RIDE 3 is the third and latest installment of the epic racing simulation series that mixes high-octane, adrenaline-pumping action and overwhelming bike customization options. It’s time to rev up that engine and race in the most amazing parts of the world on your very own two-wheeled companion. With hundreds of bike models available at Day 1 (more than 230, supposedly) and more than 70 of them never before seen on a RIDE game, there’s something for everyone that will satisfy all preferences and riding style.
With RIDE 3, you browse, you collect and you ride to your heart’s content. The overwhelming volume-based single player career mode lets you open up a unique experience that lets you be on the driver seat as you choose when and where to ride. Be on top and collect the stars, master a volume and obtain a rare bike reward at the end of it. Each volume tells a different story of a specific bike category, the manufacturer’s history or iconic track. Let loose your inner beast in the track to obtain the most extensive bike collection you’ll need to fully enjoy the entire package of RIDE 3.
Go on a trip with the most iconic bikes in the most iconic tracks. Sweep the competition with the Ducati Panigale V4 or work your way to the top with a fully decked out bike of your choosing. The choice is yours and yours alone. Customize it how you like with a thousand layers of shapes, patterns, and letters of different splashes of paint. Up the antics further with interchangeable parts from engine parts, exhaust tips, stock parts, and even fucking mirrors and handlebars! Nothing is too small or irrelevant, you want it and we’ll change it! There’s truly an overwhelming amount of customization available, not to mention the number of bikes to choose from. But don’t worry they’re locked until bought or rewarded anyway.
But just in case you still feel that there’s not enough to fully deck yourself in your own paint, why don’t you change your own underpants… sorry! I mean helmet, racing suits, tops, bottoms or shoes why don’t ya? Or simply have your off-race garments when you just feel like chilling in the garage, checking your facebook status in the computer or reading a book in bed. The game offers extreme customization for every single detail to make your experience as a reflection of your own style and personality. The freedom, the competition, and the adrenaline are all there, you just need to feel it all.
But you know what else is there to feel? The 30 tracks from around the world created from scratch and reproduced using photogrammetric technology and drone-scanning to make it as close to realistic as possible. I wouldn’t even be surprised if the amount of sand or dirt was included in the final version. So let’s explore the world from the Granda Lake of Italy to the streets of Macau in China. Get your professional game faces on with the circuits from all over the world or test your endurance with the 20,832 meter circuit from Germany, the Nurburgring Nordschleife. These 30 tracks are split and 27 of them populating the races and the last three dedicated to drag racing strips.
Engage in quick races, multiplayer or weekly challenges should you feel the volume-based career mode becomes too overwhelming and you feel the need to switch up as you loan a new bike for a quick race. Step up to the plate in multiplayer with a few friends and some AI or even burst through a time attack mode with the first weekly challenge using the Ducati Panigale V4.
Phenomenal graphics and roaring sounds of the motorbikes. It’s there and it’s gorgeous. The sweet curves and attention to detail are highly noticeable and with hundreds of bikes, the bike roars don’t sound rehashed or reused to others. However, while the bikes are fantastic, the world itself does not compare entirely. They look a teensy bit bland although I must say that it’s really just because Battlefield V had me mesmerized before this. Some areas are pretty great though! Macau for example, the streets are bustling with lights and people watching from over the barricades. MOTARD category race tracks also offer different variants of tracks aside from the rain and day/night modes present in specific tracks. The detail on the tires taking in the dirt or splashing water makes it a more realistic experience should you not feel it with the fluid movement used with the power of Unreal Engine. It’s an obviously exhilarating experience be it played on short bursts or long gritty sessions.
THE VERDICT
It’s a game made for one thing and one thing only, OR NOT!? So actually, maybe three things, the adrenaline-fueled race modes, the robust livery and bike customization options and PHOTO MODE! Because gorgeous games need a gorgeous way to take in the moment and photo mode delivers just that. Although it might not have all the trinkets like a Spiderman or Horizon Zero Dawn Photo mode, it does however still gave it, its best shot and what a shot it was! But all could’ve gone through the dustbin if not for the fluid controls and movement as well as the assist modes that fits newcomers to the world of motorsport. I may not have the best racing sense but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the experience as I didn’t have to force myself to mess with the rules and cut corners.
If any of what I just said actually made sense to you or at the very least find it interesting, this is honestly an awesome pick-up should you feel the need for speed! Or the crash! Or the customization. Or whatever really that made you think this is interesting. RIDE 3 is available for PS4, Xbox One and PC for $49.99.
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