![]() ![]() Where Ride 4 isn't quite so successful is more in the incidental details, but the most major issue are the screen-space reflections, which are crying out for RT alternatives. The video that started it all - Joy of Gaming's phenomenal Ride 4 replay showcase. Even the biker's fingers raise and fall with gear changes, albeit with a slightly robotic movement. The windshield also picks up on oncoming rain. Again, it adds to that feeling of being grounded to the track, connecting the bike to the terrain. There are some cool touches beyond this as well, such as animated brake fluid splashing about realistically in the reservoir up front, while the container itself shakes, almost like it's vibrating to the surface, wind and engine rumble. The action plays out at 60fps (internal resolution seems to resolve typically at 1512p on both PS5 and Series X), which further adds to the immersion - as does the fact that wing mirrors also run at full frame-rate. At this pace it's hard to see anything uncanny, especially as all level geometry is created through CAD data via laser-scanning the environment, all of which whip by at speed. We first saw this game demoed on a drizzly, overcast circuit (NorthWest 200 in Northern Ireland) passing through a village. Lighting, materials and post-process grading all help to create life-like results, especially at speed. So many driving games get this wrong but it's a key part of the immersion here. The camera shakes aggressively, too - there's a connection with the ground and you feel connected with the track. Also, braking forces the player to 'rise up' to put weight on the rear, more-so than the regular gameplay camera. Every lean adds to the adrenaline as you turn a corner. In the replay, the camera logically shifts and pivots as the bike-rider repositions on the seat for a turn. While the replay camera could theoretically be used in-game, player might feel disorientation if played too long this way - given the velocity of the camera movement. However, it's worth stressing that in-game, Ride 4 presents a much more stable, conventional camera - a must for the sake of comfort and playability, really. Moving on to Ride 4's technical chops, a key component in portraying realism is movement - and the dynamic replay camera used in the viral video does a brilliant job of depicting speed and momentum. Watch on YouTube Ride 4 analysed in depth on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, with Tom Morgan and Alex Battaglia assessing the game in the wake of its viral video showcase. Some races simply open out with the player being clattered at the green light. Beyond that, rival bikes can crash into you from behind with the AI occasionally getting a bit overzealous at the starting grid. Part of that is because of the simulation angle - motorcycles are less forgiving when travelling at speed over uneven ground and this translates to the game. The truth is that Ride 4 is a brutally hard, unforgiving and occasionally unfair game. Secondly, in terms of the presentation itself, what we're seeing here is a combination of factors that combine to create something magical - and a key aspect of that isn't actually the technology at all, but rather the gaming ability of the player. It's just that the viral video has done a remarkable job in bringing the game to the attention of the audience some time after the fact. First of all, it's not a new game - it came out last year and its next-gen patch arrived a little after launch. There are a couple of key points with Ride 4 worth stressing. Does the game live up to the hype, or have we seen it all before with DriveClub Bikes? Based on Unreal Engine 4, the combination of the camera, physics, motion blur, lighting and materials all impress - but to what extent does it push back the boundaries or rendering technology. On the face of it, it's easy to see why, when you consider the beautiful, dynamic, near photo-realistic footage playing out in first-person 'helmet' view. Is this truly "4 real" as the tagline says? Last week, a video of motorbiking sim Ride 4 went viral - with many millions of Twitter and YouTube views on an upload by YouTuber Joy of Gaming. ![]()
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