MotoGP 08 Video Game Review

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

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Experience the intensity thrills and excitement of motorcycle racing with MotoGP 08. Join a team and compete against world-class opponents in three separate classes on exotic courses all over the world.

Capcom has made sure that all
MotoGP fans can race until
MotoGP resumes in 2009.

While there are many different motorcycle genres out there, MotoGP and World Superbike get the most attention these days. This year Capcom has taken over the video game rights to the MotoGP series and created a solid foundation for some amazing future MotoGP releases.

MotoGP 08 features many different modes for whatever your tastes may be. First is Career mode, for those who want the chance to try their hand at going from zero to hero in each motorcycle racing class from 125cc, 250cc, and up to the prestigious MotoGP class. Quick race mode allows you to choose just about everything you’d like to make your perfect race; including weather, racer, track, and racing class. Also available is Challenge mode, allowing you to push your skills to the next level with many challenges to choose from, each harder than the last. Next is Championship mode, this differs from Career mode in that you can start out in any class you would like and race as an established racer of your choice in a season as long (18 races) or as short (6 races) as you’d like. Last but not least is Time Attack, which allows you to find that perfect line around any course to shatter that course record and laugh in triumphant victory. Yes… I did do that.

Being relatively new to the motorcycle racing genre of video games, I was a little hesitant about how this game would play out. Having had previous bad experiences with motorcycle games I was glad to find that MotoGP 08, while looking amazing on my Xbox 360 with a standard definition TV, was also easy to make the transition from four-wheeled racing to two-wheeled. Controls are very simple for those wanting a casual fun game of racing with their heroes, but there is a decent amount of difficulty for those looking to MotoGP 08 for a challenge.

The ingame graphics are amazing, with great detail to the bikes as well as the riders.

Default difficulty is Easy with arcade handling that makes it fairly simple for someone new to the motorcycle game genre to feel like a pro racer. Medium, is slightly more challenging than Easy. Hard is, well, hard. And then there’s Champion difficulty, which will leave you racing on the level of a professional. As well as setting the difficulty of the computer-controlled racers, you can also challenge yourself with different levels of handling to give yourself a more realistic racing experience. Default is arcade handling, which is very forgiving and will allow you to slam on the brakes and dive-bomb a corner without any real consequences. As you move up to advanced and simulation the bike gets much more sensitive and isn’t as easy to move around the course. Simulation level might require some motorcycle racing knowledge to keep you on the course and off the dirt. With the wide range of difficulty levels for the AI and player, MotoGP 08 delivers a game that appeals to the serious players and new players looking for a good place to start.

Rain racing proves to be an interesting challange as Capcom takes it as far as having rain droplets sliding across the screen making your vision similar to that of a pro racer in similar conditions.

Overall, I found the game extremely entertaining with career mode keeping me occupied for many hours; and before each race I was mesmerized by the quick run through video of the course. I really found more positives than negatives with this game; I believe my greatest complaint is the menu noises are flat out awful. Not too bad coming from someone who can seemingly complain about everything. If you are looking for a way to get someone hooked on MotoGP racing or to learn the names of racers, this game would be an excellent choice. MotoGP 08 has versions out on PS3, Wii*, Xbox360, PS2, and PC. Capcom has made sure that all MotoGP fans can race until MotoGP resumes in 2009.

MotoGP 08
MSRP (Xbox360): $59.99
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Format: PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii*
Release Date: October 28, 2008

*Release Date for the Wii version is January 31st 2009.

MotoGP 08 Highs & Lows

Highs

Game looks great on Non-HD TVs
Many levels of difficulty
Crashes/Wipe-outs are amusing

Lows

Horrible menu noises
No achievement for beating a track record
Be prepared for a LONG season of racing in career mode

Capcom's MotoGP 08 Now Available

View all articles by Richard Sultan
View all articles in Sportbike Media Review

Comments

brani - motogp game December 5, 2008 12:46 AM
i think motogp4 from, NAMCO is beter it has beter game play i play motogp game since 1st motogp game came in 2002 on ps2 and till now i played all of them and motogp3 and motogp4 are best off them i play motogp4 on HARD level and till now i passed the game 10-15 times its hard and very realistic.

