RIDE 6 - bikes, bikes, bikes

RIDE 6 is the new installment of the bike racing game developed and published by the Italian Milestone S.r.l., and it has been available since February 12 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

The game features the largest number of features to date in the franchise, including over 280 bikes and 39 tracks at launch, as well as "RIDE Fest," a career mode, 340 bikes, 45+ tracks, and full cross-platform multiplayer capabilities.

The biggest change in this sixth installment of Milestone's RIDE game is that instead of completing events just for money or accolades, you now race at an international motorcycle racing festival. Furthermore, like various other races from Milestone, we have transitioned from Unreal Engine 4 to 5. Although the models and resources in the game have not drastically improved, reflections, lighting, and the overall "vibe" of the game have received quite a good polish. And there’s also RIDE Fest, which is the equivalent of this game’s Forza Horizon (Festival). There is no open world to explore here, but the presentation seems similar, and thus future comparisons are inevitable.

RIDE 6 comes with two different handling experiences: Pro and Arcade.

PRO is more or less what you might remember from previous RIDE games. While it is still customizable in its fine details, it all comes down to balancing the weight of your motorcycle in corners, managing brakes, and even the rider's position plays a role in how fast you can go. Settings can be adjusted to optimize your ride. Sometimes it can be a bit (too) challenging on the controller, but it is an extremely rewarding experience/feeling when everything goes smoothly.

The other way to play is Arcade, and it is the most accessible ever in this series. Controlling the motorcycle is much easier to predict, much less prone to bumps, loss of balance in corners, and so on. Unless you enable automatic braking, you still need to properly commit to the corners and cannot brake comically late. That’s a mistake we made, so the Arcade mode felt at least equally challenging as the PRO mode.

RIDE 6 manages to find a good balance between serious motorcycle simulation and relaxed arcade fun. This is not a hardcore simulation in the technical sense. You will encounter things like tire wear in longer races, but you won't have to, for example, monitor the temperature of the tires or brakes. Instead, the game falls much more under hybrid racing video games that balance between realistic physics and accessible arcade fun. You can upgrade parts, adjust the engine, and gradually shape it to your driving style. It's detailed enough to be interesting, but not so complicated that it becomes tedious.

Career Mode is the place we recommend you spend the most time. There is actually a considerable amount of content. The difficulty with career progression becomes increasingly challenging. At the beginning, you will race shorter and simpler races, often on rented bikes. As you progress, the races become longer, weather conditions start to affect driving, tire wear becomes more noticeable, and eventually, you reach full qualifying and endurance events. Progression is gradual and very satisfying. The career is not exactly easy, and through it, you can significantly improve your riding skills. If you're struggling, the Bridgestone Riding School is a surprisingly rich addition. The school is divided into structured lessons that start with a demonstration, then give you the opportunity to practice, and finally challenge you to achieve and earn gold medals. For example, if you beat the instructor, you unlock ghost challenges that allow you to refine your skills even further. 

Besides the career, there are standard Quick Play options: Single Race and Time Trial, along with global leaderboards. What stands out particularly is the Endurance mode. Here you can organize races that last from 20 minutes up to a full 24 hours in real time.

What is not well done in the game are the opponents (AI) who often collide with us while driving, seemingly not even trying to avoid the crash. It seems to us that they are just waiting for it rather than it being a result of randomness, and that opponents avoid collisions at all costs, which is not realistic at all. 

Summary: 

• the game runs smoothly at 4K, 120 fps, with beautiful scenery during rides
• the difficulty in the game is tailored for different types of players through Arcade and PRO options
• the game has a good career through which you will spend hours reaching a level of mastery
• it is an excellent motorcycle simulation that is not overly strenuous
• the visual impression is excellent
• the sound contributes to the atmosphere of the game itself
• the game represents good value for money
• the lack of an open-type gameplay option
• it may be necessary to introduce another completely beginner mode of play for certain players (especially for those who are playing such and similar simulations for the first time)

Final verdict:

★★★★  

Very good game! It just needs a little more to be declared an outstanding game. From a technical standpoint, we have no complaints. The best that can be bought for money in the genre at the time of the review's publication.

A copy of the Xbox version for review purposes was provided by the distributor CD Media