Review – Ride 2
The second edition of Milestone’s innovative racing game is focused on the relationship between the rider and motorcycle, bringing the connection between man and machine even closer with career mode and other new features. Players can race the motorcycle of their dreams, thanks to unprecedented customization options for both rider and bike – and create the ultimate ride down to the finest detail. RIDE 2 offers more than 220 motorcycles from the most respected manufacturers, and new bike categories with the introduction of the Two Strokes, Supermotards and Café Racers added on top of the current list of bike types available, including the Nakeds, Supersports and many more.
I was able to sit down with Ride 2 and run through a ton of tracks, build some amazing bikes, and really get a feel for what the game has to offer. Looking at the style of the game, one will notice that it really reminds you of Gran Turismo. You start the game off with a certain amount of cash, get to pick your first free vehicle and from there you build your garage and upgrade your bikes as you earn more money for winning races. The races themselves are broken down into multiple categories not only by Bike type but also other categories such as limits on how much horsepower your bike can have to specify certain classes of vehicles to keep it both challenging and fair.
Within Ride 2, Customization is a huge part of Ride 2, and now you boost your bike by modifying 5 main areas (Engine/Brakes & Suspension/Wheels/Transmission/Aesthetics) from over 1,200 real-world parts and accessories to create your ultimate dream ride. As I had previously mentioned, there are a ton of races that require all kinds of different builds and setups of bikes. The ability to change all your aspects about the bikes come in hand to deal with these specific requirements that each race has. Take a peek at just some of the bikes I was able to collect in my garage so far…..
Before you start each race, you are able to run through some last minute changes to your Bike’s configurations. Think of this as your last minute pit stop before the race to dial in on your settings and make sure your Bike is performing how it should and riding properly for the scenario or race you are about to enter. Here at this menu you can also check other items like your Race Objectives, Regulations and other options that have to specifically do with the race itself.
The game itself has many different options of difficulty settings when it comes to controls with the bikes themselves. Me personally, I am horrible at playing these types of games so to keep it fun I have it usually set to the most beginner level. However, if you are feeling like more of a challenge you can also turn off a lot of help options and bump up the difficulty settings. The best option I recommend for beginner players is to leave the brake assist feature on until you get used to the turning and movement of the Bikes. Check it out as I took a lap around the Nürburgring GP.
Looking at DLC content for the game itself, there is a TON of options in that department. Along with the paid DLC content which mostly includes more bikes to add to your arsenal of motorcycles, there is also some FREE DLC bike packs out right now. To find out more about current the current DLC available, future DLC release dates and more about the game itself head on over to their main website at: http://ridevideogame.com/news/
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