Ride
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Ride
All of which feeds into Ride's bigger problem. There's not quite enough here to satisfy bike lovers, and certainly nothing to make bike lovers of the merely curious. Ride isn't a failure, but nor is a particularly great game, and like Milestone's previous efforts it's a noble attempt that just falls shy of its targets - even if it does often succeed in scratching an itch you might not have known was there.
Ride has far more good points than bad. As a motorcycle racer, it's exciting and manages to stand out in a fairly crowded market. As a sim racing game, it's accessible and plays like a dream right away. It is hurt quite a bit by horrendous load times on the PS4 and many players on Steam have experienced issues with it — so it might be best to wait a while before buying that version. The PS4 version is solid, though, and worth a purchase for racing fans.
Ride is a great racing title from veteran studio Milestone S.r.l.. It manages to have depth for veteran players, while also being accessible to new racers. If you're sick of driving cars, and want a new challenge then Ride will offer up a fun one to master.
It's clear to see that Milestone has set out with the best intentions in a genre that they clearly love. However, RIDE is adequate in most areas but doesn't have the same amount of polish and set of features that are found in other leading racing games. With a lack of online leaderboards to provide any challenge among friends, once you hit the number one spot in the World Tour, only the hardcore racing fans will find any reason to return to the game. The game features a large choice of stunningly recreated motorcycles to purchase and upgrade and there's enough here to keep hardcore racing fans and motorcycle enthusiasts attention for a while; ultimately, though, if you aren't a fan of the genre then RIDE will do very little to persuade you otherwise.
RIDE's adequate in almost all areas, but it's never going to offer the ride of your life. There's a clear passion for motorcycles on display here, and petrol heads will appreciate the depth of the tinkering that's on offer – but the on-track experience is far too clinical to confidently capture the pastime that the developer is so enthusiastic about. If you want to build up a stable of obsessively rendered motorcycles, each tuned to your exacting tastes, then this may get your internal engine roaring for a while – but everyone else will find a competently made racing game that, beneath all of the gusto of its creepy announcer, never really hits top gear.
RIDE gets you the closest to the feeling of riding a motorbike possible with a controller in your hands, but is neither an exciting racer nor a particularly impressive looking PS4 title.
Ride seems to be a spiritual successor to MotoGP. While I didn't play those game back in the day, I can say I enjoyed my time with Ride. It is a niche genre, but this game is well done when it comes to creating a simulation motorcycle racing game that celebrates the culture. It looks nice, plays well, and has just enough in it to make it feel like both simulation and arcade at the same time. Motorcycle racing fans should give this one a shot. There's a lot of content in here for the bike enthusiasts to enjoy.
