I played the Ride 5 gameplay preview

In this Ride 5 gameplay preview, I show the first half an hour of the career from the wannabe Gran Turismo of bikes and bang on about what is new.

As YouTube gaming days go, this was a good one. Not only had Milestone allowed me to play Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 Turbocharged, I spent half an hour with the Ride 5 gameplay preview. Sequel to one of the best motorbike games in recent years. Plus there were Jaffa cakes.

To be honest, I was excited to play both games but in particular Ride 5. Because there is wider scope for it to be a big jump in quality compared with Ride 4. A combination of all the bikes, circuits and enjoyable handling made it mostly two-wheeled heaven.

Before I get to the new features though, please note that this is gameplay captured on a random gaming laptop (not mine) and not my usual setup. Hence some lower quality visuals.

Such is development, there may also be changes made before the Ride 5 release date on the 24^th of August 2023. Even so, you are getting a glimpse of the first half an hour of the Ride 5 career mode, including Mugello, Snetterton, Circuit Ricardo and Brands Hatch.

Please note: This is the script from my YouTube video, click play above to watch or go here.

Ride 5: What is new?

Housekeeping over. What is new in Ride 5? Well, for starters we have a new suspension system and improved tyre deformation to make the handling more realistic. And kerbs less dangerous.

Dynamic weather is now a thing in Ride 5, too, with more realistic sky colours and clouds that can cast shadows on the ground. Endurance racing, meanwhile, showcases night to day lighting, adding to the drama and challenge.

Said races, which can be customised to be as long as the full 24 hours (for realz), also now feature the ability to save progress. Just in case your schedule does not lend itself to eye-melting, life-destroying and marriage-ending gaming sessions.

Split-screen local multiplayer is also back for two players, having been out of action since Ride 2. Or you can hop online and utilise various new modes and features including championships.

Whichever you choose, cross-platform multiplayer can be enjoyed between Epic and Steam on PC and PlayStation and Xbox on console. Specifically, PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Last-gen console support is missing. An increasingly common trend.

Creator of races

Then we have the Race Creator mode, which lets you create races. Madness. These customisable events can utilise the sheer number of bikes and circuits in the Ride games, allowing you to recreate famous races or just something utterly ridiculous.

Not only that, you can share your Race Creator creations with other players so they can enjoy them too. Or simply browse what everyone else has made. Then jump straight into the action.

Rivalries are also a thing in Ride 5, particularly if you keep shunting one particular racer out of your way. And there is a more enhanced progression system where you can rise up the leaderboards as part of the 250-odd events – a number similar to Ride 4, Milestone admitted.

Best of all for those who found Ride 4 and previous games too tough, those lovely Neural Aids from MotoGP 23 are present in Ride 5. So if you want some or a lot of help for the acceleration, braking and steering, you can have it.

Though slightly unnerving at first, these aids gently guide the bike where it needs to be. So if you forget to brake early enough, the game should already be doing it.

Career-driven

Now, one thing I particularly liked about Ride 4 compared with most modern-day racers is that you started out life on a smaller, slower bike. Not only did this help with learning, it made you value the progression to those two-wheeled widow makers.

Ride 5 does the same again, with your career starting out on smaller bikes and smaller teams in one of three locations. Naturally, I chose Europe because I am now quite familiar with Mugello in Italy, but Asia and the Americas are available too as before.

Having played five races from the career mode it is clear that Ride 5 uses a similar formula to Ride 4. There is, however, a higher standard of presentation and visual fidelity. Partly thanks to the fact this is a next-gen and PC-only game, so no Xbox One or PS4 to hold things back.

Has the AI improved?

What about the AI? Well, in Ride 4 racers were more than happy to risk life in a wheelchair to gain a place. Even Milestone’s other recent title, MotoGP 23, still has this issue. So in Ride 5, I decided to try the lowest setting, a full 120 and somewhere in between.

I then jumped between the calm and aggressive AI options and noticed I was not being rear-ended into oblivion. Racers seemed wise enough to back off when a gap closed. Plus I was able to leave the start line with both my bike and spine intact.

It is too early to tell just how much better the AI is, but the racing seems exciting and the handling more intuitive. In later Ride 5 gameplay footage at Brands Hatch, I had to push hard to catch up to the race leader and on the last corner my patience paid off and I took home the win.

It felt satisfying to push the bike as hard as I could while remaining consistent. Apart from one particular brown trouser moment.

These days, I have been using the word intuitive a lot. However, to be able to keep pace with 120-level AI on a track I do not know especially well with no Neural Aids suggests Ride 5 is easier to get the hang of than Ride 4. Well, until I bottled it.

Given the limited preview time and inability to try out all the new stuff in Ride 5, I cannot paint the most comprehensive picture of what to expect. But I did leave wanting more despite overeating Jaffa Cakes and it made me load up Ride 4 when I got home.

The Gran Turismo of bikes or a lazy sequel then? That is the big question I shall answer when I play the full game. Until then, feel free to watch the remaining footage of my Ride 5 gameplay preview video.