14 DAY TRIAL // Riders Republic is likely to become the best place to have fun during the pandemic. Even without the health crisis, Riders Republic feels like a heaven for outdoor enthusiasts. Featuring six different activities – Bike Freestyle, Bike Racing, Ski Freestyle, Ski Racing, Wingsuit, and Rocket Wingsuit, there’s really no reason not to find something suitable if you’re passionate about extreme sports.
Granted, the beta offered access to just four of those activities and you were limited to a certain level, it was a good opportunity to evaluate Ubisoft’s upcoming game. If you missed the chance to try out Riders Republic open beta, here is a quick rundown of the things I accomplished while playing the game for a few days last month.
First off, this isn’t a simulation game, even though Ubisoft has tried to emulate the bikes and skis performance in real life into game stats. Riders Republic lets you ride a variety of bikes and skis from a range of iconic brands like Canyon, Marin, BMC, and Devinci (with more to be added, hopefully), as well as Black Crows, Burton, and Faction.
As you take part in events across the map, you’ll be awarded better bikes and skis. There’s not much difference between them performance-wise, or at least I was unable to notice any in the early stages of the game.
Although it’s not a simulation game, Riders Republic offers an authentic experience. You’ll certainly get your dose of adrenaline flying your wingsuit over Bryce Canyon or skiing in the Mammoth Mountain.
Now, there are a lot of types of events in Riders Republics, from training sessions where you learn how to correctly execute a snowboarding trick, to 64-player races that are just pure mayhem.
My favorite events in the beta were Trick Battles and Mass Race. The former is a 6v6 team-based mode where you win by scoring more points than the opposing team. Points are awarded for executing tricks in an arena populated with ramps, roller coasters and other such obstacles.
Mass Race is the crown of Riders Republic, a 64-player (50-player on next-gen consoles) race that encompasses the essence of the game: fun. You’ll be bike riding, skiing and wingsuiting through different environments trying to beat other players to the finish line.
Riders Republic is an open-world sports game, so you can take part at any event that shows up on your map. Speaking of the map, Ubisoft’s game features an amalgam of famous U.S. National Parks, including Bryce Canyon, Grand Teton, Mammoth Mountain, Sequoia Park, Yosemite Valley, and Zion National Park. These iconic landmarks have been smartly implemented into the game to offer a smooth transition between various types of terrain, while maintaining some sort of authenticity.
And yes, it’s quite possible to take off from somewhere in the Zion National Park and land on your ski in the Mammoth Mountain. You don’t even have to care about missing the landing, after all, you’re playing a game. Riders Republic does offer players the option to retry their tricks by backtracking to a previous moment in time. It can also be used in races if you find yourself stuck in the décor.
Conclusion
The wide range of events and myriad of activities at your disposal will certainly keep players entertained for many, many hours. Not the mention that the Career mode seems just as fun, so if you don’t have friends, you can also jump in the story and try to win your ticket to the legendary “Riders Ridge Invitational,” a multi-sport competition that supposedly features all sports in one single event.
We’re more than a month away from the game’s release, but if you love sports games or just want to have some fun, keep in mind that Riders Republic comes out on October 28 and will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
