Ride 6: PS5 Review

Developed by Milestone
Released by Milestone
Platform: PS5

There's just something about getting on a bike and speeding off into the distance.

It's always been something that's been hard to capture for the console generation, given a lot of the previous sims have concentrated on the technical elements, such as grip and tyre performance. 

And yet, with Milestone's release of Ride 6, the genre has an entrant that feels as close to the real thing as seems humanly possible.

Photorealism has always been the developer's aim with the game - and in its sixth iteration, the game does feel at times like it could have nowhere really to go, given the depth that has pervaded the previous release. So it's pleasing to note that Ride 6 really tries to widen the appeal to an audience by introducing new elements, while never sacrificing the depth it's become known for.

Chief among these is a revamp of the career mode and something that's somewhat cribbed from the Forza Horizon series, a festival featuring motorbikes. RideFest aims to involve bikers in an all-round event that builds on the love of bikes with the pure joy of just getting on one and racing off.

With 22 groups of rides to be unlocked in career and over 300 bikes on offer, you can't accuse Milestone of skipping on the details. Add in to that, the fact you can edit and craft your own gear, split-screen modes and you've pretty much got a world that's worth diving into.

But at the end of the day, all of that is simply theoretical. The practicality of the game remains in how it plays, and Ride 6 feels like a superlative experience.

From realistic authentic sounds to feeling like the game grips you as it hurtles around corners on bikes, this is a sim that delivers. It may take a little bit of practice for newcomers and learning when to use the accelerator, the brake and rear brake will require a bit of patience, but when it comes together, it really does pull it all off.

Arcade mode makes the game more accessible as well and it's here that Milestone acknowledges wider growth is the only way forward for this franchise. It's a savvy move, and given the game has more than enough scope for everyone to be involved, it's a Ride well worth taking.