Hands-on: Moto GP2

We recently got our hands on MotoGP2, the next installment in Namco's MotoGP series. The game is the follow-up to last year's PlayStation 2 title MotoGP, which was a slightly flawed, albeit solid, showcase for the system. MotoGP2 follows in the basic footsteps of its predecessor, but it manages to address some of MotoGP's shortcomings, featuring detailed graphics, an impressive replay system, and realistic handling.

You'll find six play modes to choose from in the game, which is one more than the original's five. The arcade, season, time trial, challenge, and versus modes are now joined by "legends" mode. Arcade is a single championship race you can jump into quickly. Season follows your career as a member of a professional team as you work your way through the ranks to become the world champion in a 10-race season. Time trial has you racing solo to beat the best time on a track. You'll also be able to race against a ghost image, which can be updated on the fly, of your performance on a track. Challenge mode will test your skills in more than 70 trials set throughout the game's modes. Versus mode is a split-screen one-on-one multiplayer mode where you can race against a friend. Legends mode offers the chance to race against four past racing champions.

Legends mode won't be the only addition you'll find in the game, as Namco has tried to flesh the franchise out a bit more. Five new tracks--Mugello in Italy, Catalunya in Spain, Assen in the Netherlands, Le Mans in France, and Sachsenring in Germany--join the five tracks from the original game. You'll be able to adjust the weather by switching between dry and wet settings. A new addition to the bike customization options will let you use either 16.5-inch or 17-inch tires, depending on your racing preferences. Finally, Namco has stated that the AI has been refined to improve the racing experience.

Graphically, the game has had a few visual nips and tucks to provide a better look. There's a little less flicker, and the constant-60fps frame rate is as smooth as ever. The rider animation features the nice touches that gave the original game its realistic appearance. The new weather effects are well done, featuring subtle reflections in the water and droplets of rain on the camera. Racing in dry weather will let you see the subtle reflections of the road markings on your bike. The impressive race replays return with the jittery camera work that turned heads in the original game.

In terms of handling, the game uses the same controller layout as before and is just as responsive. After spending some time in the game's arcade mode, we found that all the bikes handled roughly the same. You'll still have the option to turn the "simulation" setting on or off, which affects how forgiving the game is. Given some time to adjust, most players should get the feel of the game down well enough to be competitive against the AI. However, unless you're a bike racing fiend, don't expect to hop in and start placing first in every race. The addition of wet-weather racing adds an even more challenging dynamic to the game, as you'll have to seriously alter your racing style. Overall, there's a meaty challenge to be met if you're up for it, which is nice. The new tracks add more variety and keep you on your toes. So far, we've found MotoGP2 to be a pretty engaging experience that benefits from some solid enhancements. Look for more on the game before it ships in early January.