With the release of TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2 on Nintendo Switch, I had high expectations. My experience with the fast-paced motorcycle racing title on the PlayStation 4 was excellent. Four out of five stars-excellent, to be exact. While I knew that the game would be scaled-down just for the sheer technical capacity of the Switch, I still envisioned a high-end experience that I could take on-the-go.
The game definitely fills that on-the-go desire on Nintendo Switch, but TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2 provides a better gameplay experience on PlayStation 4 (and, likely, Xbox One and PC).
First and foremost, TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2 is gorgeous on PlayStation 4. As is the case for pretty much all games ported to Nintendo Switch, the graphics are scaled down to work properly on the portable console’s hardware. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the difference is night and day, but the graphical downgrade is definitely noticeable from the PlayStation 4 version.
Of course, this really isn’t an issue for players who are playing TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2 on Nintendo Switch for the first time. The graphics are more than serviceable, especially considering the break-neck speeds that players reach over the course of a race. While understandably a bit blocky, the scenery flying by in the background looks solid as do the racers and bikes in general.
One of the major differences is the control scheme for the Switch version. While all of the buttons are mapped in the same manner between the consoles, the noticeable difference is in the Switch’s lack of pressure sense triggers. Unlike the DualShock 4 controller that allows players to dictate how much pressure they are applying to the right trigger (which controls the throttle), it’s all-or-nothing on the Joy-Con. This makes for a rather choppy acceleration when starting from a dead stop to prevent the motorcycle from flying out from under you. Shifting between gears helps this a bit, but utilizing a pressure-sensitive throttle is sorely missed.
The only other thing that turned me off about the Switch version of TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2 was the console’s rumble feature. Although its power level can be adjusted, I ended up turning it off entirely because it was essentially vibrating for the entire race and just didn’t feel natural or great in general. That said, this speaks to the Switch more than the game itself. The game also has no community for setting up online races yet. Online multiplayer was hard enough to play on PlayStation 4, so there’s really not much to speak of yet in relation to that mode on Switch.
The most surprising thing about TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2 that I enjoyed was using the first-person view while racing. This is never a perspective I gravitate towards in any type of racing game, but oddly enough, it feels great in TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2 and actually makes racing a little bit easier, which is a pretty bold claim to make given the game’s difficulty level. The Switch’s hand-held mode makes this perspective that much more fun, making you feel like you’re actually behind the wheel of a top-of-the-line racing motorcycle.
TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2 is a nice addition to the Switch library for racing fans to play while on-the-go. It’s as good as any other racer on the portable device, so long as you’re willing to overlook some of its quirks. That said, since it’s unlikely for most players to have multiple versions of TT Isle of Man - Ride on the Edge 2 unless you’re really into motorcycle racing, you’ll likely have a more satisfying time playing this racing sim on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or PC.
