gamereviewRacing with a motorcycle, of course, feels completely different from racing on four wheels. The fact that you can fully sense this in ‘Ride 4’ from the first corner says enough about this powerful simulation game. The comparison with ‘Gran Turismo’ soon comes up, but that is perhaps a bit too simple. There are several reasons why ‘Ride 4’ can claim the crown of the best motorcycle racing game.
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Simulation is central to ‘Ride 4’ and then you already know enough: it takes a lot of time to master the controls. Those who have little experience with these types of games will often fly out of the corner in the first test. Incidentally, there is no real tutorial. If you cannot get your bike under control, it will take you a while. But even after you have left, some tests can take a very long time.
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Racing against the time
We will come back to the difficulty level later. First we want to go over what the purpose of the game is. The most important mode is the career mode in which you can choose yourself which trajectory you follow. For example, you must first convince in a regional championship, especially Europe, America or Asia. You decide where you want to race, but of course you can also try the other two championships afterwards. The goal is to participate in the next phase: the world championship.
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photo">Koch Media
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Although we label ‘Ride 4’ as a simulation game, the championships look different than we would expect. Not a program of races you have to win to score points and crown yourself a champion, but a mix of time trials, overtaking and other stages. For example, you sometimes have to slalom through gates, a feature that you might attribute to an arcade game.
But there are also short and long races, so you will encounter a lot of variety. Throughout your career, you also get control over different bikes that all feel different. So you wait for a new challenge every time.
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photo">Koch Media
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Beautiful circuits
Ride 4 looks unbelievably realistic. The bikes themselves are very clever and the circuits are also gems. In fact, the latter is still a problem in very few racing games. From Mugello and the Nürbürgring to Interlagos or Suzuka… If you have a good TV, it almost feels like you are driving around the circuits themselves. Incidentally, there is no shortage of circuits, because spread over the different regions you have access to a total of thirty real tracks.
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photo">Koch Media
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Graphically very beautiful, but we have to come back to the level of difficulty. That ‘Ride 4’ is a rather difficult game, we naturally applaud on behalf of all enthusiasts. Only the less seasoned gamers are likely to drop out quickly. The level barely builds up and is very high from the start. Moreover, it is not possible to continue playing until you have successfully completed certain tests. So it is not impossible that you will struggle on the same circuit for a long time.
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photo">Koch Media
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You are not allowed to cut corners in a time trial, that is normal. But in ‘Ride 4’ you have a failed round on your leg at the slightest mistake, after which the test starts again. Luckily the loading times in this game are not too bad, but the frustration does build up when you have to reload a race for the thirtieth time – and we’re not even exaggerating. Then it would have been better if you could just keep driving rounds without interruption and your lap time is simply rejected in case of an error.
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photo">Koch Media
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Other tests are not easy either. For example, when you have to drive through gates, it is not allowed to hit the side of such a gate. If you do, you will lose time and you may have to start over. For whom it is all a bit too difficult, there are few options to adjust the difficulty level.
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photo">Koch Media
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Conclusion
Ride 4 is a beautiful, but difficult game. A serious recommendation for anyone looking for a real challenge. The game is very realistic and features a great selection of motorcycles and circuits. You just need a lot of patience to progress in this game. In addition, the career mode can also be disappointing for some players. It lacks a really nice championship and instead you have to earn points during trials and races to unlock new challenges.
Do you prefer a real competition? Then we would rather recommend a game such as ‘MotoGP 20’. ‘Ride 4’, on the other hand, is a challenging game with a lot of variety, beautiful tracks and a control that feels realistic. Ideal if you want to experience the sensation of a circuit. So yes, a bit like ‘Gran Turismo’…
