TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2 on Switch Leaves Me Cold – GameSpew

I was rather taken by TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2 when it released on PS4, Xbox One and PC back in March.

I also liked the Switch port of the original game when it released in May last year. The Switch port of the sequel, however, has left me cold.

Perhaps it’s because there was a year gap between between the PS4, Xbox One and PC versions of TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge and the Switch port, so the drop down in various aspects wasn’t as noticeable. Or maybe it’s the fact that there are simply more racing games available on Switch now so, it takes more to impress me.

Either way, I haven’t been able to enjoy TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2 as much as I’d have liked to – even though it’s better then its predecessor in pretty much every way.

In terms of content, TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2 on Switch has everything that it does on more capable formats. Read my review of the Xbox One version of the game for the full nitty-gritty, but in a nutshell, it has an engaging career mode, online multiplayer, the usual quick play options, and even a free-roam map. Unlike it predecessor, its offerings don’t feel threadbare, and even better, its physics model has been improved to make the on-track action better then ever too.

It hits you when you start it playing it, however, whether docked or handheld, that TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2 looks underwhelming at best on Switch. At times, it’s downright ugly. Track-side detail is pitiful, textures are blurry, and the resolution is so low that there’s aliasing aplenty. If it wasn’t for the fact that it allows for an insane sense of speed and a decently fluid framerate, it would be abysmal. But indeed, when you’re travelling at 100mph plus, the blur tends to make everything look just okay. And besides, you don’t have time to take in the scenery at that speed – you’re just trying to keep your rider upright.

Though there lies the second major issue with TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2 on Switch: the hardware doesn’t suit it. The lack of analogue triggers means keeping your bike under control when accelerating can be a nightmare, especially when riding the game’s most powerful two-wheeled beasts. You’ll either want to max out some assists or map acceleration to the right analogue stick as soon as you start playing, though neither solutions are ideal. It sucks some of the fun out of the whole experience; the Switch just isn’t very well designed for serious racing games, unfortunately.

When playing handheld, the TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2‘s implementation of HD Rumble is also absurd. At the default setting, every time you gear up or down, it feels like your Switch is going to obliterate itself. The first thing you’ll want to do is go into the settings and turn it down. A lot. Obviously the same problem doesn’t exist on Switch Lite, though reading the game’s often tiny text becomes more of an issue due to its smaller screen.

Despite its issues, at the core of TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2 lies a great game. If you’re after the best serious bike racing game on Switch, this is it. But despite this Switch port having parity with other formats in terms of content and features, its sheer ugliness and control woes take a lot out of the experience it provides. All the ingredients are there, but it rarely feels like the same game I loved just a couple of months ago.

TT Isle of Man – Ride on the Edge 2 is available now on PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC.

Source: gamespew.com