RIDE 4

In Ride 4, you’ll get an uncommonly beautiful racing game with a brilliant driving model and superb utilization of the DualSense controller. But be warned - the difficulty is punishing and the AI is intent on crashing your bike.

To put it simply, the PS5 version of RIDE 4 is the best around. It manages to provide a technically satisftying experience while not renouncing to performance, and on top of that it adds the uniqueness of the DualSense features.

Ride 4 on PS5 is gorgeous. The textures are stunning, as are the bikes, and the improvements to how it runs are more than noticeable. That said, it still suffers from its tricky handling around corners and an irritating penalty system.

It’s a challenging racer that may drive you up the wall at times, but it’s so rewarding when you finally tame the bikes in your garage and start being able to truly compete. It’s just a shame that, since its last-gen launch last October, nothing has been done to bolster its online offerings or make it a little bit easier for new players to get onboard. Still, the best bike-based racing game has assuredly just got better. If you love bikes, you need RIDE 4; it’s as simple as that.

RIDE 4 is a very good racer, with a solid gameplay, a deep and renewed Career mode and many technical improvements on PS5.

In short, a smooth transition, whether positive or negative.

Most of the issues have been addressed, making for a much more palatable bike sim. It’s still lacking spectacle and charm, but the quality’s much higher. [Issue#185, p.88]

Not only does the game look gorgeous but the control system has been enhanced for the Dual Sense with haptic feedbacks and life-like rumble effects as you tear across the pavement. Newcomers to motorcycle racing (or people just wanting a new game for their new PS5) are going to face an uphill climb as they acclimate themselves to the unique complexities of Ride 4’s gameplay demands. There are systems in place to make the experience a bit easier but I would have liked to see a stronger emphasis on the fundamentals of controlling a high-speed bike - and the initial license exam would have been the perfect opportunity for that. As it stands, there might be some substantial hurdles for the player to overcome before they get to a point where they feel like they’ve got a proper handle on Ride 4’s deep approach to simulated racing.

In many ways, Ride 4 gets its racing simulation so right. The intricate detail of the bikes themselves and the tinkering you can do with them is a testament to that. Unfortunately, the attempt to make its A.I. riders more realistic results in an unwanted level of unpredictability that makes an already challenging experience tougher than it should be.

This racing simulator isn't for the faint at heart. Without any real introduction or soft landing, you're expected to drive like a pro and be able to drive near-perfect laps. Without that, you're locked out of the main course, the career mode, and have to resort to riding single tracks. AI is hit-or-miss and races very aggressively. Definitely not a game for beginners or those looking for an arcade racer.

Ride 4 is not the must-own motorcycle racing game for your brand new PS5 due to its high barrier of entry and non-user friendly systems. The PS5 upgrades might be appreciated by returning fans of the last-gen version, but it doesn’t warrant the headache these races induce on the player. From my experience, I was locked out of any fun this game might have offered. As such, I really can’t recommend Ride 4 to anyone.