Riptide GP2
Gameplay 8
Graphics 8
Sound 8

Riptide GP2 has the feel of an old school arcade racer and it is easy to get sucked into the experience. The game features some good looking tracks and plenty of awesome stunts. Although originally a mobile title, the developers went the extra mile to make it look good on PC and have also removed all micro-transactions. It is quite an addictive title, but suffers a bit from repetition in the later stages of the game.

Gameplay: Challenging and addictive, although it does become a bit of a grind.

Graphics: Quite impressive considering the mobile roots of the game.

Sound: The soundtrack fits the game, but might not be to everyone’s taste

Summary 8.0 Great
Gameplay 0
Graphics 0
Sound 0
Summary rating from user's marks. You can set own marks for this article - just click on stars above and press "Accept".
Accept
Summary 0.0 Terrible

Riptide GP2

Developer: Vector Unit | Publisher: Vector Unit | Release Date: 2014 | Genre: Action / Indie / Racing / Sport | Website: Official Website | Format: Digital Download

Riptide GP2 is a futuristic racing game, but instead of the usual hover cars, you are thrust into the seat of a rocket-powered hydro jet. The hydro jet is basically a souped-up jet ski used to speed around the rivers and canals of the futuristic world. Instead of some tacked on story, your goal is simply to make it to one of the top three spots in each race.

It is actually refreshing to play a game with a futuristic slant that isn’t all dark and dystopian. Due to the bright visuals and twisting tracks the game actually has a very WipeOut feel to it, but without feeling like a clone. Riptide GP2 was originally a mobile game, which explains the surprisingly tiny download size, but the game looks good enough that I would never have guessed. While not drop-dead gorgeous, there is plenty of visual touches such as the hovercraft and other vehicles in the background that breathe life into the levels. It is hard not to be reminded of Ridge Racer as an aerial craft zips overhead and the water effects are done very nicely as well.

In career mode you earn stars for finishing first, second or third in a race and a certain amount of stars is required to unlock further cups. With a total of nine cups and plenty of races, the game will keep players busy for a long time. Cups consist of straightforward races, hot laps which require you to beat a certain time, elimination where the last racer in the pack is eliminated every few seconds and freestyle where you have one minute to bust out tricks for a high score.

Riptide GP2 has a total of 25 different stunts that your rider can pull off, but not all of them are unlocked from the start. Instead, winning races not only rewards you with cash but also skill points which are used to unlock the stunts of your choice. Apart from generating points during freestyle events, stunts are used during other races to fill up your boost meter. Levels are dotted with ramps which launch you into the air and the stunt controls are simple enough to quickly pull off a few tricks. Once a trick is initiated the animation takes over so unfortunately you can pull off better or longer tricks by holding down buttons like in the Tony Hawk’s titles. While this makes it harder to fumble tricks you can still fall off your hydro jet if the trick is not done by the time you hit the water again. Recovering from crashes is near instantaneous, though and you only lose some speed and whatever boost you had stored. The game is also quite forgiving when it comes to bumping into walls or other racers as you can’t take any damage.

All micro-transactions have been removed from the game so money earned from winning races is used to upgrade your hydro jet or buy new ones. The upgrade options are relatively simple and there are ten different rides but earning enough cash for the good stuff can become a bit of a grind. We would have liked it if it was possible to sell your old rides to make up cash for the newer ones but unfortunately this is not possible. When buying a new ride, you must upgrade it as well, otherwise it is much slower than a fully upgraded older ride and doing so can be time consuming and repetitive as it involves redoing already completed races. It is very obvious when your current ride is not making the grade anymore as the other racers will quickly leave you in their wake.

Grinding aside, the game is quite addictive and had us hooked right from the start. Some more levels would have been nice, although the ones on offer are not too shabby. Outside of the career mode, there is a split screen multi-player mode as well as online mode. We didn’t’ have much luck with the online mode but the developers seem to be actively working on improving this feature so fingers crossed that they sort everything out.* If you have other Steam friends with the game you can also race against a recording of their best performances using the VR Challenge mode, but obviously this is not as satisfying as a proper online match. The game has full controller support, and everything feels very responsive, which is crucial in a fast paced game such as this. Steam achievements and trading cards have also been added which is always a nice touch. The audio is a bit of a mix between techno and Dubstep which is not going to appeal to everyone, but it does fit the theme of the game. The sound of breaking glass when your rider goes flying off his or her hydro jet sounds a bit odd though.

Judged purely on how much entertainment it offers, Riptide GP2 is definitely worth the price of admission. It offers more than the usual mobile ports and is a very enjoyable title in its own right. It’s not quite up there with the classic Jet Ski games of old, but we had a lot of fun with it and can recommend it to anyone looking for an arcade experience on their computer instead of on a small tablet screen.

