RIDE 3

The fourth (!) racing game from Milestone this year is undoubtedly their best. But that still isn’t enough to make it an enjoyable experience throughout.

Fundamentally a solid and detailed racing sim. [Issue#158, p.86]

Unevenly polished and uninviting to novices, RIDE 3 is nevertheless a decent simulation that motorcycle enthusiasts will get plenty of mileage out of.

Ride 3 feels like Gran Turismo with bikes, especially with the updated graphics and physics thanks to the Unreal Engine 4. We only regret that the AI is one of the worse we've ever seen, and that Milestone already offers 3 DLC packs on launch day.

RIDE 3 will be loved by fans of motorcycle sims, but likely won’t be the game to invite new audiences to the genre. The sheer number of unlockables is impressive and the extensive campaign mode is sure to give fans a lot to sink their, er, wheels into. However, some slightly sloppy visuals and the difficult to pick up gameplay will keep it reserved for that niche audience.

Milestone has managed to deliver a game full of great motorcycles and a superb career mode that will keep you hooked for many hours. On the downside, the developer should consider upgrading its technology, a technology that is responsible for some dated graphics and one of the poorest AIs we've encountered on a racing game.

From a presentation standpoint, Ride 3 is outstanding. The bikes look fantastic and I love all the customization options. Unfortunately, it is lacking in terms of gameplay. With this being a video game and all, that’s a bit of a problem. If you really need a bike racer then this may be the best of your very limited options, but with the harsh learning curve, lack of teaching, and uninspired game modes, there are far superior racing games on the market.

As much as I liked my time on the throttle of Ride 3, there are moments when it feels like a game that’s more concerned with the history of motorcycles as products than the actual experience of riding them. There’s a staggering amount of content and stuff to collect, which will be more than enough reason for some players to seek out what Milestone has delivered here, but the pacing and difficulty often made that content feel more like an obstacle. The speed, danger and finesse of a motorcycle is nice, but maybe a bit more freedom wouldn’t hurt.

If you were expecting Ride 3 to be the perfect fusion of quality and quantity of content, then I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news for you: An adequate sequel that has more bugs in it than your helmet visor after a breakfast run, almost no soul to its racing spirit and the bare minimum of fun spread throughout its sporadic modes. The third time definitely isn’t the charm for Ride 3.

The title features an impressive range of different types of bike but, unfortunately, it's still difficult to discern any handling differences between bikes within the same class. It's a bit disappointing that Ride 3 doesn't step things up more in this department, but it's still a much better-tuned instalment. With not a lot of competition in sight, Ride 3 is something of a Forza-equivalent for bike racing enthusiasts, but there's still plenty of room for improvement.

RIDE 3 can’t quite go the distance. Although still fun in bursts and with a variety that racing fans of the wider sport will no doubt appreciate, there’s a lack of depth that sells the game short, and it is unable to quite muster up the magic to take that final push.

On paper Ride 3 offers a lot of variety both in terms of quantity of bikes and track options. It’s possibly the most refined Milestone game to date and you could spend 20 hours playing through the career and have a perfectly acceptable experience, but you’ll be left wanting more. It does little to innovate or move the genre forward. In many ways, Ride 3 is like eating a 14 piece KFC bargain bucket all to yourself. Initially it’s satisfying and feels like great value for money, but about halfway through, indigestion starts to make you question why you didn’t just get a Zinger burger instead. Sometimes, less is more.