RIDE 4 preview

Fans of motorcycle racing have two release dates to look forward to, with Milestone’s RIDE 4 coming out on October 8th but re-releasing with next generation versions for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 on January 21st 2021. We take a look at what to expect.

What we know

After their stint with the WRC franchise, Milestone has increasingly specialized in motorcycle games. The studio’s developed games in the MotoGP and MXGP franchises, the Monster Energy Supercross series as well as games based on the Ducati and Valentino Rossi licenses. They’ve also gradually built up the RIDE series since 2015, and RIDE 4 is now on the horizon.

Promising an expanded career mode, improved 3D models, dynamic weather conditions and better (machine learning-enabled) AI, RIDE 4 is also the first game in the franchise to get a next gen version. The development team is working with the likes of Yamaha and Bridgestone on this one as well, further emphasizing the strides that they’re making in terms of realism.

What we saw

We attended a RIDE 4 preview event hosted by Milestone that also featured speakers from Yamaha and Bridgestone. Talking about performance, analytics and race strategy, several aspects of the game were discussed before diving into some actual gameplay. At the end of the session, the next gen versions of the game were also revealed, along with a short teaser. After the session, we also got to go hands on with a preview build of the game, which ran on a PC setup.

What we thought

Although we didn’t get to try any of the next gen features that will make it into the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions, which include haptic feedback on the new DualSense controllers, the PC version did allow us to crank up the resolution and detail levels, and RIDE 4 certainly is a gorgeous game that showcases the work that Milestone put into it.

While previous iterations used 3D models based on measurements, everything has been meticulously scanned for RIDE 4, and I often found myself crashing just because I got distracted looking at how detailed everything on the bike looked from a first person perspective. That visual fidelity holds up when you tone down the resolution as well, so PS4 and Xbox One owners should also be in for a treat.

Our motorbike aficionados on the team are console players, so I can’t wait to hear what they think about the way the bikes handles. If it feels half as good as the game looks, RIDE 4 should be another step forward for the franchise.