Riders Republic

Riders Republic is at its best in the midst of chaos. Often that chaos is controlled as players seek out numerous racing and trick events that send them careening downhill on bikes and skis or across wide canyons in a wingsuit. Riders Republic is fun because it rarely takes itself too seriously. Even when trudging through the strange and forcibly hip dialog, it’s hard not to laugh at the absurdity of the ghosts of other players crashing into snowy powder.

Acting as a spiritual successor to Steep, Riders Republic ratchets up the stakes by introducing new sports and an incredibly diverse world that comes alive while players sail along at dizzying speeds. Though I’m keen on Ubisoft’s specific formula of open worlds, I never spent much time with Steep because sports and X-games never had much appeal to me. But Riders Republic is much more diverse, meaning that the tantalizing amount of events, things to do, and social connectivity are brought to life by just more than the sheer thrill of a racing or sports title.

The first few hours of Riders Republic are the most difficult to wade through. Because the game has so many attention-grabbing features, developer Ubisoft Annecy decided to make the game’s introduction fairly linear. Players tackle the bike, snowboard, and skis in succession, getting a grasp on the feel of each discipline. The introduction of stars being rewarded for performance in events to help unlock new events directs players towards gradual improvement. A few moments of working with the trick control schemes allows the opportunity to earn a sense of control on how to pull of increasingly wicked stunts.

The whole time players are shuffled through the wide-open tutorial, the sprawling Republic lies in wait. In every way, the snowy, dusty sandboxes of the world are carved up to offer maximum enjoyment. In terms of real estate, I’m not sure how Riders Republic compares to Assassin’s Creeds and Far Crys. But it’s undeniable that this environment compromised of real-world parks and landmarks is sprawling and packed with things to do. Yes, a far-off distant cliff that reaches towards the clouds probably hides a box to check off. A distant cavern may hide a relic that unlocks a pizza delivery bike or skis made of wooden planks. It’s all packed with opportunity, meaning that Riders Republic doesn’t focus entirely on sheer speed and tricks.

Let’s get this out of the way: Riders Republic is framed by an often weird, frequently cringe-inducing narrative. Filmed through the lens of a reality TV show, the player character is guided through the hub area, meeting a handful of people tossing out lingo that gives the impression someone is trying to write like a hip beach bum. There’s some surfer slang or whatever that I just did not understand and often laughed at because of how silly it all felt.

But I’ve got to be honest, there’s a kind of charm in how strange and bad it sounds. There’s a blissful weirdness to how not-serious everyone in this game is. The “Republic” is described as a kind of commune where like-minded enthusiasts came together to carve out biking paths through the dense trees and set up shop at mountain ridges. Imagine the writing of Riders Republic like a well-intentioned hug from a kind-faced stranger. There’s no ill will there, but something about it feels… off, yet all you can do is just accept the embrace and offer a pat on the back in return.

Sure, Riders Republic didn’t need narrative tissue to hold everything together but it’s there. You’re free to skip the cutscenes if you wish or just roll your eyes through the experience for a good chuckle, I think either option provides its own kind of pleasure.

I’m not sure if anyone else experiences this unique sensation when gaming but I’ll try to explain it anyway. Often when I find my character jumping off terrifying heights or plummeting towards an inevitable crash, I feel the blood in my ears rush, causing a fluttering sound. It’s like I’m there, about to shatter every bone in my body. It happens even if myself or my character isn’t going to suffer terrible fall damage.

In Riders Republic I felt nearly helpless as my green-skinned lady flew down a dirt path around a mountain. At one point she was going 70mph or more and I was trying to complete a challenge that required me to finish the track without braking. Because I hated life I switched to first-person momentarily. Both times after going off a ramp I felt that rush of blood.

The adrenaline that would course through a normal person’s body while tackling these events in Riders Republic in real life would probably cause their hearts to explode. But good lord, the thrill here is undeniable. The subtle shifts in environmental diversity mean there are going to be dozens of races and trick events to participate in. Races rely on speed where trick events ask players to perform a set number of tricks for a high score. Completing either the first time grants a star in that particular discipline’s career path.

