Revving Up for Thrills: Riders Republic Beta Review — Ubisofts Extreme Sports Playground Ditches Familiarity for Adventure

Riders Republic marks Ubisoft Annecy’s second attempt at a game centered around extreme sports. The studio’s inaugural title, Steep, launched in 2016, and was set in the French Alps, which was initially the game’s only open-world setting. In Riders Republic, however, the Alps are absent, and you won’t see the Steep branding anymore. This rebranding indicates that the gaming giant is looking for a new direction following the varied responses to Steep. Expanding beyond just winter sports, Riders Republic showcases a vast landscape created from various US National Parks seamlessly connected into one expansive map. Players can travel from Yosemite Valley to Grand Canyon to Mammoth Mountain in just a few minutes.

Even though Riders Republic is still a couple of months away from its launch — set for October 28 — Ubisoft recently launched an invite-only beta that was accessible for two days. On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be much change beneath the surface; the same developers are at work, some of the sports remain the same, and it possesses a familiar control layout. Additionally, some of the previous issues from Steep persist. Like its predecessor, Riders Republic is built as an always-online experience. If players step away for a moment, they’ll get logged out, requiring them to begin anew from their latest position and select a fast travel point before making their way to the next race. The reasoning behind this is unclear, though it appears Ubisoft intends to foster an open world where players can interact during free roaming.

However, this online requirement isn’t necessary at all. The multiplayer elements in Riders Republic are structured — participants need to head to a designated area in the primary Riders Ridge hub to enter “Mass Races,” featuring 32 players on current consoles and 64 on PC and next-gen consoles (PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series S/X). Mass Races change sports midway through the event, reminiscent of the open world racer The Crew 2. Alternatively, players can navigate to the “Social” tab in the menus to form groups of up to six friends for 6v6 team competitions, performing tricks and capturing areas. There are also 12-player free-for-all multiplayer competitions where players face off through a variety of events. Furthermore, full crossplay is supported.

Ultimately, the gameplay is what truly counts. The Riders Republic beta featured three primary sports: biking, skiing/snowboarding, and rocket wingsuit flying. Except for the rocket wingsuit, most of the action will be downhill. Every race revolves around checkpoints, and failing to hit them can be detrimental. Riders Republic includes a rewind feature known as “Backtrack,” but it doesn’t work the same way as seen in other racing titles like Dirt and Forza Horizon. While players rewind, other competitors continue to advance, even when racing against ghost avatars of fellow racers. Is this due to the online requirement? Perhaps. You won’t be able to leverage backtrack for optimal performance as it can in Forza, but it does simplify the transition to PvP encounters, I’ll concede.

The need to utilize “Backtrack” arises because Riders Republic is a swift-paced arcade experience. During some events, my bike or skis exceeded speeds of 110 km/h — which meets Olympic standards for skiing and surpasses it for biking. I question whether pedals could realistically spin that quickly. The game features arcade-style controls, with my bike’s rear tire skidding dramatically when I hit the brake, evoking memories of the wild drifting found in Need for Speed Heat. It’s remarkable how a player can maintain balance, only being unseated when colliding head-on with obstacles. Recovering is as easy as pressing a button, and players won’t need to manually return to their vehicle — thankfully, this isn’t Road Rash.

You’ll also be encouraged to use “Backtrack” since several races lack physical barriers*. Additionally, Riders Republic events unfold across diverse terrains. If players aren’t vigilant, it’s all too easy to veer off course — I often found myself straying while attempting to boost my speed using “Boost,” available for biking and rocket wingsuit flying. This could be rocket propulsion (obviously) or exceptional pedaling. To complicate matters further, Riders Republic might not always reset your position when you go off track, which can lead to significant time loss. However, it will reset you in races where skipping checkpoints might provide an edge. I generally prefer the automated reset over the manual one, even if it means losing time (the former) instead of retaining momentum (the latter).

*Conversely, some races do have solid barriers, like mesh fences that one might presume to be destructible, yet they are not, curiously.

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Mass Race in Riders Republic
Photo Credit: Ubisoft

Ubisoft seems determined to create a fast-paced experience with Riders Republic, as it adds to the fun factor. Nonetheless, while skiing in a Mass Race alongside 30 other players online, I felt steering was extraordinarily challenging, leading to frequent crashes with passing rocks and trees. A similar sensation emerged during a special event where I had two rocket boosters attached to my bicycle. At times, it felt akin to Forza Horizon but with an added adrenaline boost.

Fortunately, Riders Republic isn’t solely focused on speed. Certain game modes prioritize accumulating points — in the beta, this was exclusive to snowboarding. Players must execute tricks in the air, grind on rails, and stick their landings to amass a high score. Riders Republic offers three controller configurations: use buttons (“Racer”), utilize the right stick (“Trickster”), or employ the triggers for launching and the left stick for tricks (“Steep”). The last option caters specifically to fans of Steep and seasoned players. Additionally, players can choose whether to automate landings (simpler) or tackle them manually (more challenging). Poor landings happen more often with the manual option, but successful executions yield higher scores. The “Steep” method provides a landing assist bonus, but players must let go of tricks to activate it.

When players aren’t racing, they can explore the vast landscape of Riders Republic using any gear available — even their own two feet. A Zen Mode for relaxation exists but wasn’t part of the beta. Players can also engage in “Creative Mode” to design trails and challenges for others, which the community will vote on to be featured in the game. Another exciting aspect is the photo mode, allowing players to capture stunning images. This feature includes options for filters, depth of field, time settings, and conditions like fog, dust, rain, snow, and dampness. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, and saturation are also available. While not as comprehensive as photo modes seen in other titles, it should satisfy casual photographers.

More details regarding Riders Republic will emerge upon its release on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X, including full cross-platform play. Let’s hope for no further delays. It was originally slated for an early September release, but in July, Ubisoft announced it would be postponed nearly two months to allow more time for developers to fine-tune the experience.