While you may expect a title based on the historic three week, 3,000km Tour de France cycling tournament to be a little like a racing game, this adaptation is actually much more of a strategy experience. Those already familiar with Nacon and Cyanide\u2019s biking excursions will know that, of course, as Tour de France 2022 is largely identical to its predecessor \u2013 which was already similar to 2020\u2019s title, and so on.<\/p>\n
The gameplay loop, whichever mode you\u2019re playing, largely revolves around energy management. You need to carefully consider breakaways, your position in the peloton, and your overall stamina. Some modes allow you to switch between teammates, ensuring you\u2019re constantly setting yourself up for success. Unfortunately, you\u2019ll spend a lot of time simply fast-forwarding large chunks of road, as there\u2019s no real meaningful advantage to be gleaned from pedalling all 200km of every stage.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a different kind of racing experience, with a large emphasis put on those all-important final kilometre sprints. There is a kind of relaxing appeal to overseeing your team\u2019s quest for the yellow jersey, though, and all of the real-world hopefuls from this year\u2019s event are present and correct \u2013 at least in thumbnail form, anyway. Unsurprisingly, this game leaves a lot to be desired visually, and there\u2019s very little variation in character models or bike types, which makes for a graphically unappealing release.<\/p>\n
Some new wrinkles extend to the inclusion of collisions, as well as race day issues like illness and form. These do add some depth to the stages and are appreciated additions, although we found we could still ride through some<\/em> spectators even with crashes turned on. A new online leaderboard option allows you to play along with different events in order to earn virtual accolades, while the Denmark legs of this year\u2019s real-world Tour de France are joined by a new Italian event, the Primavera Classic.<\/p>\nWith such little visual variety, though, there\u2019s not much to differentiate the various stages \u2013 and, as alluded to previously, you\u2019ll spend the vast majority of your time fast-forwarding to key moments anyway. It\u2019s all an acquired taste, which is perhaps best reflected by the minuscule budget invested into the series overall. Still, cycling enthusiasts may find something to enjoy in the unique, tactical gameplay, which is all about picking your moments and pedalling like there\u2019s no tomorrow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n