Leveling up a career unlocks better gear that provides stat boosts such as better handling, more air control, and a higher top speed. With better gear, players will be able to tackle an event with more finesse and the ability to earn more stars. Some star requirements ask players to come in first place or perform specific tricks, while others ask for more extreme things like maintaining certain speeds or collecting objects scattered around the path. It took a loooooong time before I was able to get more than one or two stars in an event. The linear nature of the introductory hours forces players to do a couple of these extra tasks before moving on.

The loot/gear system in Riders Republic is not aggressive at all. Progression and improvement work hand in hand. The more time players spend in the game, the better they will get, familiarizing themselves with the controls and the layout of events. Earning better gear simply means that the harder challenges will be easier to take on with the natural skill improvement.

Players also shouldn’t feel pressured to get better because the game features a lot of difficulty buffers to make Riders Republic more accessible. Before starting an event, players can select four difficulty options that determine XP multipliers and the players you’ll be competing against in the leaderboards. From there, the ability to select an auto-landing or a manual landing adjusts how players can control their landing. Auto means that crashing will be a lot harder but there’s no XP rewards while manual allows players to make perfect landings based on the curve of the ground or other factors. Performing tricks can be switched up using button presses, flips of the control sticks, or holding down the triggers and moving the control sticks.

I think the best way to approach Riders Republic is to do whatever feels best. There’s no reason to beat your head against the wall with the control schemes if they aren’t providing you with a rewarding experience. Making the game frustrating for yourself is the easiest way to strip away the thrill of racing down a hill or jumping off a blinding white peak in a snowboard. I’m sure someone in the Republic tells you to chill out, so why not follow the advice?

As a social game, Riders Republic features a surprising level of interaction with other players. Pulling up the world map shows hundreds of tiny icons indicating other players across the world moving around the Republic. It’s really a cool sight to see but not as cool as the dozens of other actual players and their ghosts grazing around the landscape. You’ll see harmless faces idling at landmarks or racing alongside you towards events. During races you’ll watch the mistakes others made and often bump into them. This means that solo mode rarely feels lonely. However, a zen mode is available if players wish to cut out everyone else and roam the Republic with no interruptions.

Riders Republic is aiming to create a community out of all the fellow racers. Players will be able to compete with each other in ranked PvP events and arenas or show off photos in the hub area. There are places to practice tricks and leaderboards to scour through. But the most chaotic and appealing feature of Riders Republic social game are the Mass Races where up to 64 players compete with each other in multi-discipline races. It’s truly a technical feat watching a swarm of other real players bump into each other while plunging downhill and then shift into a wingsuit. Since launch, server issues have improved that caused the game to infrequently crash or slow down or make other players stutter and shift around.

Taking in the spectacular scope of Riders Republic with this swell of players gives me hope that the competitive and cooperative nature of the game will foster a fun environment that more and more people will be drawn to over time. Ridiculous events like Shackdaddy challenges where players race across the desert on rocket skis or a pizza delivery bike prove that Ubisoft really just wants the game to be loaded with chaotic fun.

Surprisingly, Riders Republic isn’t particularly greedy in terms of microtransactions. Right now, players can spend their real money on cosmetics that are certainly absurd and meant to make you stand out. But a lot of those items can also be purchased with in-game cash, albeit with a higher price tag. Players can also complete challenges from sponsors or other NPCs to earn exclusive gear upon leveling up. But the store isn’t packed with too much at the moment, especially worthwhile items that everyone will want. As seasonal content comes along, I’m sure that will change.

Riders Republic is often a clash of enjoyable features. It wants to be a sports game that can appeal to a mass market by being accessible and expansive. Purists who loved the Tony Hawk games or SSX from older generations might recognize a lot of the notes Riders Republic is trying to hit. Even with my lack of interest in skateboarding, I still played a Tony Hawk game because it looked fun. I love the arcade feel of racing games like Need for Speed while scoffing at the tamer simulations like Gran Turismo. Riders Republic might try too hard to be cool when it doesn’t really need to. I tuned out the soundtrack because it skewed towards modern day music or tracks from bands like Green Day and The Offspring who are far past their prime. But loved when I heard Boards of Canada or Aphex Twin and went on a chill stroll up a snowy mountain with my rocket skis. And I certainly rolled my eyes at the tubular slang dialog that begged to be cool. Yet I got wrapped up in taking in a spectacular view and reading the history behind a natural park or landmark. Because even in that enjoyable chaos, beauty can be found.