*Update: Our review has barely gone up before we got word that the game has been updated with some much needed multi-player features such as a waiting room for quick matches, the ability join existing matches upon the start of the next race and visible status for waiting players. You can view the full list HERE.

*Review originally published March 2014.

System Requirements

  • OS: Windows 7
  • Processor: Pentium 2.4 GHz or Athlon 64 3200+ or greater
  • Memory: 2 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GeForce 6800 / Radeon X1800 Shader Model 3 or greater
  • DirectX: Version 10
  • Hard Drive: 250 MB available space
  • Additional Notes: Shader Model 3 or greater required
  • OS: Windows 8
  • Processor: Intel P4 3.0 GHz or Athlon X2 64 3800+ or greater
  • Memory: 4 GB RAM
  • Graphics: GeForce 8800 GT 512MB / Radeon HD 3870 512MB or greater
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Hard Drive: 250 MB available space

Related posts

Carto

Carto

Carto is a unique puzzle adventure with charming visuals and very creative challenges. The protagonist has cartography powers that allow her to manipulate her surroundings using different map pieces and this forms the basis for most of the puzzles. Apart from a few puzzles that can be a little obscure, this is a relaxing adventure that will keep most players entertained for the seven or so hours it lasts. Gameplay: Moving around map pieces to change your surroundings allows for some creative puzzles. Graphics: The hand-drawn visuals and charming animations make for a lovely looking game. Sound: No voice acting, but the soundtrack is great.

Dishonored: Dunwall City Trials

Dishonored: Dunwall City Trials

Dishonored: Dunwall City Trials is a selection of ten challenges based around stealth, puzzle-solving, combat, and movement. These challenges are not really the best showcase of what makes the original game so great, but some of them are fun for a playthrough or two. Players searching for more story content are better off with the later DLC. Gameplay: Some challenges are fun, but most are unlikely to hold your attention for long. Graphics: The same style as the main game, but with a Void twist to each area. Sound: Still good, but no story or dialogue worth mentioning.

Jade Empire™: Special Edition

Jade Empire™: Special Edition

Having long been an Xbox exclusive Jade Empire finally makes it onto computers with some nice added extras. It might not be as in depth as your average computer rpg, but it's still a blast to play especially if you favor combat over puzzle solving. Gameplay: Interesting storyline and entertaining combat. Graphics: Not the best, but pretty good. Sound: Some nice voice overs and effects.

The Wizard and The Slug

The Wizard and The Slug

The Wizard and The Slug is a whimsical 2D platformer with an enormously entertaining story and characters. The humor is by far the highlight of this game, but it does contain some challenging platform action as well. The inclusion of all kinds of strange encounters, goofy mini-games and laugh out loud jokes doesn't hurt it either. Even players who are not very good at platform games will be able to experience this one due to the inclusion of an "assist" menu, so don't miss out. Gameplay: Decent platforming action, but it's the small touches that make the game stand out. Graphics: Very basic, but also very charming. Sound: The music and sound effects are decent and very fitting.

Dark Nights with Poe and Munro

Dark Nights with Poe and Munro

Dark Nights With Poe and Munro is a great standalone spin-off featuring the radio hosts first introduced in The Shapeshifting Detective. There’s a lot of variety on offer here with six different episodes that feature all kinds of weird and wonderful situations for Poe and Munro. Although the game is not very long, there are hundreds of branches to explore via the hotspot driven interface and each episode also has an alternate ending to keep you coming back for more. Whether you are a fan of previous D’Avekki Studios titles or simply want to experience an FMV game done right you won’t be disappointed with Dark Nights With Poe and Munro. Gameplay: You are limited to clicking hotspots, but these lead to different story branches and even alternate endings. Graphics. From the beautiful credit scenes to the excellent use of lighting and camera angles, this is a great looking game. Sound: Every aspect of the audio is top-notch.

80’s OVERDRIVE

80's OVERDRIVE

80's Overdrive harkens back to an era where neon colors, synth music, and fast cars were all the rage. Players can make their way through a 37 race Career Mode while purchasing new cars and upgrades along the way or hop into the Time Attack mode for a race against the clock. Unfortunately, the track editor is a little lacking, but tweaking all the variables does result in some interest tracks. While the game can be a bit of a grind and has its fair share of frustrating moments, it's still a blast to play, and something fans of the genre will enjoy. Gameplay: Race as fast as possible while dodging traffic, cops, and obstacles. Graphics: The pixel art is vibrant and detailed, and there are plenty of track themes. Sound: Sound effects are a little harsh, but the soundtrack is great.

Leave a comment

5 × three =