Luiz - motogp 2008 December 4, 2008 04:47 AM
Dont like the phisics, and that´s why i play GP500!! BEST MOTORCYCLE GAME EVER TO DATE!!

Jason - MotoGP 08 video game review December 3, 2008 09:59 AM
Richard & others: don't get me wrong, as Robert mentioned I too can deal with a bike game that isn't a complete real life sim with off physics. But that isn't the point that I was trying to make. It's one thing for a company to make changes in a series of games that take it in a different direction which some may or may not like. But what has happened with MotoGP 08 is that in a day when companies are adding more and more options to games to make them more immersive (for both arcade and sim alike) Capcom has stripped MotoGP 08 bare. So my quesiton is why? Why would they think people would like less value for their money? What's worse is MotoGP 08 is based off the SBK 08 engine which had most of these options. So again why would they remove them? I'm not talking about a special exclusive feature but again common items that have been standard features on racing games for over 15 yrs (again for both arcade and sim alike). You mentioned that you took pride in smashing some lap records. So what happens if you have a friend come over and he plays and beats your record? Nothing because the game doesn't let you record your name by your records so really what's the point then? It's small things like this that lets the game down, which is bad because it could easly have been a great game. As your the increasing difficutly of the different levels, well that is really a case of two items. While the times are a bit more challenging on the only thing that makes the championship level hard is that the AI is ultra cheap and dumb. They are on rails and run into you and mess up your line while they just keep going. That is just bad programming. So it gets frustrating that after you begin to put time into the game and get good because if there is a close race the AI will just take you out. A lot of reviews of the game have slammed it for being for experts only because it's too hard. Again that isn't the case. The problem is that for MotoGP08 they made the breaks took weak, so you have to "ride" harder to stay with and beat the AI riders and this leads to more crashes. Combined with the bad AI it's no wonder so many Novice players have been turned off. My whole point is this. BIke games are a niche market and will never be block buster sellers. Dumbing them down isn't going to increase sales to make them mass market. As a bike game vet (of both arcade and sim games)the MotoGP 08 doesn't do enough to satisfy me from a depth depart sim wise, nor just as a quick jump in and play arcade game. I'd much rather play the older Namco MotoGP games which are straight arcade or something like Tourist Trophy which has the worse bike physics of any bike game. As I know both Milestone & Capcom know how to make good games and that the fact that they completely stripped down this game (again why wouldn't you leave them in there for those that want them) they've lost a long time customer because I'm not going to keep throwing my money away. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way. So what will happen is that with their current direction they are turning away their core market, while not really providing anything that will make it a mass market item. So you end up with game that doesn't really satisfy anyone. Yes the game can be enjoyed if you've never played any other bike games (and I bet if you player another bike game like Tourist Trophy, SBK 2001 you'd change your mind about the merits of MotoGP08), but the same could be said if the bike manufacturers stripped down all of thier 2009 models to 1960 spec. A new rider might enjoy them. But as a vet you know that you wouldn't.

Robert - MotoGP 08 video game review December 3, 2008 07:41 AM
I have to side with Jason on this one. Capcom really dropped the ball with this game. I can deal with the bike physics being different but they ruined the game as far as online play goes. There's only so much career mode a person can handle. The online aspect of any new game has to be solid and it's horrible on this game. I went back to MotoGP 07 just for this reason alone.

6th gear - Wii controlers are the way to go December 3, 2008 06:54 AM
Reportedly the Wii version will enable the rider to hold the controllers like one would be holding real bars, also letting use right hand as a real throttle. If that is true, that would be truly amazing. Because to play any motorcycle game with digital buttons or analog wheel is kind of close to useless. I hope it is true, and the delayed date release sort of gives a hint of being different than other systems.

