Review for TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2. Game for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 19/03/2020 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 14/05/2020
“When you get to the Isle of Man, you don't know if you will return. It is one of the first things you are told. Spring is running out, Celtic myths and legends combine with the smell of burnt rubber and gasoline, Gods and epic deeds are told like the exploits of pilots who have made history such as Joey Dunlop, David Jefferies, Mike Hailwood and John McGuinness . At that speed the asphalt becomes a gray tint and the grass a green tint. As soon as the charge of Old Dublin is over I'll put on my helmet, trying to stay on the gray shade ... "
TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 is the second chapter of the series dedicated to Tourist trophy, developed by Kylotonn and published by Bigben Interactive. Since E3 2019 where it was presented, the developers have announced novelties, such as totally renewed physics, evolved gameplay, 17 additional tracks, 18 bikes and faithful reproduction of the movements of the riders in the saddle. Will it really be so? Let's find out.
Having already particularly appreciated the previous chapter of the series, taking the pad in hand again to try the roads of the legendary Tourist Trophy was a natural consequence. Let's say immediately that the leap compared to the predecessor is evident, both from the point of view of playability and from the point of view of the gaming experience. TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 it is not a game for everyone, it requires a deep knowledge of the track, of the bike and a considerable predisposition to adapt. There completely revised physics and dynamism of weather and conditions of the bike, makes it rather complicated even with the numerous driving aids activated. If you are a player who comes from motorcycle racing on track such as those found on the Ride or Moto GP series, know that you will have to completely review your approach, otherwise you will soon stop playing it due to the frustration that the title induces on players who do not understand spirit of road racing.
The fact that road disciplines are niche specialties and we never talk about them on television does not make them "little stuff" at all, as most people think, accustomed to hearing about Moto GP only, a spectacular category but where the electronics is the master. The bikes prepared for street racing are very similar to those you might find in a dealership, but they adopt components and geometry of the chassis specifically designed for this type of competition and have very limited electronics, since for example the control of traction is prohibited by the regulation. The waiting lists for racing at the TT are endless, unless you participate in the championship Road Races where you need to make a name for yourself and accumulate points to be able to participate. The experience in this type of racing is fundamental, it takes years and years in which you go around the streets with small displacement bikes up to the coveted SuperBike, very fast bikes but very complicated to take to the limit and manage in the midst of bumps, sidewalks, houses and all kinds of natural obstacles. In such a scenario, falling is almost always fatal and those who survive often suffer permanent damage.
“At the TT it is not important to know when to open the throttle, but when to close it” - Joey Dunlop
This short sentence pronounced by the "King of the Mountain" with his 26 victories, is the perfect synthesis of the approach that must be taken from the beginning with TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2. The title starts with the classic tutorial to illustrate the commands to the player, exactly as it happened in the previous chapter, and then quickly take you to the menu where you can decide to try your hand immediately in career mode (option that we strongly advise against), or in races single, time attack or the convenient option called "Free guide". In addition to the tutorial, the advice we give you is that of start free driving starting with a small engine motorbike, starting to take measurements with the physics of the game, the reactions of the bike also based on the different regulations and the dynamic change of climatic conditions. The best place to start practicing is, in our opinion, the airport located at the bottom left when you exit the pits in free roaming mode.
The landing and take-off runways, joined by right-angled curves, will allow you to understand braking times and manage the bike in various situations. Keep an eye on the hud on the right from the start with all the various temperatures, because the dynamics of the bike change according to your riding style: the in fact, the temperature of the brakes, tires and engine are variables that play a fundamental role. If you launch into typically "racetrack" braking, you will send the temperature of the brakes to the sky, with the result that at the next corner the bike will no longer brake in an ideal way and you will end up hopelessly long (there are less dangerous ways of asking grandma Maggie to show you his garden).
Likewise, excessive generosity with the throttle grip will overheat the rear tire, which will begin to slip; in addition to tires and brakes, be aware that incorrect engine management will cause power losses that will make you slow on fast sections. It goes without saying that it will take some time to really begin to understand the essence of this type of competition, time that some may decide not to invest. The perplexity inherent in a title like TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 it's just this: it's a way unknown to most people, definitely difficult and not at all for all players. If you are among those who like to start the game and start hammering victories and good placings from the first races, the advice is to move on because the risk of throwing it to collect dust on a shelf is very high.
