Gamers of the early 2000s will no doubt remember the “EXTREME!” phase of the world was going through. Everything from your diet sodas to socks had some sort of “EXTREME” slant to it but there was 1 special series that took EXTREME to the next level and it was a little Extreme Sports title called SSX. It’s been a long time since there was an entry in that series, but fans need not to look any further because Ubisoft has delivered Riders Republic. 

I’ll admit, that I wasn’t fully sold on Riders Republic when I first saw the game. I felt that part of my life(youth) had passed me by and I really wasn’t sure that it was something I’d get into but when you get right down to brass tacks on it, Riders Republic hooked me in. When you think of Ubisoft, especially in more recent years, you think big beautiful lively maps with more tasks and hidden items than you can shake a stick at. Take all that but mix in the extreme sports world and you have yourself a pretty compelling and entertaining game.

Developed by the same team as Steep, Riders Republic is a big giant open world game filled with tasks, collectibles, races and a slew of different sports including, but not limited to skiing, jetpacking and wingsuits. Basically, this is Forza Horizon but for extreme sports. Not only is there plenty to do but Riders Republic caters to gamers from all walks of life. 

One of the great things about Riders Republic is you can jump in have a race or 2 and even if you’re not the best or still feeling out the controls, you’ll feel as though you’re progressing well because the game doesn’t punish you for poor performance. It just rewards you more handsomely if you perform really well. Riders Republic hands out stars to help you progress more abundantly than Oprah giving away cars to her in studio audience. As someone who has a very busy life these days, I really appreciate that. 

The social functions are pretty great and well thought out as well. Personally, I think this game would have stood out on its own as a strictly single player title, but the map is alive with all the other people you’ll encounter. It just feels like this strange MMO set in a sports world and it’s a really cool sensation. Graphically, I found Riders Republic to be a beautiful game. From the stunning vistas to the kooky and over the top and brightly colored players. I continually found myself smiling at some of the whacky looks people had going. 

Now that’s not to say there aren’t a few not so great moments. For starters, I know they’re trying to capture that subculture of the extreme sports people – I was friends with a professional skater/snowboarder when I was a kid, I know what they’re like – This really ain’t it… I mean granted it’s been a hot minute since I hung out with those people, but the dialogue is some of the worst I’ve ever experienced. Maybe this was intentional, but it sure missed the mark with me. It’s almost as if the writers are from my generation but trying to sound as if they’re from the new era. I wish they’d have just stuck with regular English.

Another irritant was the collision mechanics. At the beginning of races, it never felt quite clear to me if I was supposed to stay away from people or not. Sometimes I’d drive right through them and others I’d bounce off them careening off the cliff to what was surely a grisly death.

My last gripe really comes down to the control mechanics. It took me a good while to come to terms with the controls and while I got the hang of it, they never feel fully fleshed out or complete to me. The base controls map the tricks to the face buttons and your success depends mostly on how long you hold them for, while the Trickster controls gives the player a little more control with the right stick but it just never feels right. You may lose some of your camera options, which is an awful sacrifice if you’re trying to play well and win. I think a combination of triggers, and thumbstick strokes or taps even might have worked better. Honestly, just go back to SSW Tricky and borrow those controls schemes. I kept trying to do them.

All this to say that despite my issues with the game, I’ve really enjoyed my time with the game and keep going back to it every few days to get in some extra time. I’m certain they’ll continue to improve and refine Riders Republic as we move into 2022. I’m excited to see where this franchise can go with player feedback. There’s no reason this shouldn’t be in your console. 

Pros:
– Big beautiful open world that feels alive with players
– The wide variety of sports and events
– Game doesn’t punish you for poor performance, it encourages players to keep practicing
– Easy to pick up and get a few races and still progress

Cons:
– I wish the controls were a little more like SSX
– Collision mechanics felt unfinished
– Absolutely brutal dialogue

Kaneda