Remember back in late 2021, when RIDE 4’s PS5 visuals were all the rage, ultra-realistic rain, that slick first-person view, the whole “is this real?” vibe? Hard to believe it’s been five years, but here we are with RIDE 6.
It used to be easy to slap a fresh coat of paint on a racing franchise and call it progress. But the best racers lately have pushed forward with meaningful upgrades that elevate the experience.
Milestone is clearly taking the second route in RIDE 6, which is now very close to its early access debut ahead of its final release. It’s been promoted as the best one yet from the studio and that claim might not be too far away from the mark. RIDE 6 looks brilliant, and is going to feel just as good to play once it becomes available to its audiences.
Wondering why we think so? Join us and find out as we dive into how things are looking for a motorcycle racing simulator that’s aiming for very lofty heights in a franchise that’s already managed to achieve so much over the years.
It’s more than just the improved visuals although they’re genuinely impressive to see. RIDE 6 works well thanks to how its systems come together to render the action, the shift to Unreal Engine 5 allowing the game to blur the lines between a simulation and reality in ways that bode well for its success once it hits the shelves.
Let’s take a look at the factors the game needs to nail down in order to achieve its photorealistic quality. The game needs to account for lighting, particles on the track, surfaces, physics, weather systems, audio, crowd rendering, and streaming, all in real time. That’s definitely a lot for any racer, but RIDE 6 is clearly up to the challenge based on our time with the review build, delivering a seamless racing experience that’s quite striking from the minute you’re on the track.
From the moment you take to the track, it’s obvious that RIDE 6 is a very impressive title that’s built around a major visual and systems upgrade. The sunlight bounces gently off the ground, flooding the screen with carefully curated, ray-traced light that makes you feel like you’re actually at the track you’re looking at. It glances off surfaces, glints off the metal on your bike, and bathes your racing uniform in a warm glow.
But at night, that same light is now produced by artificial lamps that light up the track, their reach being far more limited. Pass one, and everything we’ve been talking about happens, but it’s restricted to those few moments when you’re in range of a light, the shadows taking over as soon as you pass one. You’re constantly left wondering how the game is managing to keep up considering you’re speeding along on a machine that accelerates brutally quick off the line.
The bikes themselves are another showcase of how brilliant the game’s lighting system is, and are made all the more magnificent because of it. Paint jobs showcase subtle variations with glossy finishes contrasting well with the matte ones. The rubber on the tyres does well to showcase wear and tear, your tire tracks shining through with incredible detail. On the track, you see them interacting with the road based on your braking, leaving visible marks where nearly every pebble looks distinct, giving the impression that each track you race on has been painstakingly created to reflect real-life accuracy.
The key is in the details, and Milestone has clearly paid attention. Even visors on helmets reflect the world around them, the track streaking past as riders tear corners at speed. Take a look at one of the roads in the newly introduced dirt bike races, and you see the tires throwing up a trail as they go by, their tracks a reflection of the precise lines that their riders take in their effort to get past their opponents.
On a rainy day, the conditions come across as so natural we wouldn’t blame you for trying to wipe droplets of water off of your face in your gaming room. The roads glisten with a wet sheen while the game’s physics account for wet conditions, and it’s looking like you’re going to have to pay attention if you want to stay on the track.
Turn your attention to the bikes when they’re doing what they do best, and the motion blur takes over, accurately conveying your speed when you accelerate, and tapering off remarkably smoothly when you brake. It’s quite surreal to look at and is so immersive we were tempted to forget about the race just to keep watching it in action.
The camera angles in cutscenes are suitably cinematic, and the level of detail is as astounding as it is when you’re in control. The crowds that are out to watch you race, however, feel a little too similar in our opinion.
At the moment, the crowds do look like they’re not going to stand out, with most of Milestone’s focus being on rendering the riders and tracks as realistically as possible. However, what’s on offer is definitely serviceable and does add to the impression that you’re at a racing event, a facet of the experience helped along by great audio synchronization.
The visual state of the world matches the simulation so seamlessly it’s hard to find gaps where the illusion can drop, dragging you back to the reality that you’re not really piloting a machine that’s capable of speeds you couldn’t dream of achieving out on the streets no matter how experienced or skilled with motorcycles you are.
That attention to authenticity carries over when you’re in control, the game’s physics working in real-time to handle weight transfer convincingly as you brake into corners and drive out of them. Make a mistake and you’re going to lose your racing lines, just like you would in the real world.
The collision physics work well, too, with grip loss communicated quite well as, and losing control of your vehicle looks and feels nasty. Coming into contact with a fellow racer is something we’re not going to do in a hurry. Seriously, it hurt even though it wasn’t us who crashed.
Your rider’s body language is another area where we believe RIDE 6 has done a stellar job. They aren’t static, not in the slightest, and lean into turns as you take them, immediately straightening out to account for their own weight and the role it plays in guiding their bike along. Their hands and feet interact with their pedals, and there’s even a setting to alter how your rider holds their brakes, alternating between two and four fingers.
The game’s audio is quite easy to gauge and it’s decent. Every rev of your engine comes through with a satisfying punch, and your acceleration and braking are communicated so well as you tear down tracks. It syncs up very well with the player’s actions, and along with the roar of the crowds, it’s quite immersive and really helps the simulation maintain its spell over you.
The game’s UI takes a minimalist approach when you’re on the tracks although it doesn’t hold back from giving you options to tweak the experience to your liking once you hang up your helmets for some well-earned rest and relaxation after a long day on the tracks.
Customization brings the same level of quality that the rest of the game has sold us so far. You can expect distinct looks to each paint finish and your decals to react to the curves of your chosen vehicle, along with some excellent details on your uniforms based on their materials and the like.
All in all, it looks like RIDE 6 is making the best of its tech, its visuals popping out with near-perfect accuracy to convey the mood, weather, and time of day at the track you’re on. Its physics simulations look like they’re spot-on so consistently, we were just itching to swing our leg over one of the many bikes it has to offer. From its surfaces to its weather systems, this is a game that isn’t afraid to show off a level of polish that its teams have surely worked very hard on.
Ride 6 is a showcase of what focused tech direction can achieve when lighting, materials, physics, and audio all pull in the same direction. But at this moment, RIDE 6 is definitely up there with the best simulators we’ve seen.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.