RIDE demo

I've been keeping an eye on this in the build up and after release.

In the build up there were people complaining about frame rate issues.

But in in the actual release these issues appear to have been ironed out.

The 15 courses all have multiple variations to give you lots of track choice and the game can actually be raced as a racing SIM rather than just keeping the Right Trigger squeezed for the entire race and applying brake as and when you need it.

So while the visuals are described as "very good but not as slick as Forza" it sounds like Turn 10 have been lapped in the racing department at least.

I'm interested enough to give it a go because it looks fun and the Twitch feedback has been very positive from people actually playing the game.

 

So I've got the game (for once South Africa has an advantage in lead time! Ha ha!) and it's pretty good, except for the performance. The frame rate just does not cut it. It varies from track to track, but quite often you're in the crucial part of cornering
and the game starts dropping frames (and losing controller input along with it) and you lose control of the bike. Not cool. I really hope they can fix this. A drop to 900p would be far better than a pretty looking racing game at 20fps.

My only other gripe is the sound. The bikes are fantastic, they look fantastic, the physics simulation is there, but they all sound like nitro RC cars.

 

Sorry I should have added there that's it's the Xbox One version I'm talking about.

 

In the final version when you're on the Helmet Cam, do the rear view mirrors actually give you the rear view?

 

Frame rate is essential in any racing game.

 

In first person view the mirrors are just a shiny fuzz, not a functional image. I will check helmet and revert.

 

Just silver haze. Didn't even notice before! This game was released unfinished.

 

My copy arrived today and I've had a chance to have a decent sit down with it.

my first impression completing the Tutorial was "Pole Position"... as in Atari's "Pole Position" but once you get past a rather uninspiring introduction you end up with a brilliant racer in average packaging.

Things like the view (or lack of) in the wing mirrors and the crowd look very sub par and out of place in a current gen title. It's lazy to call this ignorance on the part of the developers. They're making a racing game and succeeded. The game suffers
from not being a Flagship Title from a Triple AAA studio with all the perks and polish that comes with a Triple AAA budget.

That being said the tracks range from OK to Very Good. If you're familiar with F1 games, or just F1 then the inclusion of some of the tracks is both welcome and familiar. There's also decent elevation on tracks. "Up and Down" that you don't normally see
from standard flat circuits and the different geographical locations stand out and have character.

The Bikes and Accessories are orgasmic in detail. If you have a keen interest in the sport you'll LOVE this game. If you love bikes you'll probably end up really enjoying this as well. The attention to bike model detail and parts and accessory detail
is on par with Forza.

Finally this game is a RACER.

It is not "dressed" as a racer like Forza. It actually is quite a serious racer where braking and throttle control matter as much as gear shifting and racing line.

I tried the old "Forza" trick of never releasing the RT button and just applying the brake as I needed and my rider went flying like any idiot who tried such a thing in real life would do also.

Because it's realistic then it's also hard to immediately master and this arguably puts it beyond the attention span of your average modern day gamer. But for those who stick with it there is an exhillerating racing experience to have as you throw your
machine into every curve and bend pushing things to the absolute limit to get that fastest time.

Does the frame rate drop? Honestly, I'd need the internet to tell me because I was too busy racing. Looked fine to me though.

So when you fire it up and play the tutorial you might be thinking "Oh crap... what have I done..." but stick with it and it will reward you. Get rid of that Forza Lady's Aid line as soon as you possibly can and start looking at the actual road and then
enjoy racing.

Hope that's helpful to some.

 

I must say I do notice the poor performance less when I get into "the zone" as it were, but every now and then it's a rude awakening when it shows down so much the audio starts crackling. But I agree with you, it's a great game with meticulous attention
to detail.

 

The audio is a sore spot... but that's as far as the music is concerned. I think the game soundtrack is awful but I've not had actual glitches with the audio.

Removed the "Forza Lady's Aide" completely and realised that this game is designed just like "F1 World Grand Prix" from the Nintendo 64 which, though released in 1988, still stands head and shoulders above many racers that followed including every "Forza"
ever released.

Instead of a big fat line that changes colour when you're supposed to brake, you can take your queues from the rubber on the track. Just like on a real track there is more rubber laid down in breaking areas. This leaves you watching the road and makes
for a much better racing experience as instead of watching a line you're actually watching the road.

So yeah... round the edges it could be prettier and you're probably best avoiding looking in the Wing Mirrors... but apart from that it's an iimpressive racing experiance with beautiful bikes that does have the potential to life you above it's flaws.