In this review, we will talk about RIDE Infinity, a gamebook that will force us into an adrenaline-filled race with our lives and our memories at stake. I thank Fabio Guaglione and Luca Mazzocco for giving us a copy of their new work.
It’s been several years since the world of Ride landed in cinemas with an action thriller film by Lucky Red. The film talked about the world of extreme sports and acrobatic riders; behind this mysterious downhill race, there was a mysterious organization called Black Babylon. Various products were born from that film, from card games to novels, and today we are here to talk to you about the latest descendant.
You can find RIDE Infinity on the NEED GAMES website! for €19.90.
A First Look at RIDE Infinity
RIDE Infinity is a full-bodied work that will keep you glued to its pages. We find ourselves in our hands a game book of 222 paragraphs with a colour cover that immediately shows us one of the possible game scenarios.
Inside, however, we find several black-and-white illustrations that enhance the scene by showing us both our dark opponent and the thrills of the race. Giuseppe de Iure and Jacopo Schiavo did a great job. The graphics are decidedly satisfactory and add the right visual component to an adrenaline-filled game. Congratulations to the artistic direction of Wahtari Studio!
Plot Review of RIDE Infinity
This is perhaps the most difficult aspect to talk about, given that to avoid spoilers I will only be able to give you a few elements. Our protagonist is Adam, an expert rider in downhill racing, a true ace for whom success and adrenaline are everything. A race to win and the protagonist willing to do anything to do it. You might think of it as a banal story, but let me tell you that RIDE Infinity is anything but a simple race. While playing it, the phrase that Morpheus says to Neo in The Matrix came to mind several times:
Red pill, stay in wonderland and you’ll see how deep the rabbit hole goes
Our protagonist wakes up in a garage. No memory except his name. He is under video surveillance and a well-dressed man appears on a screen and tells him that he has been taken there to race an important downhill bike race. Fame and riches await him, but the problem is that the race is a succession of tests, daring escapes and fragments of his past. A continuous loop that will make you wonder what is real.
I wish I could tell you more, but I would ruin the moment when the amazed and fascinated expression that I had throughout the entire reading will appear on your face.
Review of the RIDE Infinity Rules
A gamebook that talks about extreme sports must have quick and simple rules. RIDE Infinity succeeds in this challenge, constantly keeping the player on the razor’s edge.
Challenges are based on two main characteristics: Skill and Willpower. Our initial score in these two characteristics is 0 and you can increase it with equipment suitable for a rider like you. Helmets, shirts, knee pads and gloves; you will have the opportunity to dress your protagonist with the equipment you will find along the way.
If by rolling a 20-sided die and adding your Skill and Willpower values you manage to overcome the difficulty indicated in the test, you will be successful; Otherwise, prepare yourself for a good deal of pain. As you unlock the protagonist’s memories and endings (also linked to his past, but thanks to a loop dynamic they do not interrupt the gaming experience) you will be able to add a fixed bonus that will make the experience easier.
Scores and Difficulty
There remain two mechanics that we need to talk about: the scoring system and the difficulty of the gamebook.
The first mechanic is very simple and ties perfectly to the challenge. Throughout the race, based on our choices, we will obtain scores. For example, if we succeed in a trick, we will be rewarded; on the contrary, failing or wasting time will cause the inevitable loss of points. This score can be used to purchase upgrades in the final challenge. The doubt will therefore always be whether to keep the score high or discover some secrets of the game world.
The last mechanic is the difficulty, which in RIDE Infinity can be set to three levels. Basically, on easy level, we will start the game with 12 hit points and the difficulty of the tests will be decreased by two. At the intermediate level, we halve our life points without adding modifiers to the checks. Finally, on the difficult level, we will only have 4 hit points and we will increase the difficulty threshold by two.
Final Considerations
RIDE Infinity is a really interesting gamebook that gives the player 30 possible endings. What I loved is the fact that these endings are all linked together and are part of Adam’s story, which will be unlocked through 30 memories. It’s the first time I’ve come across a title that leaves me wanting to discover the fragments of the protagonist’s memory in this way. Understanding what happened, what led him to participate in the race, was as exciting as running. Get ready for a challenge made of memories and endings in a continuous loop.
I recommend RIDE Infinity to all those who wish to experience a journey bordering on the absurd, with the constant doubt that our protagonist is living a dream. A continuous search that will lead you to discover how deep the rabbit hole is.
RIDE OR DIE
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