Review
What Are We Looking At Here? - Ride 4
Ride 4 is the latest game in the franchise, from creators Milestone. Available on PS4, Xbox One and PC from 8th October 2020. Also available on PS5 and Xbox Series X, from 21st January 2021.
Beginning
The introduction to the game prompts the player to choose a riding style – either Balanced, Shoulders Out or Old School. Features such as Face, Gender, Feet At Start, Brake Leg Out, and Number Of Braking Fingers, are also selected. All of these options are changeable later in the rider customisation menu.
There is no tutorial to teach the player the controls, but instead, a Licencing Registration Test. Once the modules are completed, the player is asked to choose a Regional League to participate in.
After a league has been chosen, the player has the option to continue their Career, or to play one off Races. These include Time Trials, Endurance and Single Races. Multiplayer games can also be accessed online.
Regional Leagues
Three Regional Leagues are available – European, Asian and American – and they have different tracks, relevant to the location. The player will start in their chosen region, but the other leagues’ racing will become available shortly into the progression of the game.
The World League and Final League become available after further progression is made, by winning competitions and advancing through the other tasks.
The leagues are split into different categories, including Stock, Exhibition, Superbikes, Invitational and Rider Activities. Certain cups will have essential entry criteria – for example no more than 1000cc, or a specific model of motorcycle will have to be ridden.
World League – Licence, Cups & Categories
Bike Set Up – Suspension, Transmission & Calibrations
Race Settings – AI Difficulty
Riding Aids can also be changed to adjust the difficulty of the race. The main options here are; Physics Simulation Level, Transmission, Automatic Brakes, Joint Brakes, ABS, Off Track Help, Tuck In, Ideal Trajectory, and Rewind.
By opting to disable Riding Aids, the player can make the race more difficult, and therefore be rewarded a higher percentage of bonuses for their performance.
Riding Aids
The Tyre Selection can add further enhancement to the bike’s performance, and the player can choose between Street or Slick Tyres for either, or both, of the wheels before a race.
Completing races and tasks earns the player rewards. These are Credits, Experience Points, Model Affinity Points and Manufacturer Affinity Points. The two types of affinity points build up until a relationship is created between the player and the manufacturer. Once it is strong enough, the player will have the option of becoming an official tester for that manufacturer.
Race Rewards
Outside of the Career mode, the player can play in Single Races. The three types are Endurance, Time Trials, and Single Races.
Modified bikes are required for Endurance races, and they can be loaned from the dealership if the player does not already own any.
The player may then choose which track to ride on, and to configure the Race Settings, Riding Aids and Bike Set Up as they would in the Career mode.
They may also pick Riding Gear from their presets, and change the Weather and Lighting variables.
Weather & Lighting
In Time Trials, Worldwide Leader-boards and Personal Leader-boards are available to view. They are defined by Track, Bike, Physics Settings and Dryness.
Time Trial Leader-board
Ride 4 has several optional commands which will change the extent of control for the player. They include; Accelerate, Separate Front & Back Brakes, Turn, Clutch, Gear Up/Down, Tuck In, Weight Distribution and Adjust Electronics Level.
The racing view can be changed using the Change Cam button, and the player can also look around with the 360° View.
The Rewind function enables the player to correct mistakes, by replaying a limited period of time before they were made.
Over 170 models from different manufacturers are featured, including Yamaha, MV Augusta, Triumph and Harley Davidson. Different paint schemes and customisation options are also available.
Triumph Dealership
Within the Bikes menu, the player has access to the Dealership where they can purchase new motorcycles. In their Personal Garage they will find those that they already own.
Bike Tuning is possible, with components including the Engine, Brakes, Suspension and Chain able to be upgraded.
Engine Tuning
Exhaust Upgrade
Certain information can be amended for the Rider, such as their Nationality, Number, Gender and Face.
Their Style is amendable too. Options covered are; Riding Style, Feet At Start, Brake Leg Out, and Number Of Braking Fingers.
Riding Style
Riding Gear can be edited and saved under the player’s presets, like Racing, and Road. Everything from the Helmet, Visor, Gloves, Suit, Boots and Knee Sliders can be changed.
Riding Gear Customisation
The Editor gives the player a blank canvas to create their own patterns on. Bike Liveries can be designed by changing the colour of the Fairing, the Chain, and the Rims.
