RiMS Racing is a new take on motorcycle games, arrives August

RiMS Racing is set to be a racing game with a difference, thanks to a focus on the mechanical elements of motorcycle racing when it arrives later this year.

Created by NACON – who also revealed WRC 10 yesterday – and the new Milanese RaceWard Studio, RiMS Racing was initially discussed in July 2020. Back then all we had was a brief description and one teaser image. Today though, we have more information as the game nears completion.

The game will see you start your adventure by selecting from eight of the “most powerful” European and Japanese motorcycles. From the initial images, we can see bikes from manufacturers Kawasaki, MV Agusta, Honda, Ducati, Suzuki and Aprilia. You can then race them around 10 real-world official tracks and across five road-based routes.

The circuits announced so far are Silverstone Circuit, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Suzuka Circuit, Nürburgring GP Track and Circuit Paul Ricard. The road routes will be set in the United States, Norway, Australia, Spain and Italy.

The difference here seems to be the simulation of how a bike is created and the effect on performance that different parts create. There will be over 500 official spare parts available and more than 200 official equipment items for your rider. During a race, brake disc temperature, tyre pressures, suspension behaviour and electronic maps can be monitored so you can create the perfect set-up.

Instead of a vehicle-collecting angle, the smaller bike list instead hints towards gameplay aimed at tinkering, tweaking and getting to know each one in the most minute detail – far more so than other motorcycle simulations available at present.

The launch material talks about “ultra-realistic and precise physics,” and combining that with the number of parts available and tolerances measured, there seems to be as much as a focus off the track as on it. We’ll have to go hands-on with the title to see how this all comes together, and if it’s able to clearly explain the pros and cons of each mechanical update.

It’s encouraging that there’s now additional competition for Milestone’s Ride series and another motorcycle simulator alongside Early Access title TrackDayR.

You can watch the reveal trailer below, which features the MV Agusta F4 RC, but little in the way of gameplay. The images used in this article are in-game, however.

RiMS Racing will be available on 19th August 2021 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC and Nintendo Switch. Let us know on social media if you’re looking forward to a new motorcycle game.