Switch Re:port covers the Nintendo Switch version of a game. TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 was simultaneously released on PC, PS4 and Xbox One on March 19, 2020 and scored 7/10 on Xbox One.
When I played TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 on Xbox recently, I was impressed with its sense of speed and the fact that KT Racing had put so much effort into improving upon its rather awkward first attempt. The handling was much smoother and the revamped physics really helped in feeling like I had control of my bike. Well, for the most part. Some rather nasty crashes still happened.
Look, we all know that the Switch can’t match the Xbox or PS4 in terms of graphical grunt, but Ride on the Edge 2 is an incredibly jarring sight. Rider textures are so low resolution that they wouldn’t look out of place in a PS2 game, and the sky boxes are basically big blurs. Worse, the lower resolution overall makes it pretty difficult to actually see the track ahead clearly in handheld. Even using the racing line guide, it’s not ideal, especially considering the sheer speed of the game.
That sense of speed is still as impressive and terrifying as it was in the other versions, at least. When you’re pushing speeds of 150+ miles per hour on the narrow roads of the iconic Snaefell TT route, you’ll be wide-eyed in a mixture of fear and extreme concentration, trying to keep from being thrown from your bike in horrific style. The way the sound of the world seems to fall away, replaced by the air whipping all around as you cut through at high speed, is as authentic and exhilarating here as it is on Xbox.
However, once again this is undone by more technical issues. Even with the extreme drop in graphical fidelity, TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2’s framerate still can’t keep up with the action. It judders at times, especially during races at the Creagh Airfield circuit in Ireland, where it sometimes feels like you’re watching through a carousel projector. Combined with the intense sense of speed, the most severe of these framerate issues actually made me feel a little queasy, which is something no racer has ever done before.
If you can look past the framerate issues, you may run into problems with the handling instead. This is a problem with the Nintendo Switch as a whole, as the analogue sticks across its range of controllers simply aren’t as smooth as those on an Xbox or PlayStation controller, not without tinkering. This means that maneuvering your superbike around the twists and turns of the UK, Ireland and Isle of Man’s roads can be an awkward affair. You can’t lean into and out of corners with smooth precision, instead you end up wobbling around as you try your best to find the turning angle of the analogue stick. Using a Pro Controller however, a visit to the options menu does allow you to smooth out the handling, with a few setting tweaks. Thankfully, the lack of analogue triggers doesn’t present a similar problem. Of course, it will never be able to fully recreate being able to lightly squeeze the brakes or ease gently on the throttle, but KT Racing has seemingly made it work with digital buttons.
The same level of content is still present in the Nintendo Switch version of Ride on the Edge 2, so there hasn’t been any compromise there. The huge career mode still lets you work your way up through the ranks, from Supersport to Superbike, earning your place in the TT main event. You can still customise your bikes, earn money on the side and jump into the free roam challenges, all of which will keep players busy for hours on end. Though a lot of that might just be waiting for its overlong load times.
Realistically, if you have the ability to play TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 elsewhere, that’s what you should probably do. If you’re a die hard fan of the sport and absolutely must have it available on Nintendo Switch, it’s not as smooth an experience.
Same sense of speed as the other versions
Great sound
Some twitchy handling
Poor visuals
Low framerate in places
Long load times
TT Isle of Man: Ride on the Edge 2 is still a good game, but some twitchy handling and framerate issues somewhat compromise the Nintendo Switch experience.