MotoGP is the pinnacle of motorcycle racing: It’s all about making two wheels and an engine go around a circuit as fast as humanly possible. These are not the sort of bikes that can be bought in the shops, though technology invented here does eventually filter through to everyday road bikes; MotoGP is about racing, pure and simple, and this year it’s Capcom that have taken the official license. Every track and rider from the 2008 season is available, from the 125cc screamers through to the class leading GP bikes, starting at the flood-lit Losail circuit in Qatar and ending in Valencia. It’s a chance to live the MotoGP dream, and lift the championship, just as Rossi has done this year.
Once the game has booted up, and the short intro movie is over, the option screen is can be accessed. It’s from here that the player can make his way on to the crisp gray tarmac and burn some rubber. There are a number of different options to get started; the fastest way to get going is via the Quick Race, giving access to any track, rider and motorcycle in a single circuit race,
Before any of this is done however, the game forces the player to ride around a circuit for a few laps, and then declares which mode best suits their riding style. Three different setups are available with increasing level of control, and with it, more difficulty. The arcade mode is very forgiving; turning and braking can be done with ease, accelerating out of a corner is unlikely to spit the rider off, making racing very accessible, even to the most ham-fisted crotch-rocket jockey. The advance mode makes things a little trickier, the throttle being more responsive, meaning care has to be taken powering out of a turn. Stick the game on simulation mode, and you better know what you’re doing. Braking takes longer, turning is less forgiving, and those who are cack handed on the accelerator will get more road rash than a biker amateur on a Yamaha R1.
Along with these handling options, there are four levels of AI difficulty. On the easiest settings it’s possible to start at the back of the grid and be leading the pack before the end of the first lap. After shifting it to the most difficult champion mode, there are no such easy breaks – practice and qualifying sessions are a must if a first place finish is the ultimate goal – the AI will fight hard and generally disappears into the distance very quickly.
For those wanting to really test themselves, and for those with a lot of time on their hands, the Career mode forces the player to work their way up from a full season of the 125cc class, to a full season of 250cc and eventually on to the top MotoGP division. This is something that can take a while to complete, but the advantage here is the circuits will be learnt, and handling the bike will become second nature. The 125cc racing teaches the rider to preserve as much momentum as possible through the corners. As the bikes don’t have a lot of power, they’re much easier to handle and are less likely to kick the rider out of the saddle at every turn. The difference on the GP bikes is quite evident, they’re fearsome brutes; here it’s more about accelerating and braking as hard as possible.
For each race won, career points are earned that can be spent improving the quality of the motorcycle statistics, such as max speed, acceleration, braking and traction. It’s also possible to make minor adjustments to the bike setup, such as tyre compounds, suspension settings and gear ratios. Those available in game pale in significance compared to the myriad of adjustments available in a real pit lane. It’s a little bit of a shame, and a missed opportunity, that these didn’t flesh out as the riding mode shifts from “Arcade” to “Simulation”
Should the career mode sound a little daunting, it’s possible to set up a championship season which can be tailored to suit any player’s requirements. Races in a season, number of laps in a race, weather, class and team can all be fiddled with. For those with a real masochistic streak, why not try a full MotoGP season, with the real twenty eight laps on each circuit?
If that wasn’t enough, a series of fifty challenges is also on offer. These consist of tasks such as getting through a series of check points within a limited time, or completing a lap with fading brake discs, or taking the role of a famous rider who’s got himself into a bit of a pickle, requiring the player to fix the gap and save the day. Many of these challenges are on the hard side, and need a bit of practice to get through. They’re a nice distraction from the mainstay of racing though, and beating them gives access to some exclusive images from the 2008 season.
Given that there’s a lot of flexibility in the gaming modes, it’s somewhat disappointing to find that the frame-rate in Moto GP 08 can get a little choppy. This is particularly true in the wet races. These certainly have a great look, but it’s very off putting when the frames drop; it pulls the player out of the fantasy of being encumbered in sweaty one-piece leathers. Fortunately this doesn’t happen very often, but it’s enough for a rap on the knuckles of the Capcom developers.
It is impressive seeing thirty four riders on the grid for a 125cc race, MotoGP 08 seems to be pushing a good chunk of polygons about, but it’s not all rosey on the eye candy front. Although the textures look decent on bikes and rider, the game is home to jaggy city when it comes to the circuits; at times it can look pretty ugly, even in high-def. Oddly though it’s possible to stop the action and move the camera around the bike and rider, whether in replay mode or during the action, yet there’s no photo mode to enable the player to keep or upload their greatest moments, so seems like a strange inclusion to make without the extra stuff tacked on.
Capcom have produced a competent racer, one with a good range of option twiddling, that’s accessible to all levels of skill. However, there’s nothing here that hasn’t been seen before, and there are no surprises waiting to be discovered. Moto GP 08 is simply a solid motorcycle game that will appeal more to the genre fans, rather than convince the unconverted.
