Milestone, people may know this developer, from recent games like MotoGP 18 and MXGP PRO. As you can imagine just by reading the titles of their constantly growing games library, they are no lightweights when it comes down to moto racers. And it shows. With Ride 3 they brought a new contender into their ranks and it was a doozy. Their years and years of experience shines through and created what is now called Ride 3.And it was quite an ambitious project as well. Want to know why? Put on your helmet, and drive off in what is, Ride 3…
What is Good?
- Content: Let me tell it to you straight. Ride 3 won’t leave you hanging in the content department. There are over 200+different bikes to pick from, 30 something tracks to race on, which look a lot like their real counterpart. And that’s just the base game. If you’d take a look at what’s in store with the DLC’s that are planned, you’ll realize that more bikes are going to be added and extra tracks, achievements and what not. So, to any gamer out there looking for a real content filled game? Those will be having a blast with this. As every bike can be unlocked in which ever manner you want to play. And play you can, the career mode is pretty much the bread and butter of the game, filled with magazine like issues that consist of different types of race challenges. Complete an entire magazine and ding ding ding, you unlock a special prize for your effort!
- Customization: Holy guacamole. Does this game have some customizations? Recall that I said over 200+ bikes? Yeah, each bike is customizable. Not only that you can edit the livery’s, certain parts that you buy affect the look as well as its performance. Once you get a new board computer for instance, you can tweak how the bike handles. Hell, you can ever customize your driver. With different clothing styles. You think it, they probably have it already somewhere in the game’s content galore.
- Fan Service: For those bike enthusiasts out there, rejoice.. Every bike has its own lore and mini Wikipedia. From when it was built, all the way down to its specs. Those out there that wanted to know a bit more about a certain bike, will surely be in for a treat as you get an exposition of the current bike you are riding on when you wait for the track to load. That kind of service really shows that Milestone put their heart and soul into the game. As those are some really small details that most of the other racing simulators miss most of the time. So, motorbike lovers out there,enjoy!
Mixed Feelings
- Graphics: Though we are in the year 2018, the look and feel of the game screams 2015/2016. Graphically this game isn’t a winner. Though not bad looking, it just lacks that oomph that some other racers have. Everything has an old façade. Nothing pops or is memorable. No amazing details to the surroundings, just plain old boring tracks with amazingly detailed bikes. Because those DID get quite a bit of attention. And that really is a shame, certainly if you look at the other racing games that came out this year, hell, even previous year(s).
- Overwhelming: For the real fans this point won’t be a real issue, but for the beginners in racing simulators, or those who never played a bike racing simulator? All the different customizations, all the different bikes and handling styles might actually be a bit too much for a starter to handle. Especially with no real introduction or worthwhile tutorial. You just get thrown in and hope to god you can swim around white sharks, alligators and poisonous jellyfish.
- Controls: The controls itself felt very stiff, a bit to stiff for my taste (no boner jokes please). From piloting the bikes,to making sharp turns, which there are quite a few of on some tracks. This caused me to feel like I was missing quite a lot of my turns, as I had to brake quite a bit. Though the AI just runs right through them, without doing those hard brakes. Also, I couldn’t really get a bike to feel comfortable to handle,though how could it. You get thrown on different bikes quite a bit as in the career mode, nearly every different session has a different bike category to choose from. This makes it difficult to really pin down a certain bike to get accustomed to. Hence, also the overwhelming part. Its just a bit too much content.
What is Bad?
- Sound: The sound design, although accurate, could have been done way smoother. During my racing sessions I often found my ears bleeding. No not really but figuratively. The constant monotone sound of the roaring engine, or high-pitched wail was so taxing, I eventually turned off all sounds. This felt like a pity to me! As in other racing simulators, I don’t mind the drone of an engine, not at all. But those are accompanied with music or other distractibles. Now, there is music, but only in the menu. the moment you hit the track? Goodbye songs, and hello headache. This could have been changed, because come on. This isn’t their first motorbike simulator. Hell,they churn several out every year.
Ride 3 [Score: 71/100]
While not the best-looking game out there, it sure is one of the most content filled racers out there, that’s for sure. With their details going more into the what and why, instead of how it looks, Milestone has proven to care for the motor enthusiasts out there. Though not really easy going on the newcomers. This won’t be an easy “pick up and play” kind of game for them, as the learning curve is quite steep. But if that doesn’t scare you, you might want to look into this one people, as this surely is a content filled adventure. That’s for sure. So ever wanted to try out a Ride game, this might be your best introduction into the series. I’m wondering what more the DLC’s of the future will bring. But for the moment? Put on a helmet, and ride off into the sunset. As Ride 3, is surely a unique simulator to enjoy.