Riders Republic: First Impression (Beta Test)

Riders Republic is a game for those who enjoy extreme sports and are not afraid to put their all into cycling, snowboarding, skiing, and vacuum wingsuit jumping. The beta was available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC from August 23-25. We had the pleasure of testing out this game on PC and here’s our impression.

Let me begin by stating that I am not a fan of “extreme” or any type of racing game. I have nothing against the genre; I’m just simply bad at it! 🙁 However, after seeing the trailer, I was intrigued and decided to give something new a try.

We will begin the game by creating your own avatar (male/female). There are only a few options to change our character’s features. Later in the game, we’ll get more character customization in the form of outfits.

After we’ve created our character, the game takes us straight to the sports tutorials. Biking is the first. We have the standard keys WASD on foot and (the same keys apply for other sports):

FOR PC
W	A	D	Spacebar	LShift
Forward	Stir Left	Stir Right	Break / Reverse	Boost

• Our directional keys are used for tricks. For example, the Up key is used to flip forward, the Down key to flip backward, and so on.
• A “Backtrack” button (R) allows you to go back a few seconds in the game. I mostly used this after failing to land a trick, as it allows you to try again. Please keep in mind that the timer will not stop. So if you’re in a race, other players will most likely pass you by while you try to rewind.
• Our Spacebar will also act as a key for tricks while in mid-air. If you fall or fail to land properly, you can also use your Spacebar to get back up. This is probably the better option than “Backtrack” when racing.

Gameplay

The game is fairly simple to play. The NPCs will offer you very helpful tips, and the game will provide a tutorial for each sport. I used my mouse and keyboard to play the game, and I eventually got the hang of it (though I kept falling…). However, I would suggest using a controller to play it. It will provide you with more “control” when performing tricks.

Aside from racing, the game offers a variety of other activities. A trick competition, objective + racing, map exploration, free-for-all, and versus mode are all included in the beta. Delivering pizza to customers was one of the things I tried.

The winner is the first person to cross the finish line after delivering all of the pizzas to the customers. It was both exciting and amusing to me. Everyone was all over the place, falling off their bikes and getting confused about where they were going (I was no exception). 

Bugs / Glitches

I did notice some aspects where the game needs a bit more polishing. You can pick between First Person and Third Person View. At times (3rd Person), I can see my character’s “insides” when I put the camera angle slightly towards the head. The same goes for when I had an outfit on (I got the dragon outfit!) with the 1st Person view. It appeared like there were 2 people on the bike; one is the dragon and one is my character without the outfit.

Points of Interest

The game’s map exploration was also enjoyable. Currently, we have 45 POIs (point of interest) to find in the game. When you want to take 5 minutes to relax and prepare for your next competition, this gives you a completely different activity to do. I was once too lazy to go around a mountain to get to a POI. My character, to my surprise, began ascending even when the mountain slopes were nearly vertical.

The POIs were spectacular. As someone who isn’t from the United States, I found it fascinating to see some of the country’s most famous parks. Despite the fact that my computer is not high-end, it still provided an incredible view. Everything was well done, from the tree branches to the snow and the water reflection.

Rewards and Customization

Every race you complete earns you EXP, in-game currency, and stars. The more EXP you earn, the more activities you’ll be able to participate in. You can customize your look by purchasing skins and other cosmetics with the currency you’ve earned. Players are free to make their characters stand out from the crowd this way.

You will also receive new equipment as a result of your efforts in the game. For example, for each bike race I completed, I received a different (and better) bike. It didn’t matter if I came in first or last.

Final Thoughts

• It’s a lovely open-world game. We can’t be on deep water, though, because the game will yank you back to land. Apart from that, we have complete freedom to do whatever we want, including climbing a mountain!
• I’ve also noticed that your character’s surroundings react to you. When you walk through the snow, for instance, your character’s feet will be covered in snow; your entire body may be covered in snow if you fall over! You’ll also be drenched if it rains. It was a nice addition that I really appreciated.

• Wild animals can also be found all over the map, and their sounds can be heard. This surely made the game feel more “alive”.

• I also enjoyed the music. When racing, the songs added to the excitement and kept the adrenaline pumping. Despite falling flat on my face so many times, I enjoyed it. The actors who play the characters’ voices are also excellent. They, too, maintained the game’s upbeat, thrilling atmosphere.

Although I am not a fan of the genre, I had a lot of fun. It gave me the chance to get an idea of why people are drawn into extreme sports, whether it be in gaming or reality. I can see myself playing this game for hours, collecting stars and POIs, and competing against players from around the world. Lastly, the feature that personally really drew me in, along with the visuals and fun gameplay, was the open-world aspect. I can’t wait to see what else is in store once Riders Republic is finally fully released!