The Tour De France series returns with its yearly iteration of the legendary event. Is this the best version of the storied competition yet? Or does it come crashing off the course?
The Pinnacle Of The Sport
Over the years I’ve had a love affair with sports games and how they illicit certain emotions when playing. I love the thrill of winning big tournaments and competing online against others. Tour De France has never been on my remit until now, with the release of the 2026 iteration. After sinking some hours into this game, I’m pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.
Tour De France 2026 launches with six main game modes: Pro Leader, Pro Team, MyTour, Race, Criterium and Training/Editor. These modes are all fairly robust and have a decent amount of the content but by far the main choices are the Pro modes. Pro Leader and Pro Team serve as a chance to control an individual cyclist throughout their career or in a team. If you are new to these games, it can feel quite overwhelming compared to the pick up and play style of other popular sports games. Everything matters in the stages of racing; team management, weather, team roles and racing tactics all play a part in your quest for glory. I loved the tactical aspect of choosing the right racer for the right stage. As expected in a sports game, there is not a real story or narrative at play, other than competing in the tournament.
The development team at Cyanide Studios have sought to increase the racing calendar by adding new licensed races which take place before or after the main centrepiece event. These new races are a welcome addition and showcase the amount of content on display. Hardcore fans of the series will be ecstatic; this is the most in depth version of the iconic racing series to date.
A Mental And Physical Racing Sim
When I think of classic sports games I have fallen in love with over the years, I think of how many of them are easy to pick up and hard to master. Tour De France 2026 is not that combination; it’s hard to pick up and extremely hard to master! Gameplay revolves around pacing yourself across each stage of the tour. The experience is translated to controller solidly, but by no means does that make it any easier. You hold R2 to move the legs and L2 to brake, all whilst mashing X to attempt to break away and get the legs pumping. I was blown away by how much of a mental game this is, along with the physical. I became obsessed with tactical aspects of dealing with the different terrain on stages, along with the game’s superb dynamic weather system. If you can get past the early frustrations, once the gameplay clicks for you, it’s a greatly rewarding experience.
Every little aspect of gameplay tries to simulate a realistic cycling experience. From pushing through a brutal hill climb, to latching onto the peloton, this feels so wonderfully authentic. The training mode is a brilliant way to try and gain your bearings before you attempt higher difficulty modes. These higher difficulties truly are the ultimate challenge. Races are long, as in real life, but the game deploys a save system to allow you to pick up from where you previously left off. Multiplayer returns with races which support up to six players at one time. These shorter arcade style matches are okay but I am left wondering if the developers could pull off a mode with vastly more players; the carnage would be incredible!
Speedbumps
Unfortunately, the game is not without some frustrating issues. The main issue I have is the AI behaviour for the racers you compete against. Most of the time they are wildly erratic. It became a real guessing game, attempting to understand their movements and plans throughout stages. I experimented with tweaking the sliders and abilities of the AI but that made them laughably stupid. I couldn’t find a real balance and that ultimately made my experience feel cheapened. The fact riders don’t age season after season is also a bizarre choice for the developers and stunts the career growth. It makes the game feel less authentic.
The game UI can also be frustrating as it throws a lot of text and information at players during stages which can lead to real distractions. The lack of flexibility in schedules and events for the player to change, disappointed me. I would have loved to pick and design a calendar year for my rider.
The Sights And Sounds Of The Road
The visual presentation in Tour De France 2026 is truly a mixed bag. At times, locations look stunning, with gorgeous visuals and spectacular lighting, particularly on the climbing stages. Sadly, the immersion can quickly evaporate. Texture pop ins and screen tears were abundant during my time. In the more open environmental stages, locations can look very basic and poor. It’s a real shame, as the cyclists and the bikes look ultra realistic. As previously mentioned, the UI feels chaotic and can really frustrate you during races. Hopefully some of these issues can be ironed out with post launch patches.
Similarly, audio design and soundtrack are uneven experiences. The sounds of the wheels churning and the bikes skidding are wonderful but they are overshadowed by an overly loud, and in your face, commentator. He pops up periodically and spews information at you like verbal diarrhoea. And finally the soundtrack. There were some better moments where the score roared during climatic speed stages or mountain climbs, but for the most part, it’s pretty forgettable. A disappointing effort in presentation.
Verdict
Tour De France 2026 is a real mixed bag of some great moments, coupled with truly frustrating times. A great amount of content and ultra realistic gameplay will satisfy the hardcore lovers of the series. For newcomers, the brutal learning difficulty may be too off-putting. Add in uneven visuals, erratic AI and a wonky sound design and fans may come away feeling disappointed. If you can weather the storm, there are some rewarding moments! Back to the practice grid!
