Ride 5: Review, Analysis And Impression

It is likely that a while ago you saw a video of RIDE 4 on the Internet that went viral. It was so famous that Esportsnews247 echoed it because it was a good reflection of what this motorcycle driving saga has been since its inception. Yes, that title indeed looked very good, but that clip reduced almost everything to the graphic aspect, We think it was, in a way, an injustice. 

Now, after 3 years without a delivery, Milestone returns to the fray with RIDE 5, a video game that goes from the previous generation and comes out this August 24 on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS5. A version in which we have played for bring you this analysis.

And we say that it was, and is, unfair to focus only on the graphics because this saga has always opted to be the place where lovers of two wheels can take refuge. It is far from being a Gran Turismo or a Forza Motorsport of motorcycles, but RIDE is indeed on the way to being close to these two mastodons of motorsports in video games. Since Polyphony Digital never followed up with the beloved Tourist Trophy, Milestone can fill that gap. It has been doing so for a long time, not only with this saga but also with the official MotoGP or Motocross games. RIDE 5 confirms that Milestone has improved over the years, no doubt because of its experience, but also thanks to the pressure of games like TT Isle Of Man: Ride on the Edge 3.

RIDE 5, realism on two wheels

RIDE 5 is a motorcycle racing game, focused especially on street bikes, although this doesn’t mean that you won’t find real two-wheeled beasts. Honda, Triumph, BMW… Lots of different real manufacturers (with which you will raise your affinity level to get some rewards) and more than 200 motorcycles await you in the title. They are recreated in great detail and if you like these vehicles, we are sure you will spend hours admiring them. This care also causes the immersion to be much greater, because even the dashboards are made with total fidelity. This means that, if you dare to drive in the first person (we congratulate you if you are able), the feeling of realism is even bigger. By the way, although the title comes out on PS5, it does not have support for PlayStation VR2. It would be a hoot, but for now, nothing.

But beyond the realism in the modelling of the motorcycles, what is most relevant is found in its handling. The physics has been improved and the weight of the vehicle and the pilot is more noticeable, as well as their behaviour in general lines (good feedback from the controller helps in this, especially the DualSense). The suspension works realistically and the tires suffer from degradation and will test you as the laps go by. This time its wear and tear makes more sense than ever, as well as gasoline consumption, thanks to the inclusion of drag racing. As if all this were not enough, you can configure your machine to the millimetre and find the best setup, as well as make adjustments in the middle of the race to modify the level of ABS or traction control.

And yes, one of the novelties is the aforementioned resistance races. They are a lot of fun and they will force you to be strategic: you will have to calculate the pit stops, take care of your tires, save gasoline, you will have to adapt to the weather at all times (the weather is variable and the track temperature changes accordingly) and it will be better that you know each route perfectly, because the title includes a day-night cycle, so if natural light disappears it will be more difficult to drive. Milestone has included the “Sky System”, a feature that simulates clouds in 3D in a realistic way so that the weather impacts the track. The duration of these races ranges from 20 minutes to 24 hours, but you don’t have to worry about their duration because you can save in the middle of the tests. We highly recommend them.

Also Read: Top 10 Super Mario Animated Movies That You Don’t Want To Miss

Endurance events are a kind of race, but you can do a lot more in RIDE 5. Free race or time trial, play split screen with another friend, play online with other players ( and cross-play, although it is a secondary mode and without a lot of encouragement in my opinion), create special vinyl and decorations for each motorcycle, helmets and suits (and share the designs with everyone) and participate in the Career mode, the most interesting of all. Here you can create your pilot (male or female, no problem, although the editor is rather poor) and start your career from scratch. You will start in the garage at home and with only one motorcycle, but soon you will be able to buy more. With effort, you will go far, especially if you overcome the more than 200 tests that await you in this mode.

In your professional career, all kinds of challenges await you and, in addition, you will have to compete hand-to-hand with special rivals who will compete with you throughout your life as a pilot. It is still an addition to give some drama to the competition against the machine, but it is appreciated. Speaking of AI, the Italian developer continues to improve its behaviour and is responsive at a very good level. They are fast and aggressive, but generally respectful. Even so, contrary to what happens to me with sim racing, we are not capable of being very fast in motorcycle games, so if you are a crack you may see the seams of virtual rivals more. But, in my experience with the title, they perform at a very acceptable level.

And while we are on this topic, let’s talk about accessibility. RIDE 5, as it already happens in the rest of the Milestone games ( also in MotoGP 23 ), is a title designed for any type of player to enjoy it. And we mean it. We are unable to play these video games without aids, but I have been able to find the perfect balance for myself. Some things we have deactivated, others activated and others halfway, but the important thing is that we can have a good time. It doesn’t matter if you are a package or if you have no idea how to turn a motorcycle: you can play. Also, something curious has been included: you can slow down the game to learn to drive, for example. This has messed me up more than anything else, We also have to tell you, but we suppose there will be people who help him.

Ride 5 All Updates

Part of that accessibility is also found in other areas, although they may not be perceived that way. For example, you can borrow a motorcycle in the different modes there are, even if you haven’t bought it yet in Career. It is a positive point. In addition, there is also the possibility of activating the rewind to correct a mistake that you have made. Finally, in the title you can create your personalized races or championships, taking control of the score, rules, valid motorcycles or the circuits that will appear in the tests. This racing editor also seems like a feature to me that shows how accessible the game is. Milestone wants you to enjoy; It doesn’t matter how you do it, and that’s great because if you like two wheels, this is your place.

Speaking of location, where do all these motorized beasts run? There are more than 35 circuits, most of them real, although some fictitious sneak in (quite cool, by the way). We have to admit that we are very surprised by this section. Not only are there a large number of tracks, but there are also many that are rarely seen in other titles. Kyalami, Okayama and even the Almería circuit. They are well recreated and give more than enough variety to the races, although it is true that we have not understood the selection of the Spanish circuits well. Jerez is not there, nor Aragón, nor Barcelona… Ricardo Tormo and Almería are the chosen ones, but we miss them more, taking into account how important our country is in world motorcycling and how mythical its tracks are.

We are already reaching the goal of this analysis. In the graphic section, on PlayStation 5 the game looks really good and surely more videos will be created appreciating its visual quality. There is good detail in bikes, tracks and effects, and all at 60 FPS. Of course, we have suffered a graphical bug with shadows as a result of an update, but we hope it will be fixed in the next one. At the sound level, RIDE 5 is also at a high level, with detailed sounds of each vehicle. Finally, we don’t want to forget something important for many players, also for me: there is a Photo mode. You will be able to immortalize the best moments of your races and share the captures with the whole world.