101Tomahawk deaths are
hard to come by, but
if you hit an opponent,
it’s a one-hit kill. Ouch.U
nlike AI riders, real people
cheat, and online Ride
3 doesn’t do enough to
stop them. The penalty system
penalises clever corner cutters
with fewer seconds than they
gained from the act, which means
some riders will lap four seconds
faster than you even when your
lines are perfect. Still, on the
countryside stages and more
sweeping circuits, the racing is
solid enough. The few predictable,
laggy connections don’t upset the
experience too much, though if
one person ‘forgets’ to brake, the
chaos that follows can decimate
the field at turn one. Voting for the
next bike class and track works
well, and invite-only championships
with non-cheating friends are
available if you set up your own
lobby. You’ll probably want to.The game plays just fine online,
albeit with some laggy opponents.
But it’s hard to take the track
racing seriously with such brazen
cheating. Justin TowellINFOVERDICTFORMATPS4
PUBMILESTONE S.R.L.
DEVMILESTONE S.R.L.
REVIEW#158, 7/10F
inding a room to take part in
some online B-movie action
isn’t a problem. The problem
is how long you’ll be left waiting
before you can join your host in
blasting back the bugs and other
alien invaders due to the padded
length of average missions. Grab
a cuppa and get comfy because it’s
guaranteed to be a few minutes
before the other side sorts out
their pest control situation long
enough to let you in on the fun.
But once you’re matched it’s
smooth sailing, offering plenty of
weapons and missions you may
not otherwise have gained access
to in your offline game. However,
Earth Defense Force 5’s online
offering is still best for a short
sci-fi sojourn and not a lengthy
career as an interplanetary
pest exterminator.Earth Defense Force 5 is as much
silly fun online as off, though
you’re likely to spend just as
much time waiting around as you
are blasting bugs. Jess KinghornINFOVERDICTFORMATPS4
PUBD3 PUBLISHER
DEVSANDLOT
REVIEW#158, 6/10Are the stewards even
watching? Hello? Mr Webb?Holding out for a hero
Ride 3
Earth Defense
Force 5
With slick presentation Rockstar’s
online prairies are off to a promising
start, but unforgiving deathmatches
are a hurdle. The new Gun Rush mode
could turn the tide. Dave MeiklehamVERDICTHostile Territory, Name Your Weapon
(where kills with more challenging guns
reward greater points), and RDO’s
takes on battle royale – Make It Count
and the new Gun Rush mode. Limiting
players’ equipment, these 16- or
32-player last-man-standing skirmishes
offer an intimate, nerve-shredding spin
on Fortnite. The Rockstar cowboy take
on popular game modes you might
already be familiar with is one of RDO’s
most intriguing elements. It’s a moreish
pillar of the entire RDR2 package.
A generous auto-aim gives novice
outlaws a fighting chance in the
above modes, but RDO’s hectic
shootouts can still overwhelm players
just starting out. Death is dealt out
swiftly... and constantly. Persist through
the harsh learning curve and the
journey through RDO’s upper ranks
should give dozens of hours of
compelling cowboy carnage.TO GOLDLY GO
RDO’s microtransactions are
Gold Bars. They’re not that
intrusive, allowing you to buy
certain guns more quickly.
Eight cost £8.99 – the price of
the ace Schofield Revolver.