Strap on your helmet and knee pads for some superbike thrills
Format: PS3 (version played), Xbox 360 Dev: Monumental Games Pub: Capcom
Out: 18/03/11 Players: 1-2, 2-20 online
MotoGP is crazy. I’m sure everyone reading this is well aware of just how crazy it is, but it really needs to be said any time the sport is discussed, these riders are insane.
The real challenge faced by any development team making a MotoGP game is how to depict the white-knuckle experience of the rider as accurately as possible through your console – a feat I feel MotoGP 10/11 has accomplished better than any other motorcycle game I’ve played, and certainly its predecessors.
The whole game operates very heavily on the risk/reward system dominantly found in more accurate racing simulators, such as Gran Turismo 5. As the difficultly increases and the bikes get better you really have to think carefully about each corner: Do you go in faster to overtake and risk crashing off the track? Or do you brake early and try to gain back the momentum in the corner? When you get deeper into the game you’ll find that this isn’t a carefree, arcade racer, it’s more a gruelling bike simulation, which is ultimately more rewarding.
Gameplay focuses on the control of the rider itself, which is a lot more authentic and entertaining than older racing games that feel as if you’re operating a remote control bike with a rider on top. There’s a leaning system which allows you to control the position of the rider to prevent losing the front wheel when accelerating or having the back slide out during a corner, but it rarely feels like this is necessary as I lasted the majority of the game without even noticing it was there. The best feature which separates the game and makes it stand out as a bike racer is the ‘tuck-in’ button, which leans the driver forward behind the windshield to reduce drag and accelerate faster. Getting used to using this at the right moment and ensuring that you can exit the tuck-in and get your knee on the ground for the corner is an engaging feature and helps distinguish the game from basic accelerate and brake functions.
Game modes aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but everything you’d expect to be there is there. Split-screen is included which is a bonus after many recent games in a similar vein have opted out of it in favour of online modes; MotoGP does both. Taken from GRID and Forza, the rewind feature allows you to rewind time after a mistake and try again. It’s handy if you’re feeling stressed and can’t be bothered to have a crash ruin your whole race, but I can’t help but feel that it undermines the realism the game portrays so well (unless of course, racers in real life are actually able to rewind time Prince of Persia-style). That being said, the game never forces you to use it, so hardcore simulator fans don’t have to worry. But it’s always nice to know that it’s there as a safety blanket.
MotoGP 10/11 is really as good as motorbike racers get, but the genre is a real acquired taste. Just because you like car racing games this may not be your cup of tea. You ultimately have to find that one out for yourself. The game pulls off the feeling of challenging and rewarding racing and, though it doesn’t contain any “stand back in awe” moments with any of its modes or features, is a solid, enjoyable game.
Dan Key
It was made in Nottingham too