The Italian developers at Milestone have already proven their worth in two-wheel racing games. Last year, they released the successful motocross game MXGP 2 and as well the Valentino Rossi game that is based on the latter’s racing career.
Freed from their licence agreement with WRC, Milestone is looking to raise the stakes once more in the racing game market with Ride 2, released on February 14th in North America.
More Bikes, More Customization
Ride 2 includes more than 220 bikes that can be tweaked with more than 1 200 customizable parts. Also, the game gives access to plenty of brand new tracks and circuits in 15 beautiful locations worldwide such as Greece, Macau and Milan, the homeland of Milestone. It is impossible to get easily bored with the challenges that each race can offer. This user-friendly game is not too tricky; a cross between Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport. A nice compromise between simulation and arcade style. A game that brings connections between man and machine to another level.
A World Full of Possibilities
Of course, the gamer can essentially just try to win against the AI or challenge a friend in quick races or time trial mode with split screen or online. But it’s the career mode that truly offers a world full of possibilities, and the reason why Ride 2 is such a complete and a unique motorcycle game. The player can choose from over a large selection of rides that caters to any racing style: super sports bikes, cruisers, motocross, rally and many more. On top of customizing their own bike, the gamers can also create and modify their avatar (sex, nationality, clothing, helmet, sponsors, etc.) making the experience much more personal. As the player gains more experience, he accumulates credit coins that can be used to buy new bikes and new parts for a better performance all along his career. The whole system creates a very realistic pro-riding experience.
A Game Accessible to Everyone
Ride 2 can even be enjoyed by players who are more used to car racing games. With the guide line option on, staying on the track is easy even if you are a beginner in two-wheel games: coloured guides on the track tell the gamers that they are going too fast or slow, and help with tight turns. For advanced players, this option can be removed for a greater challenge. Ride 2 is accessible to a large public, even for newcomers to this category of specialized games. But of course, being a motorcycle connoisseur is definitely an asset in appreciating the finer technical details of the game, and they are more likely to dig it over a long term.
Matter of Passion
Milestone developers are passionate about mechanics and they are specialized in it. This is one reason why they put so much attention into specifics and tune up that differentiate this racing game from the others and this explains the contagious enthusiasm of the fans for Ride 2. This release is clearly unavoidable for all motorcycle lovers that play on console.