Micah - Best motorcycle race sim December 3, 2008 05:07 AM
This game easily has the best motorcycle racing simulation engine out there. The only thing that comes close is Tourist Trophy, but that game was not nearly as realistic. In TT for example you could slam the trottle wide open at corner exits fully laid over and the rear wheel just spins and you hold your line. In Moto GP 08 you do the same thing and you'll get sideways and highside to the moon if you're too hamfisted. Also if you play on Sim mode in MOTO GP 08 you can't trail brake all the way through the turn or the front end will wash out. For those that think its too easy, play on hard and in sim mode where you have to Qualify on the front 3 rows just for a shot at the podium. There are some issues though, trying to hold a line in traffic is frustrating 'cause any contact with other racers makes you run wide. Also you can't qualify in quick race mode witch makes winning on hard and champ diff. level tough. Milestone (the developers) knows bike racing and this will only get better the more you play. I've had this game for weeks now and it hasn't even left my 360. P.S. This game has a steep learning curve on Sim mode and if your not dedicated to learning braking markers and testing the tracks you will never be fast.

Gann - My opinion December 3, 2008 04:19 AM
Firstly, I'll state that I'm both a real motorcyclist and a gamer (although I don't have the time these days to play video games as much as I used to) Yeah, the graphics are amazing from the screenshots, but with regards to motorcycle handling and gameplay enjoyment, all the Capcom MotoGP games pale in comparison to Tourist Trophy (the Gran Turismo of motorcycle racing games). Hell, I'd rather just steal a bike and ride around shooting hookers instead of playing MotoGP games.... Heh.

Steve - Re: Previous replies December 2, 2008 07:44 PM
You have to remember that while we (honest enthusiasts) are part of the target audience this game is aiming for, the companies that produce this kind of game have to market themselves to a broader audience that isn't concerned with realism or quality AI or anything of the sort. The bulk of consumers are concerned with simple, easy gameplay that they can pick up and have some fun with, not needing to know anything about motorcycles, game design, physics, the development and premier circuits, etc. Developers are cutting corners where they can to reduce costs because that know that without we picky few, they will still make bank off the easily-amused masses who will buy this game regardless. And for the record, you DO have a choice. I have never seen anyone walk into a store with a gun to his head, forced to buy a game he didn't like. And I've spent a fair amount of time in game stores.

Bryan - Ride a real motorcycle December 2, 2008 07:15 PM
To anyone complaining about the lack of realism of a video game, get some cold weather gear, grow a pair, and ride a real motorcycle if you want realism. And for the love of God stop placing gameplay scenes on YouTube so that they come up when I'm trying to watch real racing by real athletes;)

Richard - I appreciate your honesty. December 2, 2008 04:32 PM
I understand where you are comming from. It was a concern that since I had not played previous versions that I might fail to see diffrences in this new version. I think this game does appear to favor new players rather than pleasing some of its hard core audience but I don't think it is going to completely turn off those hardcore MotoGP fans from playing. They may not feel it is up to par but what game series doesn't have atleast one game that fans don't like. I'm sure if they see enough reviews like yours from major gaming sites they'll turn their act around and create a game you will enjoy. All I can say is that I enjoyed the game and thanks for the feed back.

Jason - MotoGP 08 video game review December 2, 2008 02:58 PM
Please don't take this wrong but it is very disappointing that MotorcycleUsa chose an admitted novice to review this game. To be blunt this game is terrible in so many ways that it's not funny. What's worse is the fact that it was developed by two companies that know how to make good games in general (capcom) and motorcycle games in specific (milestone). It is insulting to those who are fans of the genre. why? I'll put it like this. How would you feel if after all the advancements in Motorcycling over the past ten years, all the bike manufacturers released bikes that were right out of 1960? That is what Capcom has delivered, a game that lacks many of the basic features of racing games of the past ten years. They've stripped out pretty much all of the options of the previous games. Dumbed it down so that expert players are bored mindless. The AI is cheap and dumb (which is the only reason the game seems harder than it actually is) ...... the bike physics are way off (the brakes are far to weak), the list goes on. Like everyone you are entitled to your opinion and if you enjoyed it I'm glad you did. I am upset because in your position giving it the glowing review that you did is only going to encourage developers to take the cheap and easy way out and make lame shallow games like this, instead of putting the effort into delivering us quality product. We don't have a choice and they know it so they can pretty much release crap like MotoGP 08

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