On The Couch...
F1 and MotoGP make
the jump to next-gen
Two of the biggest hitters in the
race-sim game have dropped
their 2015 editions for Sony and
Microsoft’s newest consoles - but
are they worth the upgrade?
Flying-start or a stall for
MotoGP 2015?
What:
MotoGP 2015
Who: Milestone
Format: Windows, PS3, PS4, Xbox
360, Xbox One
Availability: Out Now
Now on their third outing since
returning to the daddy of all superbike
licences, Milestone (who are also
responsible for Ride and last year’s
MXGP game) have taken the evolution
over revolution approach to MotoGP
2015. But that’s by no means a bad
thing - what was right about the 2014
edition is intact and bolstered by the
addition of an expanded career mode
and access to both the ‘14 and ‘15
rider rosters.
The core of the game is made up of
the circuits, bikes, riders and teams
from MotoGP, Moto 2 and Moto 3
from both seasons - which adds up to
200 riders, 122 teams and 18 tracks.
The career mode now lets you start
and design a team and offers a great
sense of progression as you work
your way through the divisions. One
of our favourite modes also returns
as “Real Events 2014” lets you
30 | FreestyleXtreme.com
replay key moments from last year’s
championship - including Marquez vs.
Rossi in Quatar and Lorenzo’s rainsoaked victory at Aragon.
Presentation is up to the standards
we’ve come to expect from Milestone,
making great use of the MotoGP
licence for a familiar and authentic
feel. Graphics take an incremental
step on from last year, and although
some organic elements feel a little
low-res (rain does some very strange
things), the bikes themselves look
fantastic and the tracks continue to
improve. The range of handling is more
balanced and gives a great learning
curve as you go from all-assists-on
to full manual with minimum traction
control. Race starts feel simpler but
generally if you’re jumping into the
game with career mode, it’s extremely
satisfying to see the equipment and
reputation of your on-track avatar
grow as you get to grips with the more
complex elements of control.
AI has seen some changes - but it’s
still important not to pick up bad habits
playing on the easier modes, where
competing riders seem to fall off their
bikes a little easily when you get up
close and personal. Even the fastest
of your rivals tend to take relatively
conservative lines, allowing you to
get creative and take some worthy
risks when opportunities present
themselves.
So is it worth the update? If you’re
a superbike fan lacking a superbike
game there’s not much question MotoGP offers the best physics and
handling on two wheels and there’s
no shortage of content. It’s a familiar
question for yearly sports games - in
this case the improvements and
additions aren’t drastic but all add
to the replayability and lifespan of
the game (in particular the career
mode). MotoGP may be a big fish in
the relatively small superbike video
game pond, but it still does more than
enough to justify its place at the top of
the food chain. T
We tested the PS4 version of the game.
u WATCH THE TRAILER FOR MotoGP15