Developer: Milestone S.r.l., Namco, Atlus, Microïds, Genki
Publisher: Milestone S.r.l., Capcom, Namco, Atlus, 1C Company
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch
Tested on: PS4
MotoGP 18 – Review
Another day, another sports game but to be truly honest with you, this time we don’t really mind because Milestone just gave us a new addiction with their latest release of MotoGP 18. This simulator is not for the faint of heart as this is some next level simulator that will let you enjoy hours of learning how to ride a bike online and offline. Maybe some of you think it will be easy, but we can assure you, it is not. This hardcore racing game will drive you crazy in every single way!
Story
At the start of your career, you are an unknown driver in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. Your goal is to gain reputation and prestige. When the first championship ends you get the decision to stay with your lovely team or move on to another one. The ultimate goal is obviously to become the new MotoGP champion, which is only possible if you get unharmed through most of the provided categories.
This game is really hard to grasp at the beginning for a new player, you will progress very slowly, but if you are familiar with this type of game it has a steady pace which is enjoyable and challenging at the same time. But even if you are already a pro, the road to success is long and hard, but totally worth it.
Graphics
Let’s not lie, Milestone killed it again. The scenery in this game is breath-taking. They went over the top to make this game as beautiful as it can be in 2018. The race tracks and landscape around it is almost flawless. The suits and bikes are also very well done. But in every game, there is something that needs to be worked on.
In this version, they worked on a special mechanic with the tires of the bikes. And in our opinion, they look rather bad… The colour is a bit bland and the dirt is badly made compared to the rest of the game. Which is for us a bit of a turn-off, especially with the new feature in mind.
Sound
Imagine standing at the side of a track, the race is about to start and you hear the engine of the bikes roar. Hold that thought and think of you on the bike instead, this is what you get when you start your engine at the beginning of a race. It is for some of you just noise, but for others, it’s a sound you can’t get enough of.
Milestone creates a realistic feeling by not putting any background music when you are racing your bike. The only thing you’ll hear is the bikes, which are all different. If you pay attention, you’ll hear that every sort of bike has its own sound. Details and work were not an issue in this title.
Of course, there is music in the menu, but it’s kind of short and gets repetitive fast. Which is annoying if you go AFK. Maybe some more tunes will help spice things up a bit, but this is a minor issue and not really important at all.
Gameplay
MotoGP 18 is, as its predecessor, a simulator with the heart of a racing game. This year the whole career mode is about making it as the MotoGP champion. They aimed for a more realistic game, were you can only join real teams and use their gear, which wasn’t an option in the previous MotoGP games. So now it is actually possible to join a team with Valentino Rossi!
When you played MotoGP 17, you’ll immediately know there are a lot of changes and not all for the better. Because this year they left out some parts that most people really enjoyed, like the Manager career mode. This due to the more realistic take on this year’s game. Luckily, they added Spectator mode, which is a feature most of the fans were asking for, for a long time. With this mode you can watch other players online, those players can use different angles or settings, maybe you can find something new that works better for your playstyle.
Besides that, there is another new feature, which you saw us mention before! When you look at a real race, one of the most crucial aspects is how the riders manage the wear of tires. Milestone did an amazing job by recreating this in MotoGP 18. This will be a very important thing to look at because if you fail to manage it correctly, your performance will go down drastically.This can be managed by reducing your engines aggressiveness or choosing the right hardness for your tires for example.
MotoGP 18 is also not about winning, but just completing your goals. The amount of realistic elements in this game makes it nearly impossible to win every race. So, just look at your objective and try to reach at least the rank you are supposed to finish.
When you look at the menu, you’ll notice there are other modes that you can play. Which are Quick mode, Multiplayer mode and MotoGP eSports championship mode. They are all self-explanatory. So if you want a break from your career there are a few other possibilities.
For new players, this will be an incredibly hard game to start. Even with the tutorial, you will encounter fails and a lot of difficulties. But when you get the hang of it, you will only get better, so it is absolutely worth it to invest time in this game.
Conclusion
MotoGP 18 is a worthy successor of its previous versions. This simulator is still one of the most beautiful games ever made in its genre and is very well done in almost every aspect. The gameplay is maybe a bit repetitive, but honestly, it doesn’t bother us that much because of the fact that in real life it isn’t any different. The difficulty of the game can be a turn-off for some people but don’t let that hold you back, victory will come for the patient and hardworking.
MotoGP 18 – Review,
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