Review: RIDE 4 – PSX-Sense

Review: RIDE 4 – Gran Turismo, but with motorcycles instead of cars. That’s the best way to describe RIDE 4. Milestone has again done its best to let us enjoy these powerful machines on two wheels. The game should be the ultimate racing experience on two wheels according to the developer and if we look at what Milestone released earlier this year – MotoGP 20 – we see that that game got a very nice score on our website. Now the question is, of course, whether the latest iteration of RIDE can get such a good rating as the previous game from Milestone.

What is there to race?

RIDE 4 has the expected single player modes, such as a career mode, a single race, time trials and a new endurance mode, in which you can race for up to 24 hours at a time. We wouldn’t know what madman could be on that for 24 hours, but the option is there for those who have a lot of time on their hands. The nice thing about these endurance races is that there is a lot more tactics involved than with shorter races. For example, both the tires and the amount of fuel play a role. The dynamic weather and the day and night cycle cause the circuit to change and you can feel it. For example, there is more grip during the day, since it is easier to get the tires up to temperature than at night and of course you always have to keep an eye on the fuel, because you are faster with an empty tank, but of course you do not want to run out. This extra layer of tactic ensures that it is not just a race, but a competition where you have to put your best foot forward, both racing and tactically.

However, the most interesting mode for us is the career mode. The goal here is to work your way through a regional championship – namely European, American or Asian – to a global championship, and then get to the final championships. These championships consist of smaller championships, in which you perform time trials, short races and other activities, such as a catch-up race against time or a lap between gates. Eventually you will specialize in the endurance races or in the faster superbikes, so there is no shortage of variety.

At the beginning of your career you will receive your first motorcycle and so your adventure starts, but of course you gradually buy more motorcycles that you want to add to your collection. After each purchase, you are presented with a short cut scene that makes the purchase feel very special. There are a total of 176 licensed bikes to purchase and can be used on more than 30 different circuits, ranging from Interlagos in Brazil to Mugello in Italy. All circuits are very detailed and it gives the game a very realistic feel. And not only the circuits look excellent, the bikes themselves also look extremely detailed. Even the cockpit excels in detail and the telemetry on the dashboard works properly.

In addition, there are plenty of options to personalize your motorcycles. Almost every upgrade you perform also has a visual effect. For example, a better exhaust will look different from the one that comes with the bike. And not only with the motorcycles, there is plenty of choice, it also takes a while to adjust your rider. Before we had looked at all the helmets, suits, gloves and boots, we could have already completed quite a few races. Even the helmets of legends like Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo are available. So there is certainly plenty of choice when it comes to the adjustments of the engine and rider.

It will mainly be the bikes and the riding with these machines that will keep you coming back, because despite the fact that there is progression in the career mode, it appealed to us less than the one in MotoGP 20. This is because it is not one big championship. is, but actually all are separate races and smaller championships. We also have some problems with the time trial mode and also the track test, in which you have to drive between gates at a certain speed. They are very frustrating. If you drive nicely through the gate with your motorcycle, but just hit the pole with your helmet, you will receive as great a penalty as if you were to drive completely next to the gate. So that is not entirely fair. The structure in this career mode is different from the usual career modes, which you just have to love. They are all separate parts instead of a more streamlined whole, what you prefer is a matter of taste in this one.

When it comes to time trial events, it makes perfect sense that if a corner is cut somewhere or if you go a little too wide somewhere, that your current round no longer counts. However, in RIDE 4, this immediately causes a failed test and then you have to start the event again via a restart. However, it takes 25 seconds to regain control of your wheel and this is way too long. We do not understand why the developer did not simply opt for a system where a failed lap simply does not count, but where you can drive further to get to know the circuit better. That way you are still in the flow when you start the next attempt, while now you just sit for 25 seconds doing nothing and you are annoyed.

Even more realistic?

Milestone promised even more realism than in their other games and the driving certainly feels realistic. But to be honest, we can’t really say now that we feel a very big improvement over MotoGP 20. However, this is not a bad trait, as that was already perfectly fine at the time. The biggest noticeable difference here is that you will fly over your own handlebars less quickly when braking. We can strongly recommend only braking before the corner instead of in the corner, because that is asking for problems. There is a clear difference between the bikes and that is nice if you have a lot of bikes available, because this ensures that you can spend a very long time discovering the different nuances of the two-wheelers.

The AI ​​has an improvement in RIDE 4. For example, opponents move realistically, they look for the fastest route themselves and they do not stick to the ideal line, although we do get the impression that the ideal line is just not perfect. The braking points are also not always correct and you can actually trust your own instincts better than the indication for the time being, but that aside. Furthermore, the AI ​​does not shy away from physical contact. After all, we got to know their bike several times and that from very close by and of course making mistakes. This occurs regularly and contributes to the fun, as well as the realistic aspect of the game. As a result, you are always on the edge of your seat, because not only can you go wrong at any moment, but so can the riders around you.

Still out of the bend

On the regular PS4, the game has no problems with regard to performance and we were also largely spared from glitches and bugs, same as on the PlayStation 4 Pro. It is true that if your rider had to lay flat on the bike using the L1 button (a so-called tuck-in), this visually does not change anything, while you will notice this in your speed. If we pick up the most recent release of Milestone, MotoGP 20, we see that it was the case in that game. It is strange that this is not applied now, because before you were just reminded to use the tuck-in on long straights. Have they forgotten to process it? This is of course a small thing and therefore not very disturbing, but it should be noted. The speed you can achieve when you are completely flat on the bike on a long straight stretch is noticeable and is presented well, because you really feel the speed.