It feels like every time you blink, a new racing game is released. Whether it’s stock car, street racing, or motorcycles, there’s something for almost any kind of racing game out there for you. RiMS Racing is the latest option.
Rather than be an inclusive game for everyone, RiMS Racing wants to be a hardcore simulation for motorbike fans. It just doesn’t do enough to make it worth anything more than a short play.
Gameplay wise, RiMS feels great on the bike. The haptic feedback on the Dualsense is, once again, a great addition to a game. It really makes any sort of racing game feel more responsive and enjoyable than anything I’ve ever experienced. Aside from the racing itself, the rest of the game falls extremely flat.
There are quick time events to address maintenance that completely destroys any immersion you had on the track. Outside of your races, your parts on the bike will need upgrades in order to stay competitive. That part isn’t too bad, but it really feels more of a way to add a false sense of progression than anything else.
There’s also various objectives to achieve in order to earn extra in-game currency, but nothing that feels rewarding. Even the career mode quickly dries out as you simply move from one event to another. It all just feels forced.
The racing, though, is really the only solid part of this game. Visually, there were quite a few rendering problems as you raced. Environment elements took longer to render than a next-gen game should, and the game suffers from random crashes back to the dashboard that left me frustrated.
Another gripe is the limited selection of bikes. In total, you have just eight bikes to choose from. Some may like the limitation, but I, for one, don’t. I want to be able to try out as many different rides as possible, and eight just doesn’t cut it in 2021. As far as tracks are concerned, you have 15 total to choose from: 10 circuits and five road courses. That does give you a nice mix of play, especially when the road courses can be run in reverse. It keeps things somewhat fresh on the track.
RiMS Racing Review Verdict
I see what RiMS Racing is trying to do, but it just falls flat. There’s really not a lot of depth that you can’t find with other motorcycle racing games. Unfortunately, the game just feels kind of, bleh. It’s not that it’s a bad game, but it just doesn’t do anything to keep my attention.
*NOTE: A copy of RiMS Racing for PS5 was provided to SGO for the purposes of this review.