“Until you try it, you can't understand” - Guy Martin
Moving away from the mere aspect inherent in the objective difficulty of the gameplay, TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 it conveys the surreal atmosphere of a world far removed from the show business of modern sport. The tracks packed with people and billboards give way to classic old England villages, with lawns, churches, cottages and street pubs. The only flaw in this sense is that only the Tourist Trophy event has the official license, while any other minor event present within TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 it is the result of invention by the developers. The inclusion of other mythical races such as the NorthWest 200 Southern 100 or l 'Ulster GP it would have made the experience even more suggestive and immersive. The bikes available are contained in three categories: the Classics, where you can ride some bikes from the past such as the legendary one MV Agusta 500 Three Yamaha TZ750 or Norton NRS588, SuperSport 600 of displacement and the SuperBike 1000. The TT-Zero category consisting of electric motorcycles and the Sidecar category is missing, likely future implementation for possible DLCs.
The mode Career is the real heart of TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2, in which you will start as an absolutely novice rider with your own bike and without sponsors, having to earn a job as a rider in an official team and accumulate money, reputation and above all results to be able to run the Tourist Trophy event. Obviously, no one prevents you from remaining private drivers, having free choice on the races in which to race and so on, but know that without a team behind you will always have to buy everything yourself, motorcycles in the first place. As already mentioned, it will be anything but easy and the fact of being able to start from the Supersport class and not directly from Superbike is the clear sign that the mess is everything. After several hours of gameplay, the advice is to use the manual transmission e deactivate the ideal trajectory marked on the route: the manual gearbox allows you to practice the so-called "short shifting“, That is to change gear in advance of the optimal rpm for that specific gear ratio, so as not to overheat the tires and not to allow the bike to wheelie out of hairpins and slow corners.
Similarly, take some visual references and learn how to use the engine brake by downshifting the gears progressively, dosing the brake gradually. This driving style will allow you to do not dismantle the bike when braking and not to overheat the brakes. Be fluid and sweet, the recipe for a winning driving in road racing goes through the absolute cleanliness of driving, unless you are Dean Harrison but that's another story. Always in the name of realism, look at the option "hardcore”Selectable at the beginning of each career season: if it is true that the rewards are greater because the opponents are more aggressive, a fall at over 125 km / h will make you stand still for the whole championship. By progressing in racing and gaining experience, TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 will unlock the "Challenges“, A series of secondary events in which you will have to get gold, silver or bronze medals, trying your hand at head to head or time attack.
After several hours spent testing different types of bikes, you will understand for yourself that to win the TT event it will be essential memorize the circuit. In fact, during the race, depending on the sections in which you will have to pass, the curves in succession and the very demanding braking will not allow you to look at the radar at the bottom left: the approach is the same as for tracks such as the Nordschleife, that is, isolate it in sectors and start lining up the beyond 200 curves that make up the path about 60 kilometers.
Graphics and Audio
Although suggestive, the setting of TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 certainly does not leave you speechless: overall it is pleasant and it represents a step forward compared to the previous title, but you always have the clear feeling that everything has been placed there as a pure outline of the motorcycle race. A few fans who jump or clumsily incite the pilots and a few flocks of passing birds absolutely fail to give the magical and totally immersive sensation that only those who have been to the Isle of Man can have perceived. The motorcycle models are well done, full of details indeed well reproduced, the gnats on the windshield during the race are one real gem. The audio is well done, the roar of the engines of different ages and displacements is very distinct. The soundtracks are suitable for the context. Some may turn up their noses due to the lack of a system of aesthetic damage to the bike, but keep in mind that the hopes of getting back on the saddle after a fall in a road race are close to zero, also because for safety reasons in the event of an accident the red flag is almost always displayed.
Multiplayer
The multiplayer mode of TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 was implemented in a simple but rather effective way, allowing players to compete in online competitions on the various tracks or in mode local, with your friend in front of your split screen TV. For lack of connected people it was not possible to carry out online competitions, but we are sure that it will reserve surprises and fun. In local mode, on the other hand, the split screen does not affect the gaming experience at all and, challenging each other as in the old days, is always a pleasure.
“… I'm still alive and it's definitely not a foregone conclusion. It's time to have a pint of dark and smoke a pipe. When I take the boat back to Douglas to return to dry land, I already know that while I sleep I will remember what I felt in Glen Mona, Ballacraine or Barregarrow, mythical curves of a timeless track. I will definitely return to this island, where time stops and everyone is on the same level, without class, without age, without differences of any kind ... All protagonists of a unique show. "
TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 it is a decisive step forward compared to its predecessor, however the obviously improved graphics combined with the objective difficulty of the gameplay makes it a title a little too much for insiders. The model inherent in physics was evidently improved, but still has obvious flaws such as the position taken by the rider under braking. The passion of the developers in the creation of this title is evident and one can only applaud the efforts that led them to want to package a product that risked being a flop when it came out.
► TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 is a racing-Simulation-Sport game developed and published by Bigben Interactive for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 19/03/2020 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 14/05/2020
