Many cyclists, same face.

With almost 200 riders on the Tour, I didn't expect the game to meticulously recreate everyone. The best and most prolific riders, though, should be recognizable in my opinion. The electric sprinter Marcel Kittel, for example, and the current champion Chris Froome. It's these personalities, after all, that people want to embody and compete against.

The cyclists are as bad as the set dressing.

The bikes, too, are underwhelming. For many, the joy of cycling is comparing frames, pedals and gear-shifters. Few can afford a top-level bike, so the Tour is a way to see their dream hardware in action. Watch any stage and you can expect to see a flurry of gear from Trek, Pinarello and Specialized rushing by. In the official video game, though? Everyone is riding the same bike frame (if it's based on a real manufacturer, I don't recognize it) with different accent colors. The only real point of differentiation is the tires, which sport different brands on the inner tube.

The basic gameplay, thankfully, is better than the bland presentation. You have two meters, blue and red, which represent your rider's overall stamina and attacking capability. A circular gauge, similar to a speedometer, shows how much effort you're putting in. Increase your effort and you'll hit the blue marker, which slowly drains the corresponding meter over the course of the stage. Press the pedal button (R2 on the PS4) harder, or tap the attack button, and you'll burn through both your blue and red energy. The challenge, therefore, is micro-managing your stamina to finish the race in the best position possible.

It's an eloquent system that mirrors the strategy and energy-sapping pain of the tour. Most stages take roughly 45 minutes (there's an option to fast-forward or skip the stage entirely) and there's a real sense of accomplishment when you time a sprint to perfection or reel in a breakaway group over several miles. Holding the pedal button can be a chore, so the game offers a "follow" mechanic that lets you stick to the back tire of another rider. There's also an effort mode that means your rider will maintain the same speed unless you tap one of the bumper buttons.