Even to the most optimistic gamers among us, Riders Republic came as quite a surprise. Ubisoft’s refreshing take on adventure sports places an utmost importance on having fun, and boy does it deliver! However, like most of the publisher’s open-world games, Riders Republic is also packed with tons to do, from events to collectibles to side activities, plus a massive world to explore. It can all get a bit daunting, but that’s where we come in. Here are some useful pointers to help you get started and get the best Riders Republic experience from the get-go.
Switch between control schemes
Riders Republic offers two control schemes – racer and trickster – and both have their pros and cons. Racer lets you control the camera and assigns trick controls to the face buttons on the controller. This is ideal when entering race events, and especially when free-roaming, where camera control is essential. It’s not the best for tricks though, so we recommend trying out the trickster mode for trick events. Here you give up camera control for a more intuitive trick system that makes use of the controller’s thumb sticks. It also makes landing tricks feel more natural. Speaking of which…
Ditch auto-landing
By default, the game assists you in landing jumps and tricks, so even if you mess up and get over ambitious with your tricks, the game is there to save you from a faceplant (most of the time). But we recommend switching to manual landing mode, which will require you to pay more attention to lining up your landings. There will be plenty of crashing in the beginning, but it’s far more rewarding in the long run, and essential if you want to bang out higher trick scores. If you’re still on the fence, you can also try the Steep landing mode, which is a comfortable middle ground between auto and manual.
Learn tricks gradually
No one loves being forced through tutorials, but hear us out on this one. Tricks are an essential part of Riders Republic, and often even show up as secondary objectives in race events. So you might as well be good at them, right? Make sure you check in to Tricks Academy in the game’s hub every now and then. It’s best to learn one trick at a time rather than overwhelming yourself and spamming every button each time you hit a ramp. Knowing your flips and grabs will also allow you to add variety to your tricks, and more variety means higher scores.
The 3D map is a game-changer
Riders Republic doesn’t do a great job of showing off one of its coolest features – its 3D world map. Once you switch from the default 2D map, you’ll see the whole world in 3D and you’ll be able to zoom in far closer than you can in 2D. So close, in fact, that this is a great way to track down collectibles – especially those elusive balloons. And when you do spot one, just drop a pin and either fast travel to it right away or pick it up the next time you’re in the area.
Track down those Funkies
Free-roaming is fun on its own, but there’s an added incentive to explore Riders Republic’s open world – Funkies. These are whacky vehicles that are strewn around, which can be used in events or when free-roaming. Our favourite is the rocket wing strapped together from crashed plane parts. It’s our go-to free-roam vehicle, partly because it’s super-fast, but also because it’s down-right ludicrous to look at.
Complete daily sponsor contracts
To unlock higher level bikes, skis, snowboards and wingsuits, you’ll have to complete career events, but there’s another way. Keep an eye out for sponsor contracts that reward you with elite gear. Completing daily contracts for some sponsors grants you new vehicles and gear, the types of which will otherwise take you hours to unlock. The contract objectives are often quite basic and easy to knock off, so don’t sleep on your sponsors.
Master quick landing
Some of the game’s collectibles are deviously placed on narrow peaks and cliffs. Many of these can only be reached by air and nailing the landing can be quite difficult. That’s where the quick landing feature comes in. While this won’t instantly teleport you to the ground, it does make accurate landings far easier and will reduce trial and error significantly.
Don’t miss first-person mode
This one isn’t so much a tip, but just something you must experience because its downright cool. Riders Republic is mostly best played in the default third-person camera mode, but we encourage you to switch to first person every now and then, especially in bike races. The adrenaline rush and sense of speed is fantastic, and albeit not as effective as third-person when you’re looking to win challenging races, it’s still very playable. So definitely give it a try.
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