*now with %100 more 125cc and 250cc*
First off, let me just say that this game is in no way related to THQ/Climax's version from the previous year. So, if you're expecting to powerslide around every corner and hate using brakes, turn around right now. Now it's Capcom/Milestone's turn. (for the next 4-5 years, apparently) The latter of whom actually aren't new to 2 wheels just to next-gen consoles and MotoGP games, but date all the way back to EA's SBK 2000.
The first thing you'll do when you first pop in the game is the tutorial, (that can be skipped) which simply puts you in a quick race while giving you advice for every thing you're doing wrong and, ultimately, recommends one of three handling models - arcade, advanced, sim. 'Arcade' is designed for people who have never touched a bike game or don't know the difference between MotoGP and Motocross. The only time you'll fall is when you slam into another rider or wall at a reasonably high speed and you can brake very late into corners. In 'sim' expect to fall a lot. Braking and turning at the same time will reduce your cornering ability or cause you to loose your front end. Heavy throttle on corner exit will cause your front end to lift maybe adding in a wobble or the rear will slip out and, eventually, you could drop your bike. 'Advanced' is a nice compromise between the two. Overall the handling feels much more realistic than the previous versions, Braking skills and careful throttle control are required to be competitive. It should be noted also that most modes allow you to change opponent difficulty separately if you still have trouble with the handling model.
Game modes include, quick race, custom championship, time trial, challenge, online, and career which is where the meat of the game occurs. You start off as a rookie in 125cc and can only join the lower tier of teams. Through the course of five seasons, you'll earn bike upgrades and points as you race which allow you to change to a better team or move up through the ranks all the way to the GP class. Online allows up to 12 others to compete and has only minor lag issues, though has little in the way of features. You can't change bike setups, only features single races - no points tallying championship, lap times can only be set here - nowhere in single player, and apparently PS3 has no voice chat.
Graphics, for the most part, are good, nothing mind-blowing, but get the job done. The tracks themselves are lacking in atmosphere and animation (no wavy flags, cardboard people, etc.) and objects in the distance are simply a wall of textured trees or hills rather than being an actual model. However, the rider/bikes look great and animate nicely, (feet shift gears, fingers reach for clutch or front brake) which is what you'll mainly notice anyway. Thanks to this, replays look fantastic. Frame rate is solid even with 35 other riders around in 125's. Bike sounds are decent though a bit muted. They sound like what you might hear in the on-board shots in televised races but lower, so if you like to use 3rd-person cameras or watch replays you may be disappointed in this regard.
Overall, despite it's shortcomings and lack of polish, I still highly recommend this game especially if you're a fan of the sport or bikes in general. (It's not like you have a lot to choose from anyway) Once you get over the initial shock of transition from last years version and less than stellar online portion what you'll find is an enjoyable single player game that's a little bit closer to the real thing.
*points of note I forgot to mention that may break the game for some*
-Throttle/front brake not mappable to right stick on Xbox360, but is possible on PC and possibly PS3.
-Only rumbles when you drive off track, not under accelerating/braking, which makes the awesome on-board view much harder to manage if you're trying to push the limits of the bike.
-Regarding leaderboards, fastest times are only uploaded in ranked matches which only allow a single race before returning to the lobby, thus is played by nobody.
-AI is pretty good against itself, but tends to ignore you and your racing line.
-(really nitpicking here but the point has been raised by others) it's impossible to lock rear wheels even in sim, has semi-auto rider movement where the rider automatically sits up or tucks but can be overridden by the player, overly sensitive throttle modulation where the rear end may sometimes slide abruptly even if you think you're applying a constant, and even acceleration.
-PS3 has now received a patch for voice chat but only in lobbies, not in-race.
Product Overviews
Moto GP 08 X360
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