RSII: Riding Spirits screenshots   The Final Say! Gameplay 8.8 Graphics 9.0 Sound 8.5 Value 8.9 RSII: Riding Spirits - reviewed by Andrew B Review Date: June 2004 Review Score 8.9/10 Distributed By: THQ

RSII: Riding Spirits is the latest racing sensation title from gaming giant Capcom that places gamers on the backs of some of the world's most fastest motorbikes. Although I only just briefly played the previous incarnation of this title, this current version gives PlayStation 2 owners a plethora of new tracks, motorbikes and of course, more gaming options. One of the highlights of this title is that game contains over 330 motorbikes (yes... you read correctly) that is evenly split into 40 different categories that range from just about every official engine size from 250cc to the high-powered 1000cc engines. Another feature of the title is that the motorbikes are all real-world models which means you can virtually pick just about every motorbike in existence that include Ducati, BMW, Honda and Yamaha to name a few of the motorbike companies that have allowed their bikes to grace this addictive title. That said, motorbike enthusiasts will be happy to know that RSII: Riding Spirits also contains motorbikes from various eras that include just about every famous bike from the 1960's to 2003. Apart from the ridiculous number of motorbikes in the game, the title also contains over 15 highly detailed courses that range from countries such as Japan, Europe and the United States. The gameplay of RSII: Riding Spirits can be described as Gran Turismo meets the world of motorbikes because it allows the gamer to virtually change just about any aspect of the bike from tuning, changing wheels and even putting clip bars on it. The game modes of RSII: Riding Spirits include single race, campaign and custom. Although if you really want to take this game to max, I would highly suggest you play the campaign mode because it's truly the most riveting aspect of this title. Although, the single-races are quite fun for those that don't have enough time to race a full course. The control system of RSII: Racing Spirits is perfect and uses the PlayStation 2 DualShock controller to its full potential. Not only do the bikes handle perfectly but the dualshock is used every so lightly to give you that true racing sensation.

Graphically, RSII: Riding Spirits is a very impressive game that truly uses the potential of the PlayStation 2 to what it is really capable of. The first thing gamers will notice about RSII are the realistic bike models that contain a high amount of polygons for that true real-world look.

Add some highly detailed textures and some reflective surfaces and you have a match made in gaming heaven. A game wouldn't be the same unless it had a highly detailed background environments and RSII is no exception. Whether you are riding on the open roads or cross-country, RSII has a variety of different background details to keep even the most staunchest of gamers happy.

When it comes to sound effects, the developers of RSII have added a variety of realistic engine noises, crashes and background sounds to help immerse the gamer into the true world of motorbike racing. Match that with a kickass soundtrack and you have one of the most addictive and entertaining bike games of 2004.

In conclusion, RSII: Riding Spirits is a very sturdy game that contains a very comprehensive gaming engine with a variety of gameplay options, highly detailed graphics and some very impressive sound effects. The only downside to the game is that I wish the developers included a few more courses but compared to Moto GP II on the XBox, this game easily gives its competitors a true run for their money! Check it out!

- Andrew B