MotoGP 18 is incredibly similar to MotoGP 17 in the way it realistically emulates motorcycle racing. While enthusiasts of the sport may enjoy MotoGP 18, the average player will likely be distracted by its messy visuals and overwhelmed by how uncomfortably grounded the game is.
MotoGP 18
Developer: Milestone S.R.L
Price: $69.99
Platforms: PS4 (reviewed)
MonsterVine was provided with a PS4 code for review.
Unlike the majority of popular racing games, MotoGP has an unwavering dedication to realism. There’s no drifting or boosting, as careful turning and speed management are the mechanics to focus on. It’s certainly not for everyone, including myself admittedly, but I can see the appeal for fans of real-world racing.
Driving and steering can be so weighty that it becomes frustrating, as you have to anticipate curves in the track and begin your turn seconds before the turn actually comes up, lest you wish to wipe out or go far off track. As realistic as this may be, it isn’t particularly fun. If anything, I’d argue that this actively discourages driving at high speeds, as you have to pump the brakes in order to make even the smallest turn.
Perhaps it’s because I’m used to looser racing games, but I just don’t enjoy falling to the back of the crowd because I didn’t nail a turn. It feels impossible to recover because of how catastrophic a single mistake is, making a race feel pointless upon your first error. Don’t get me wrong, I love difficult games when the mechanics are tight and satisfying (see Mega Man, Dark Souls, etc.). Tight as they may be, I just don’t think MotoGP’s mechanics are particularly satisfying.
“While everything looks crisp and fine in motion, stopping or crashing reveals the cracks in the graphics.“
There are multiple different modes available to players, from your standard Online and single race modes to the more robust Career mode. In Career mode, you make your own racer and partake in a number of different races in order to advance in the racing industry. There are some neat little details that make your career feel “real”, like a social feed for your racer and an inbox where you can receive e-mails about your races. Online multiplayer is functional and pretty smooth, as I never had framerate issues or lag. The load times for online are brutal though, as I found it would take a few minutes to get into a single race.
MotoGP 18’s graphics are inconsistent. While everything looks crisp and fine in motion, stopping or crashing reveals the cracks in the graphics. The models are ugly, textures pop-in at random, racers and bikes will awkwardly ragdoll and clip through things, and obstacles are revealed to have no physical properties, meaning you can drive straight through a barrier as though it wasn’t even there. A lot of these choices feel somewhat lazy, or at least unfortunately overlooked.
The Final Word
MotoGP 18 takes its commitment to realistic racing a bit too far for the average gamer. While racing enthusiasts will likely enjoy this grounded approach to racing, I don’t see MotoGP 18 appealing to anyone outside of that niche audience.
– MonsterVine Rating: 2.5 out of 5 – Mediocre
