PC Gamer - UK (2022-01)

A bit much can also be a good thing,

you understand. Ubisoft Annecy’s

spiritual sequel to Steep is a decidedly

maximalist game, albeit an untamed

and jabbering one. Joining the

snowsports and

wingsuits from its

ancestor are biking

disciplines and

powered vehicles, all

ready to be swapped

between in real-time

with a button press and

thumbstick flick.

A patchwork quilt of

real-world national parks forms the

sumptuous world map, red rock

giving way to budding tundra

succumbing to powdery white peaks.

Event markers pop up like energy

drink-branded pestilence, waiting for

the park ranger protagonist to clean

them all up using their aptitude for

shredding, catching sick bumps, and

other such hijinks.

Marquee events, unlocked by

reaching milestones in a given

discipline, are particular highlights

and throw in wildly different

geographical propositions. And

tucked away behind the events are

super-technical pro line runs that

require Super Meat Boy-like feats of

daring and dexterity.

Once in a while, a different

disembodied voice ushers us to mass

events, where up to 64 players

embark on absurd jaunts by bike, skis,

snowboards, and rocket wingsuits.

There’s a lot more to digest in this

melange of Forza Horizon, The Crew

2 , and Destiny than Steep offered.

With each completed event, Riders

Republic showers new stuff

everywhere. Gear, character levels,

events, bucks to spend on outfits,

sponsors who offer daily challenges

which, when completed, shower

even more stuff all over the floor.

It’s easy to just let yourself get

caught in the jetstream of this

frenzied progression

and whizz along in it,

enjoying Riders

Republic on its own

terms. Do a race, listen

to someone describe

how rad that thing you

did was, watch a brief

cutscene of a

snowboard being

unlocked, do another race.

That’s my advice. Don’t think too

much, just keep nodding along with

the X-Games bros and winning stars.

Because like many a 20 th century

communist republic, this one is built

on pretty shaky ground.

It starts with the physical models

underpinning the many disciplines

on offer. It’s clear from the first

over-caffeinated whooping noise that

Ubisoft Annecy is going for simplicity,

but in whittling each handling model

down to such basic terms it’s taking

away much of what ought to be

interesting about sending a MTB

down a mountain. It was hours

before I accepted that there really is

no wheelie function, or an endo.

REPUBLIC INQUIRY

Stunt controls fare much better

under long-term exploration,

particularly with manual landing

selected. No, it’s the races where you

have time to want more, even as the

excitable voices distract you from it.

Ubisoft Annecy’s either

lampooning the cringey exuberance

of extreme sports culture, or

emulating it sincerely. Both music

and dialogue miss the mark,

wherever the intended mark is, and

very often Riders Republic sounds like

game developers approximating cool,

in the same way those medieval

artists who’d never seen lions had a

stab at them on a coat of arms.

Between us though, I’d take a

soundtrack comprised entirely of

tiresome Coolio covers in exchange

for some mechanical tweaks like a

no-contact online race option, rider

weight controls that allow fine control

and wheelies, and a button actually

rewinds the AI too, not just me.

There are tonal irritations. There’s

a drunken imprecision to control at

times. But I’m not ready to pack up,

shave off my soul patch, and join the

ranks of the normies. If Riders

Republic isn’t delivering on its

premise, why do I care so much

about winning mass events? And why

do I get excited about a new pair of

skis with a higher number?

It might not be the best extreme

sports game, but it’s compelling. A

jamboree of adrenaline and player

progression with some suspect tunes.

To put it another way: it might not

sound like it, but trust me – it’s hip.

71

Extreme sports are made

accessible in Riders

Republicto the point of

basic. It’s gota tin earbut

a big heart.

VERDICT

I

t might not sound like it, but trust me – it’s hip...” One of the

many disembodied voices guiding me through this bold new

society of extreme sports types in the mountains is telling me I

can win a pizza delivery bike in the next event. She’s also,

knowingly or not, critiquing herself. Everybody here talks like

they’re hooked up to a Red Bull IV drip and graduated English class

taught by Life is Strange’s Chloe. It’s a bit much.

PARTY LINES

RIDERS REPUBLICfalls just shortof shredheaven

By Phil Iwaniuk

Keep nodding

along with the

X-Games bros

and winning

stars

A QUIET PLACE

Three natural havens to explore in Zen Mode

ZION

WHITE THRONE

MOUNTAINS

Millions of years, laid

bare as rock. Shred

but showreverence.

GRAND TETON

GRAND TETON

Look howutterly

flipping high we are!

Shred away the

vertigo blues.

YOSEMITE

HALF DOME

MOUNTAIN

You’ll fall for days off

this. Best have some

shreddie brek first.

NEED TO KNOW

WHAT IS IT?

An extreme sports

open-world – think

Steep 2 with bikes

EXPECT TO PAY

£50

DEVELOPER

Ubisoft

PUBLISHER

In-house

REVIEWED ON

i7 9700K, RTX 1080 TI,

16GB RAM

MULTIPLAYER

Yes

LINK

ubisoft.com/en-gb/

game/riders-republic

Riders Republic

REVIEW

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