MotoGP 09/10 Review

Before putting your pedal anywhere near the metal, think about what you really, really want from a motorbike game.

If it's an insane turn of speed, toe-curling acceleration and choppy races against an aggressive pack of rivals you’re after, MotoGP is just the ticket. Shirking the fussiness of a simulation in favour of fierce arcade racing, the thrills of MotoGP come from throwing your bike around some of the most famous tracks in the world, all the while jostling for position and finding the perfect racing line that allows you to take impossible corners at eye-watering speeds. Slick presentation and forgiving controls also make this a fun racer for speed freaks who don’t take their games too seriously, and the sprawling career mode adds depth to the experience where most racers are happy to stick with hardcore speeding.

For fans of the real, sport, however, MotoGP will be a disappointment. While it offers high-octane scrambles, there’s no sense of how the rider must strike a perfect balance between his machine and the road surface to nudge ahead of the pack, meaning that any vehicle could be substituted for MotoGP’s motorbike without damaging the experience. The fact it’s almost impossible to crash – and that you can be travelling at almost 200mph one second, yet brake to a standstill the next – also removes the experience from the real world, and even though you can tuck your rider in to increase your speed when burning around bends, this nod towards simulation isn’t enough to seduce committed petrol heads.

For high-speed action, stick an extra star on the score below and hit the track without a second thought. But for anyone searching for a deeper, more authentic experience, MotoGP 09/10 doesn’t pack the punch you’re looking for.