If you were a fan of Ubisoft’s previous open-world extreme sports game, Steep, and have been champing at the bit hoping to see a successor, then you might just be in luck. I was lucky enough to be invited to a preview session for Riders Republic, which offers players a chance to explore a huge open world and partake in extreme sports, such as mountain biking down steep dirt trails or taking to the skies with a wingsuit and dodging the treetops. It’s a beautiful world filled with a heap of activities and places to explore, spread over seven famous US national parks. Let’s mount up and hit the trails because we have a lot of ground to cover.Upon starting the game, I was greeted by a completely voice-described accessibility menu, which is a first for me. I’ve seen the accessibility options popping up the moment you start the game before, but never seen it voice described, and the first impression I got from this is that Riders Republic is for everyone. That carries over to everything in the game, actually. No matter where I went or what I wanted to do, it was all aimed at being accessible for everyone, offering control schemes that were easier to use and others that were focused on players wanting to master the game’s trick system in return for additional rewards. Everybody has the ability to play and those wanting to take on a more difficult challenge are compensated for it, offering no barriers and all of the fun.Now I said in the opener that players who loved Steep would be wanting to keep this game on their radar, so much so that there is actually a third control scheme called, you guessed it, Steep. This changes the control layout and handling to that of the 2016 fan-favourite extreme sports title. This truly is looking to be the successor that’s been cried out for, although I will admit that I’ve little experience with Ubisoft’s previous title, so my expertise on the matter is limited. Okay, on to the gameplay itself. Upon entering the game, you are taken down some rocky mountain trails and thrust into the heart of the game. I’m not ashamed to admit that I made very close acquaintances with more than my fair share of trees on my way down the mountain courses. These trails are twisting, bumpy, littered with obstacles, and a complete hazard to one’s health… safety be damned, it was so much fun. Once I’d finished up with my time on wheels, I was sent to some ski slopes — which I’m sure my character appreciated due to being sore from my clumsy attempts to navigate the woodland — and was tearing down the side of a mountain before I knew it, pulling off flips and creating snow angels, mostly in that order. Riders Republic is all about adrenaline-pumping joyrides and doesn’t hesitate to throw you in at the deep end and tell you to work it out or drown. In this case, it was more ‘work it out or become mush on the side of a rock,’ but the friendly encouragement is the same nonetheless. Hitting the slopes was the first time I had a chance to really stop and soak up the incredible environments that have been crafted here. The world is made up of seven iconic US national parks, expertly stitched together into one huge map. I had a chance to explore a good portion of the world during my session, but I only managed to scratch the surface of the beastly map, which is comprised of Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Grand Teton, Mammoth Mountain, Sequoia Park, Yosemite Valley, and Zion. The map actually has a 3D viewer so you can zoom in and see everything from a birds-eye perspective, giving the extensive regions a feeling of depth. From the snow-capped mountains to dust-ridden canyons, Riders Republic really does celebrate the great outdoors and the adventure to be had. Upon completion of the entry missions, I met up with my fellow previewers to try out many of the game’s multiplayer features. We took part in trick competitions that required us to compete with another team to control designated arena zones, mountain biking dressed as giraffes — because why not? A host of other awesome modes also put our skills to the test. The icing on the cake, however, was the Mass Race, which saw 50 of us (it’s capped at 20 on Xbox One, mind) on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC compete in three checkpoint-based rounds. What was really cool about this race is the fact that we began on bikes hurtling down a mountain trail to the ski slopes, as we passed the checkpoint our characters hopped onto either skis or snowboards to continue our descent. It was awesome… there really isn’t any other word for it, and it was an experience that just felt next-gen.Everything you do in Riders Republic is to earn Stars. These are the game’s progression system and open up even more game modes as you rank up. I’m sure there are plenty of other things I didn’t get a chance to play and I’ll look forward to trying them out when the game releases later on this year. Alongside your Star earnings, you also receive an in-game currency that can be put towards unlocking cosmetic items such as helmets and clothing. There’s a premium currency that you can purchase with real-world money (of course) that can be used to obtain special costumes. I had 1,000 of these credits, so being the frugal spender I am, spent the lot on a Viking Dragon costume. Maybe I’m not as frugal as I like to think. No items will affect your in-game performance and are purely for cosmetic use only, and being dressed as a Viking Dragon is, of course, perfectly acceptable sporting attire. In-game activities, however, allow you to unlock various new ways to get yourself around the world, be that a new bike, ice cream wagon, snowmobile, or various other modes of transport — it all just seems to be aimed towards having a bit of fun doing something that you (probably) don’t get to do in reality and look as wacky or conserved as you want while doing it. When not risking life and limb in one of the wild activities, you can explore the region at your own leisurely pace, discovering beauty spots or just practising your tricks. If a social place is where you’d prefer to hang out then Riders Ridge is the place to be. This serves as the game’s hub and the spot that you spawn in whenever you log into the game. You can take on the trick tutorials, purchase new gear, and hang with the other riders in this bustling little town. It’s a great spot to wind down after you’ve sent your heart racing on the slopes, bringing a social atmosphere to the game that isn’t just drenched in competition.This is one extreme sports title you’ll want to keep an eye on as we lead up to Riders Republic’s October 28th release date. Will you be joining me in seeing how many trees we can knock down with our noggins laters this year? Let me know in the comments!
Source link
