Sweeet!
I’m a sucker for a good motorcycle game. I have been every since I played Road Rash for the 3D0. There’s something very freeing about riding a cycle. Unfortunately, good cycle games are few and far between. For every spectacular game like MX2000, there is a zillion crappy ones, like Harley Davidson Ride Across America. Luckily, MotoGP is in the category of spectacular.
It all starts with the game play. This title has nothing but licensed riders and cycles. In an era of fake super bikes with unrealistic properties, this is refreshing. The first thing you will notice about the game play is that the position of the rider on the bike is everything. You can lean to either side and front and back of course. There are times where your speed will approach limits in the upper 270’s. In order for you bike to not become airborne, you have to lean forward, hard. Also, when going into a corner you can lean too much and the bike can spin out under you. The funniest element of this is popping wheelies of course. After another rider spun me out, my road rage got the best of me. I discovered in my violent state of revenge that you can pop a wheelie behind another rider, and then proceed to knock him in the head with your front tire. Smashingly fun!
This title gives you several modes to play with, including Extreme, Grand Prix, and Live. I am not sure what the Extreme mode is going for. I guess it is for ultra realism. I discovered I wrecked a lot in this mode. Like every other curve. I suppose the die-hard fans will love this. Me, I preferred the Grand Prix. It was more arcadey, but yet really fun. It wasn’t over the top in the sense that wrecking is very possible and it’s challenging to finish first. But it is a lot easier to control. The Live mode is exactly what you’d expect. You get to race against other people from around the world. Pretty self-explanatory. I did encounter a lot of trolling online. Lots of people were on there just to wreck other people and cause havoc. This doesn’t make for a very fun experience. I would recommend playing with friends rather then strangers this time.
All in all this is a great title. It’s not overly deep. It has only 16 tracks. But you’ll find that these tracks are diverse enough that you won’t be craving too much more. The graphics are good, not great. About what you’d expect from a mid generational title. The soundtrack is amazing. I found myself turning off the music and just listening to the sound of the cycles. If you listen carefully the bike itself will tell you when to brake and accelerate. This may be one of the best cycle racers I have played. I really haven’t had this much fun on a cycle since I used to ride around town on my real life CBR 1000.