Review of TT Isle Of Man: Ride on the Edge 3

Three years after the release of the last installment, the TT Isle Of Man: Ride on the Edge motorcycle series is back with a full sequel. While the first two parts of 2018 and 2020 were created in the French studio Kylotonn, the reins of the third part have passed to the Italian developers from the Raceward studio, who brought their own RiMS Racing motorcycle races in the past.

Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, the new installment is based on the official license of the famous Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, which boasts over a century of history and is often referred to as the most dangerous motorcycle race in the world.

• Platform: PS5 (review) PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
• Publication date: 03.11.2023
• Manufacturer: Raceward Studio (Italy)
• Genre: race
• Czech localization: No
• Multiplayer: yes (online)
• Data to download: 15 GB
• Price: 1599 kr (PS Store)

Before the open world

The company owes this reputation mainly to the environment and the track it runs on. The Isle of Man track is over 60 km long and consists of fast winding roads that are driven by ordinary cars during the rest of the year. Once a year, however, the otherwise peaceful island turns into a mecca for road racing, as motorbike racing on ordinary roads is called. So it’s not too surprising that the main attraction of TT Isle Of Man: Ride on the Edge 3 is not licensed motorcycles or racers, but the Isle of Man and the famous track called Snaefell Mountain Course.

The already mentioned old parts of the series offered a plausible interpretation of the entire track. But the developers at Raceward decided to use the entire island even more. The result is a transition from indoor racing to an open world offering over 200km of tracks. For the first time in the series, this means that you can freely drive around most of the Isle of Man, even outside of strictly limited racing. If I had to mention the most significant thing that distinguishes the third part from its predecessors, it is the transition to an open world, which in itself opens up other possibilities.

Even with TT 3, Isle Of Man: Ride on the Edge remains a relatively narrowly focused game.

In terms of the structure of the game content, the authors have relied on the season system and two strictly separate campaigns, each of which is dedicated to one of the two available classes of motorcycles in the form of Supersports and Suberbikes. At the beginning of your journey through the game’s campaign, which is the flagship mode, you choose one of the available licensed racers and bikes for both classes, which you can freely switch between during each season. However, individual racing is always for a specific class of motorcycle, so they are really two completely different careers.

Each season consists of several races, timed events and other optional tasks. But the backbone is a few major races that you’ll have to win in order to subsequently qualify for the aforementioned Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, which is the supposed golden nail of every season. But even before that, you will have to find and unlock the locations of individual races while exploring the island in a free ride. For winning in individual cases, you will subsequently receive credits, which can generally be spent only on improving the performance of the motorcycle. You would look in vain for visual customization or the ability to create and manage your own team. In fact, the game offers almost no other content besides the races themselves. The only thing worth mentioning is the gradual unlocking of textual information about the race itself and its history.

Still a narrowly focused name at its core

Therefore, it must be remembered that TT Isle Of Man: Ride on the Edge remains, even with the third part, a relatively narrow-minded title that definitely does not impress with either the breadth of content, or the number of activities, or motorcycles. Despite this already obvious assumption, I am of the opinion that much more diverse content could still be extracted from the whole concept of an open world, with a more diverse set of activities, potentially able to engage a wider group of players. In its current form, the series of re-races, qualifications and other additional tests will dry up relatively quickly. As a result, subsequent career mode seasons are just another variation on what you’ve already completed in the past. While overall I think the move to the open world was a smart decision, there was a lot more to be learned from the whole concept.

Compared to the somewhat barren trails, driving the twisty roads of the Isle of Man is a real challenge.

The strict focus of the authors only on the Isle of Man was reflected in a relatively narrow range of tracks. Even including the 60 km Snaefell Mountain Course, there are only 8 courses in the game, each of which takes place on the aforementioned island. A number of interesting real and fictional tracks that took you, for example, to Ireland or England in the previous parts, are simply missing in the third part. Even the already available motorcycle offer, which is limited to a couple of classes representing several makes and models, will not impress you much.

In addition to the described career, the title boasts only the possibility of a quick race and online multiplayer. However, due to the lack of a more sophisticated lobby, very few players play it. Personally, I was happy to always meet at least one player during the review process. If you would like to drive Mana in multiplayer, you will have no choice but to arrange with a group of friends. Random sessions don’t cost much these days.

Excellent gameplay and controversial technical side

While the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy may be considered the toughest motorcycle race in the world, TT Isle Of Man: Ride on the Edge 3 holds the same title in the motorcycle racing field. In the areas of driving and physics, the third volume understandably benefits from the foundation laid in the previous volumes. Therefore, the developers from Raceward bring some kind of evolution rather. However, I felt a little better on the trip than in previous episodes. For example, wobbly and illogical crashes or strange behavior of a motorcycle on the horizon are gone. The result is a reliable driving model that allows you to drive to your limits and gradually improve.

However, it is the combination of an excellent riding model and the aforementioned environments that creates a unique mix that no other motorcycle game on the market can offer you. Compared to the somewhat barren trails, riding the twisty roads of the Isle of Man is a real challenge that requires maximum concentration and a certain amount of experience, without which you will soon find yourself on the ground. A great sense of speed also contributes to a literal adrenaline-pumping experience. Especially for less experienced players, the first few hours of the game will literally be a struggle to survive. It is at these moments, regardless of experience, that you will find that the main enemy is not your rivals or the stop sign, but the already lit trails of the Isle of Man.

On the tested PS5 version, the game suffers from quite pronounced and nasty texture bouncing.

You could already get at least a basic idea of ​​the chart from the attached materials. I can praise the models of individual bikes and riders, as well as the overall lighting, which can create a beautiful scenery. On the other hand, the handling of the environment is one of the weaknesses of the game. However, it is true that due to the high average speeds and the emphasis on maximum concentration, there is not much space for enjoying nature and the surrounding objects. However, on the tested PS5 version, the game suffers from some pretty significant and nasty texture bouncing. At some moments, distant objects do not have time to be drawn at all, so instead of distant hills, you often see only a blurry or not loaded texture at all. This is where some inexperience of the Italian team in the development of games with a more open world manifested itself. The used KT Engine, which is not one of the most modern, can also play a role in this.

The third TT Isle of Man is betting on challenging, adrenaline-fuelled racing that, thanks to its great driving model, good sense of speed, and higher difficulty in terms of gameplay, is hard to beat in the motorcycle racing realm. Unfortunately, despite the transition to an open world, the authors failed to create a solid foundation with enough diverse content that could be of interest to a wider range of players. The third Isle of Man TT, following the example of its predecessors, is aimed mainly at traditional fans of motorcycle racing games, who will appreciate the emphasis on the driving model, higher difficulty and the availability of licensed content.