Riptide GP 2 shoots itself in the foot by showing a lack of ambition. Try as it might, it just struggles to shake away the notion that this is a mobile game port struggling to make the step up in class. All the ingredients for a thrilling wave racer are here, but tedious repetition just over-rides its great looks.
We’ll start with the playability. Riptide has serious pick-up-and-play appeal, as you’d expect from a series that has made its name on iOS and Android (there is a PC version too). It’ll take you a few races to earn enough achievements points to be able to upgrade your bike with boosts in power, acceleration, top speed and, very importantly, handling. Your first bike thinks left-hand slides are optional, so it’s a struggle to claim victory against a speedy AI. But once you notch your first win and get upgrading your bike (there is an abundance of customisations to make and new stunts to unlock), the difficulty level decreases dramatically, to the point where you have to be pretty bad to finish anywhere but in first place. The balance between your upgradability and the AI is all over the shop, and a black mark on the game for anyone looking for a challenge.
The Career mode, as with so many games of this ilk, is the highlight. Start at the bottom, move through the levels and end up a superstar with an unbeatable bike. As a result, it all feels very samey, and that’s despite a wide variety of great-looking futuristic landscapes and its fast-paced nature. Unfortunately, there is no online multiplayer, despite this being a feature in the game’s mobile offerings. You do get a fun six-player split-screen multiplayer mode, but on this reviewer’s 32-inch TV, that was a step too far. There’s also a VR challenge mode where you race against ghost friends, however it lacks any of the excitement of a standard multiplayer.
Ultimately, Riptide is built for short, sharp gaming sessions and still ideally suited to mobile. It’s a more than serviceable game, offering a simple learning curve that makes you feel like you’ve been playing the game for hours, but if you’re looking for a Hydro Thunder Hurricane upgrade or a next-gen Wave Race, there’s nothing here for you. Maybe next time.
6/10
We’ll start with the playability. Riptide has serious pick-up-and-play appeal, as you’d expect from a series that has made its name on iOS and Android (there is a PC version too). It’ll take you a few races to earn enough achievements points to be able to upgrade your bike with boosts in power, acceleration, top speed and, very importantly, handling. Your first bike thinks left-hand slides are optional, so it’s a struggle to claim victory against a speedy AI. But once you notch your first win and get upgrading your bike (there is an abundance of customisations to make and new stunts to unlock), the difficulty level decreases dramatically, to the point where you have to be pretty bad to finish anywhere but in first place. The balance between your upgradability and the AI is all over the shop, and a black mark on the game for anyone looking for a challenge.
The Career mode, as with so many games of this ilk, is the highlight. Start at the bottom, move through the levels and end up a superstar with an unbeatable bike. As a result, it all feels very samey, and that’s despite a wide variety of great-looking futuristic landscapes and its fast-paced nature. Unfortunately, there is no online multiplayer, despite this being a feature in the game’s mobile offerings. You do get a fun six-player split-screen multiplayer mode, but on this reviewer’s 32-inch TV, that was a step too far. There’s also a VR challenge mode where you race against ghost friends, however it lacks any of the excitement of a standard multiplayer.
Ultimately, Riptide is built for short, sharp gaming sessions and still ideally suited to mobile. It’s a more than serviceable game, offering a simple learning curve that makes you feel like you’ve been playing the game for hours, but if you’re looking for a Hydro Thunder Hurricane upgrade or a next-gen Wave Race, there’s nothing here for you. Maybe next time.
6/10