Open World Games With The Best Motorcycle Gameplay

Motorcycles are often described as two wheels that move the soul, and video games capture this feeling through the ability to ride them. Riding motorcycles in video games gives players a sense of freedom as they make their way through beautiful landscapes, especially when navigating a fully explorable open-world map.

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10 Best Motorcycle Racing Games, Ranked

Though not as widespread as car racing games, these motorcycle racers provide players with plenty of thrills.

In many video games that allow for vehicular traversal, cars are often the star, while motorcycles are a nice addition for those who prefer smaller and more maneuverable vehicles. Meanwhile, other games make it a large focus of their games, from racing games to action-packed crime thrillers.

8

Saints Row

The Divisive Reboot Still Features Fun Vehicular Mayhem

Open-World

Action-Adventure

Third-Person Shooter

Adventure

Released

February 25, 2022

ESRB

r

Freedom has always been a large part of the Saints Row series, allowing players to follow the story or go off and be as chaotic as they wish. The 2022 reboot continues to embrace this style, with the player able to go off and explore the fictional city of Santo Ileso, which is heavily inspired by Las Vegas.

Saints Row games are always going to be compared to games like Grand Theft Auto, with the ability to hijack any car or bike seen on the streets and go on any mission or activity. Motorcycle gameplay controls were improved from their predecessors, with tight controls that can allow for racing, getaways, and more.

7

Midnight Club: Los Angeles

Rockstar Ended The Midnight Club Series With A Bang

Systems

Released

October 20, 2008

ESRB

t

Developer(s)

Rockstar San Diego

The final entry in the series, Midnight Club: Los Angeles continued to expand on the formula established in previous games to create a fun, open-world racing experience. Anyone who has played games such as Need For Speed will get the gist of what Midnight Club: Los Angeles has to offer, including a simple story in which the player rises to become the top racer in Los Angeles.

In addition to the numerous fast cars available in Midnight Club: Los Angeles, players can also ride motorcycles as they explore the surprisingly detailed open world of Los Angeles. Since Rockstar developed the game, it can be seen as a precursor to Los Santos in Grand Theft Auto V, which came out just five years later.

6

The Crew: Motorfest

Oahu Proves To Be The Best Place For Bikes

Systems

Released

September 14, 2023

ESRB

t

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Ubisoft’s Ivory Tower has developed The Crew: Motorfest, which shifts the focus to a car festival located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The smaller yet fully explorable island, compared to the previous scaled-down version of the United States, has allowed Ivory Tower to concentrate on enhancing the game’s controls and stunning visuals.

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The Crew: Motorfest arguably has the best handling in the trilogy thus far, with a proper selection of cars, old and new, trucks, powerboats, buggies, planes, and motorcycles to unlock and upgrade. With a wide variety of playlists to enjoy with other players, Ubisoft continues to improve as the series goes on.

5

Sleeping Dogs

A Memorable Crime-Thriller Set In Hong Kong

Systems

Released

August 14, 2012

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs

Developer(s)

United Front Games

Sleeping Dogs was unfairly disregarded by gamers as a Grand Theft Auto clone when it came out. While there are similarities, Sleeping Dogs provided gameplay elements that were ahead of their time, such as the over-the-shoulder third-person action that GTA would eventually take on. Martial arts are a major part of the combat, which very few games managed to pull off at the time.

Hong Kong is an exciting world to explore in Sleeping Dogs. The game features impressive NPC animations, highly detailed environments, and a captivating main story about an undercover cop. Additionally, the motorcycle controls are smoother than those found in most games from that era.

4

Watch Dogs: Legion

Fight For The Freedom Of London As Any Civilian

Released

October 29, 2020

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

Given the dystopian near-future London that Watch Dogs: Legion takes place in, with the totalitarian security forces of Albion locking the streets down, especially with checkpoints, it’s arguably better to use motorcycles to get around. They are fast, agile, and have some of the best handling in the game when trying to evade Albion and other evil factions.

Thanks to the unique NPC mechanic of being able to recruit anybody off the streets of London, some agents of DeadSec come with motorcycles that can be summoned. The recruitment mechanic became the main gimmick of Watch Dogs: Legion, allowing no two playthroughs to be alike aside from the major plot points.

3

Grand Theft Auto 5

Los Santos Is Teeming With Life And Activities

Systems

Released

September 17, 2013

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

Developer(s)

Rockstar North

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Grand Theft Auto practically revolutionized open-world vehicle traversal, but motorcycles were never a strong suit until Grand Theft Auto 5. The tighter controls compared to its predecessors allowed them to shine more, especially in certain story missions like heists, where getting away on motorcycles is required.

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In general, Grand Theft Auto 5 improved on nearly every kind of vehicle gameplay on land, air, and sea. This, along with a cinematic storyline and unforgettable characters, is one of many enhancements from previous games that contributed to making Grand Theft Auto 5 one of the best-selling games of all time.

2

Cyberpunk 2077

The Future Is Dark Tet Beautiful In Night City

Released

December 10, 2020

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

OpenCritic Rating

Strong

Even at its buggy and notorious launch in 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 featured reliable vehicle controls for cars and motorcycles. Motorcycles played a big part in the game’s marketing, including models designed for Keanu Reeves’ company Arch, and roaming Night City on them remains an exhilarating experience, especially in the much-improved version of the game.

The vehicles are just one component of Cyberpunk 2077, with the bulk of the game being one of the most ambitious RPGs of the modern age, mixing robotics, hacking, guns, and so much more. Despite its rough launch, CD Projekt Red turned the game around and gave fans the game they were originally promised and more.

1

Days Gone

The Bike Is The Ultimate Zombie Apocalypse Tool

Open-World

Action

Adventure

Systems

Released

April 26, 2019

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

Expand

In most games, motorcycles are a welcome bonus, but Days Gone revolves almost entirely around Deacon St. John and his motorcycle. After the apocalypse, Deacon, played tremendously by Sam Witwer, is now a biker wandering the rural areas of Oregon, helping other survivors by doing jobs on the open road as zombie-like infected known as Freakers roam.

The motorcycle that Deacon rides in Days Gone is not just for transportation. It is how the player saves, and it is essential to survival, especially when swarms of Freakers attack. The player even has to repair the bike with scraps and refill the fuel tank when needed. It also provides realistic gameplay, with the bike accurately moving how it would through the various hazards and environments, from the roads to muddy hills.

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