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Riding Spirits II Review - PS2

Games publisher and developer Capcom is known for its classics such as the Resident Evil and Devil May Cry series. They haven't had much experience in racing games, their only decent stand out title in this genre being Auto Modellista; the first in their Riding Spirits series didn't do so well. The second provides numerous upgrades over its predecessor, but still falls far short of the likes of the Moto GP series.

Gameplay

Riding Spirits II tries hard but fails to be the Gran Turismo 3 of motorbike racing, evident in its Riding Spirits mode which, honestly, copies the PlayStation 2 racing king's Gran Turismo mode down to the last detail. Here, your rider - created at the beginning of the game from a selection of helmets and suits - is put to the ultimate challenge, taking part in multiple races and championships. Winning - and even losing - earns you money that can be spent at the game's Parts Shop and its Dealers. Visiting the dealerships from the Riding Spirits mode's menu, you're able to select from an impressive number of real-world motorbikes from real-world brands including Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki. Viewing them in all their glory on rotating pedestals, you can check the bikes' specifications and price in order to come to a final decision. Multiple bikes can be stored in your garage, where detailed game progress and, of course, your bikes, can be viewed.

The Parts Shop is quite in-depth, offering various performance upgrades that increase over stages: you can improve your motorbike with items such as brake kits, computers and mufflers. Each stage of each product has a different appearance and effect and can fortunately be viewed easily as a preview fitted to your bike. Being fairly open machines, the motorbikes in Riding Spirits II are able to house some nice combinations of performance upgrades to match their chassis. In addition to motorbike parts, the Parts Shop offers and range of helmets and suits that you can purchase to give your rider a new look: often a good idea considering that you'll be looking at them on-screen constantly as they sit atop their bike.

As you progress through the game's Riding Spirits mode you'll accumulate old bikes and parts that are no longer required. Fortunately, you can simply visit the Trade-In Centre, where you'll receive cash in return for your parts and bikes - not the original price, of course, but it's better than nothing. Trading in a bunch of items at once nets extra cash as the centre is always happy to accept items in bulk.

In addition to its Riding Spirits mode, Riding Spirits II features a small number of other less impressive modes. The first of these is titled Battle 100, in which you're challenged to endure an obviously lengthy marathon of one-hundred races against one-hundred different riders. Your objective is to gain as big a winning streak as possible; lose one race and you'll have to start (continued next page)