sounds as if RIDE 4 offers more than enough content and variety.
A lot has also changed from a technical point of view. Thanks to 3D and laser scanning, the motorcycle sim is finally on par with the big names in the sim racing genre. The motorcycle models and light and weather effects are spectacular, but crashes still suffer from strange animations and clipping errors.
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RIDE 4 Verdict
RIDE 4 does not reinvent the (motor) wheel, but continues exactly where its successful predecessor left off. Motorcycle fans can look forward to an all-around convincing racing game that, thanks to a completely overhauled technology, improved AI, and extensive career mode, once again gets the job more than done.The game looks great and plays very well, especially since the scope of content is absolutely impressive. However, motorcycle racing games remain a very special niche and even RIDE 4 does not succeed in reflecting this appealingly enough for newcomers.
RIDE 4 likely won't generate new fans, but if you like motorcycle racing games, RIDE 4 will be a real joy to play. Milestone delivers the best possible two-wheeler counterpart to Gran Turismo or Project Cars 3.
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