Stickers can be added to Bikes, Helmets and Suits to modify their appearance.
Editor – Bike Liveries
Ride 4 boasts 30 tracks to race on, including Mugello, Laguna Seca and the Nürburgring, to name a few.
Dynamic weather and night races make each track have multiple variables requiring strategic adjustment.
European Tracks
Players can compete with other live players by playing online. In order to do so, they can Join Lobbies, Create Private, or Public Lobbies.
When creating a lobby, the player must select the Settings. The options are; Vote or One Person to Choose Track and Weather, Class, Number of Laps, Physics Simulation Level, Transmission, Tyre Wear, Fuel Consumption, Penalties, and Collisions.
Online Multiplayer Lobby Creator
Pros
1. Realistic Physics – Ride 4 feels responsive and relative with attributes like rider movements and off road traction. Sometimes it’s hard to tell you’re actually playing a game.
2. ‘Rewind’ Option Very Useful – For those who want to have fun, rather than be an expert, this function gets used regularly. It also benefited me because I got to learn difficult sections more quickly, as I kept repeating them over and over.
3. Attention To Detail – Settings like fuel consumption, electronics and tyre wear add realistic accuracy to the game, and make it more interesting.
4. World Opens Up Steadily – This unlocks content, like bikes and tracks, with a pace that helps you to familiarise with the game. It also grants you a sense of achievement when progressing.
5. Repetition Of Tracks – Tracks are gradually introduced, then feature regularly, which improves player familiarity and skill. Slowly, you learn the patterns, requirements and techniques.
Cons
1. Steep Learning Curve – Almost too difficult for casual gamers! During licence registrations, track tests are brutal and time trials can seem impassable. The difficulty level verges on ‘chuck your controller at the TV’ hard.
2. Autopilot Takes Ages – I got impatient with the autopilot in some tests, especially as there was no rewinding allowed, so failure meant sitting through the autopilot every time. One even glitched on me, and kept sliding off the bike in wet weather.
3. Disallowed Rewinding – This is the case in some tests and Endurance races. For me, that makes them ten times harder to win as I always screw up somewhere. I know it makes it more realistic, but I’m satisfied enough stringing a few well-turned corners together, without needing to be able to keep it up for 20 minutes.
4. Loading Time – This will vary between consoles, but for the Xbox One it seemed to take ages for me to start races. Somewhere between 30 secs – 1 min. I guess I need a next-gen console, or some patience.
So, What's The Verdict? - Ride 4
Ride 4 is made for gamers willing to invest the time in it to become skilled. For casuals it’s a bit hardcore, but sticking with it is worth the reward! It becomes more enjoyable when you get the hang of it – this took me around 12 hours of gameplay. Beyond that, I was immersed and it became quite addictive.
One of the 170 models of motorcycle available in Ride 4
Turning S bends and hitting the apex feels awesome, although I think I rewound more than I executed. In fact, in all the time I played I don’t think I went more than two full laps on any track without rewinding. This was with all the easiest settings including the Ideal Trajectory, Automatic Tuck In, Weight Distribution and Gear Changes turned on. For a real gamer, Ride 4 has the depth in controls and difficulty options to really tailor their experience.
The customisation is extensive, and can be fun when you find the bike you want to stick with. Rider customisation is also endless due to the Editor, and hours could be spent getting your bike and gear exactly as you want them. Again, if you want to invest that kind of time into the game. The Bike Set Up also lets you tinker around, and allows you to alter the bike’s performance to suit to the track and conditions.
Graphics and gameplay, realism and physics are unmatched. It’s a seriously immersive experience, with reflective drops of water on your screen when it’s raining, and an almost palpable weight to the bike and rider. Tyre Temperature, Electronic Settings and Fuel Consumption are some of the finer details that demonstrate Milestone’s lean toward professional riding simulation, and away from arcade racing. This is by far the most lifelike game of its kind.
Hands up, I’m not a hardcore gamer, so my perspective is based on the casual player’s viewpoint, who has a love for motorcycles. As it requires a lot of hours to improve, and most of us would rather be out on the road, instead of on the sofa, I would say only invest in this game if you’re prepared to give it the chance it deserves. It will only cost you around £25, but the real investment required is your time. It is challenging, but if you can get past your initial doubts, this game will suck you in and have you grinning from ear to ear.