Developer: RaceWard Studio
Publisher: Nacon
Platform: PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5
Tested on: PC
RiMS Racing – Review
When you talk about motorcycle racing games, you will think of the Ride, Moto GP, or Isle of Man series. These series are well-cemented in the industry, and it seems that now a new contender is aiming to steal the crown. If you are looking for the best new motorcycle experience, then RiMS Racing is a title worth considering. The only thing that prevented us from giving the game a perfect score was the horribly programmed A.I., which should be better suited for a destruction derby game.
Story
RiMS Racing starts like most other racings games: you create a driver and select your starting bike and try to make it into the big league. The game begins with a tutorial on driving your bike and getting a first feel for the game. One thing mentioned at the end of the tutorial is vehicle damage, and if you really trashed your bike on your first day, you will quickly realize how hardcore the game really is. All in all, there isn’t much story progression. Each season has 70 events, so you have a pretty long career in front of you. You will develop your team by earning team points during races, making sure your crew of freshmen will turn into one of the racing world’s elite.
Graphics
A game that is published by Nacon is often one that offers great gameplay but not always the best visuals, yet this title is completely different. The graphics in RiMS Racing look great, and you can run the game on very high settings without any issues. That being said, the real kicker is the attention to detail. During your races, parts of your bike will either get worn down or damaged. We very much enjoyed that everything is neatly visualized so you immediately know what parts are failing. Tires get rugged spots, your fairing becomes dirty and scratched, your outfit deteriorates in quality, and so on. Will you be the person that keeps their stuff in great condition, or will you drive around with damaged goods?
Sound
With the game only having eight bikes, the developers took notice of every difference between the vehicles. The latter will be very noticeable while driving and modifying your ride. Each bike has its own exhaust node, and this might influence you into picking your first ride. If you want your vehicle to sound even better, you will love swapping out the exhaust muffler and air filter to make it sound even sportier.
Modern racing games often come without a kick-ass soundtrack, but that doesn’t count for RiMS Racing. The game is filled with songs from The Bloody Beetroots that give you a proper adrenaline rush. The tutorial and in-game guide are fully voiced. It’s a fun touch and this makes it pleasant to listen to the explanation of how the different mechanics work.
Gameplay
RiMS Racing is a motorcycle racing simulator where you must maintain your bike, build up your team and aim to be the best rider in the world. The game starts with you creating your rider and selecting your desired bike. You can only pick one, and to unlock the other bikes, you must win them in the career mode. After picking your first bike, you get to play a nice tutorial explaining how the game works and you also have the option to fine-tune your settings and preferences. It doesn’t end with one tutorial mission, as there are academy days scattered around the event map to test your skills and wits in different situations. It is immediately noticeable that many components of your bike wear down and you must replace them in a timely fashion. This all depends on your driving style; if you drive aggressively you will go through more sets of tires and brakes than if you would be driving more cautiously.
With the damage system in place, you will have to find a balance between what parts to use and how you drive. Some OEM parts (original) will last longer but won’t have the right performance you need, while performance parts will give you better acceleration or braking power, but can wear out much quicker. Considering your finances, it is sometimes better to stick with original parts until you can fork over the cash for the new performance parts. This is especially true if you break the part a lot. Old parts can be sold for a small return to keep your inventory from being cluttered and keep the cash flowing.
Once you go on the track to race, you will notice that the game feels authentic. You can feel the wear and tear straining your bike, influencing performance as you go. The game often makes you rethink why you didn’t buy new parts to keep your ride in optimal condition. If you don’t want to use your bike that much, you can always skip normal events (especially when you are broke and your bike is a wreck), just opting to play sponsored events where you can use a rental vehicle and try out other bikes (and don’t have to worry about giving them back unscathed). That being said, the game isn’t all about racing and maintaining your bike. You’ll have to invest in your team, which can change the gameplay drastically. Investing in your team may allow you to gain additional credits, have the ability to accurately predict the weather, or look at your parts with more detailed information.
Probably the most frustrating thing about the entire game is that the A.I., and their pathfinding, is absolute trash. While racing (even against novice opponents), they will just religiously follow the driving line and won’t slow down for anything. The game gets quite frustrating when you experience your umpteenth pileup at the beginning of a race, or when an A.I. opponent just crashes into you at the last corner, making you lose the race. In all honesty, this was so frustrating that this is the sole reason that the game isn’t a solid ten.
Controlling the game isn’t that difficult, but pushing your vehicle to the max might take a while to master. You can alter a few settings, such as split braking and rider position, to have more control over your bike. It feels like once you master the controls and learn how to handle your bike, the game becomes much easier and more amusing to play. Sadly, the A.I. is just around the corner to mess things up, give you a mouthful of concrete.
Conclusion
RiMS Racing is an amazing racing game in which you can drive some of the fastest production motorcycles in the world. Having to manage your driver, team and ride can prove to be difficult at first, but the game will gradually become easier as you learn to get the hang of things. Everything feels nicely balanced and replacing broken parts with performance ones is the best way to upgrade your deteriorating bike. Controlling the game feels great, and you can really master your vehicle with enough practice. RiMS Racing would have received a perfect score if you didn’t have to constantly worry about the A.I. crashing into you.
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