Motorcycle Games — USA Motorcycling
Ok, let me start by saying I am NOT a gamer. I literally haven’t owned or played a game console since (wait for it…) Super Nintendo, waaaay back in the day. Yeah, that shows my age, but that’s alright.
So, that being said, for me to even think about playing a motorcycle or any other game, it needs to be mind blowing. I’m not talking about your normal shooter games, but in this case, a motorcycle game! The last motorcycle game I played might have been Ricky Carmichael’s dirt bike racing game a long, long time ago.
Before that, yup, Excitebike, baby! Wow, just thinking about that game takes me back, but, moving on.
Motorcycle games on PS4 would be the obvious choice, but remember, I don’t own gaming systems. So, in this event, I took to my trusty, beefy laptop for the task.
Now, the game or games I should mention here are pretty popular among motorcycling folks, especially those who race. My own selfish reasoning for playing this game, however, was simple.
It’s winter, and I needed a different kind of motorcycle fix. So what is this motorcycle game we speak of…?
The Motorcycle Games Ride 3 & Ride 4
Ok, that build up was a little underwhelming but hey, it was exciting for me. So Ride 3 and Ride 4, in a nutshell, awesome motorcycling games, without a doubt.
The graphics in both are freaking amazing, the options and gameplay, once you get past the initial test round, are amazing, and the cool add-ons that are both free and purchasable are also stellar.
All of these things make Ride 3 and Ride 4 two awesome motorcycle games that I would suggest the small investment in.
Ride 3 vs Ride 4
So basically, Ride 3 was a couple few years before Ride 4, and because of this, you can definitely see some differences in the game. The graphics for on are obviously better in Ride 4, that is simply dude to technology and how it’s advanced.
The sounds are another piece of the satisfying puzzle that are better with Ride 4, the motorcycle rev and exhaust sounds are amazing in both, but Ride 4 takes that win for sure.
I would highly suggest getting and playing Ride 3 first, this will give you a lot more context with the game and gameplay. Ride 4 seems to assume a little bit that you already know what you’re doing, where you’re going, and that you’ve already learned the game navigation.
It’s isn’t rocket science by any means, but after doing the opposite of my advice, buying Ride 4 before Ride 3, I would do the opposite. Over all both have very easy to use options, customizations, and all that jazz. You won’t be stuck scratching your head, wondering where to go next.
Let’s talk briefly about game controls and physics. So, if you’re easily frustrated, you might want to meditate a bit before hoping into these games. I like to consider myself and fairly dexterous person, but damn, Ride 3 and Ride 4 will make a grown man want to drink!
The physics that have been programmed into the game are amazing… and frustrating. If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself not only all over the track, laughing at the hilarious crashes that take place, but wondering why the heck I’m playing such sorcery.
On a positive note, after a couple hours of game play, you WILL get the hang of it and be able to start making it around the tracks without crashing and burning in every turn, I promise! Oh, and invest in a cheap USB game controller, don’t try to use the keyboard, that was mistake #1.
The final piece of this puzzle is if you’re using a laptop or PC, it needs to have some beef behind it. The games is super graphic intensive, so it’s going to use a lot of resources.
It you are using a PlayStation, then no worries. I’m not sure of the difference, if any, between the two platforms, I can only attest to the motorcycle games on Windows.
Originally published at https://usamotorcycling.com on January 1, 2021.
