Racing, Racing…and More Racing

As a recent transplant to Australia, one thing became uncannily obvious fairly quickly. Australians like their racing…a lot. As in, there’s 5 friggin’ channels dedicated exclusively to it on Pay TV, likewise always something on its free sister involving rubber, asphalt, and a slew of Western European riders with great hair.

One of the most popular outlets of said obsession is clearly MotoGP, where a bunch of lunatics on kickass bikes turn corners at both ridiculous speeds and on unhealthy, dramatic angles. The scenery is no slouch either, comprised of courses in some of the world’s most picturesque cities.

While not a motorcycle enthusiast myself, it’s hard not to appreciate the sheer power and skill of riders manning these MotoGP bikes. Perhaps it oversimplification, but a willingness to pilot an F1 whittled down to crotch rocket frames will earn my respect any day of the week.

What’s New for 2011?

Apparently the folks at Capcom agree, now with their second consecutive, next generation console offering of the MotoGP Series. Akin to its predecessor, ‘MotoGP 10/11’ is as authentic a license as they come, complete with every racer, bike, course (download updates to come mid-season) and attractive French fan base member of this year’s MotoGP slate. The only authenticity hiccup is the absence of official sponsors. It appears Red Bull didn’t feel like paying to be in your PS3.

As an homage to déjà vu, MotoGP centers on a career progression path (‘Career Mode’) beginning with 125cc bikes and riders…upwards to 250cc flair… while finally completing on the MotoGP pinnacle series. Race successes and proper team management enables bike upgrades, the usual suspects of race game genre quests for the legendary asphalt brass ring.

A new ‘Challenge’ mode replaces the Arcade option from 09/10, one where time attack and/or in-race successes keep the fun going a bit longer. Clearly a shout-out to arcade cabinet racers of present and yesteryear. (Google ‘Dave and Buster’s’ to truly appreciate the lengths of this salute.)

World Championship mode is as entitled, likewise Time Trial (Ghost) and Multiplayer sister options. While I couldn’t find any willing vroom-vroom victims over on the PlayStation Network, Capcom tells me 19 of my soon-to-be newest friends are ready and willing to run broadband-based, Le Mans circles around me when the time is right.

See It, Smell It, Taste It

Visually, Moto GP 10/11 is quite the looker. Bikes, courses, and atmospheres are all sharp, with subtle graphical twists – lighting effects, sprayed dirt, for instance - thrown in for good measure. The rider view is solid if not spectacular, featuring a nice and readable dash…but also disconcerting side-to-side movements on tighter turns. You go one way, bike goes the other, almost like a drunken version of rock-a-bye Yamaha 250cc baby. The game’s other two views are conventional, 3/4 bike perspectives, one simply slightly further away.  Finally, blurring effects result from sporting a lowered, tight body profile at high speeds. Artistic, yes, but rather useless in execution.

Engine noises are appropriate, with bikes sounding a lot more grown up as they progress up the CC chain. 125 class is a mosquito-esque buzzing irritant, MotoGP models a great deal more respectful via Avogadro vocal comparison.

Atmosphere can use some work. For instance, it seems rather odd to feature a packed house at a simple practice, non-qualifying run. Ditto almost no added enthusiasm for actual race day adventures. I won. Hooray. Yup, that’s about it.

Music…egads. There’s not enough R3 button pushes in the entire world to yield anything worth listening to. Licensed artists are not a necessity, but something more listenable, please. This game screams for some running commentary, one helpful in capturing the moment and/or race progression drama. EA’s NASCAR series is a master at this audio, fine point.

Let’s move away from the wrapper, and on to the nougat filling that lies within.

Having not played the 09/10 version of MotoGP, it’s hard to say what’s truly improved here. Capcom is also a bit mysterious in this regard, with primary upgrade advertised as season authenticity. Thus, please excuse a shooting-from-the-hip approach to gameplay.

The Game That Plays You

I’m not sure how to say this subtly, but MotoGP 10/11 is either impossible…or plays like crap. Or both. Even on beginner level – with automated everything, sans steering and acceleration – physics are all over the place. Proposed race lines are an abomination, suggesting paths to nowhere. Even on toddler difficulty status, expect abundant spill outs, choppy acceleration patterns, and trials and tribulations to simply stay on the damn course. Opposing riders drive like Evil Knievil, impossible to pass and/or far too bump happy for a bike racer.

Upping difficulty provides much better road feel and realism, but – once more – the bike seems to ride on its own. Switching bike classes amazingly added little sense of neither speed nor excitement. Across all three classes, I couldn’t shake the sensation of driving a Razor Scooter versus near-perfect piece of cycle machinery. Adjustments to rider stance, weight, and/or wheel emphasis (front or back wheelie) are there…but seemingly only to create over-emphasized physics struggles where the difficulty lies in staying upright.

Thus and unfortunately, never once did the allure of riding a fantastic bike, turning tight corners and angles, emerge. In its place were following poor race lines, and mad scientist throttle/gear adjustments to recover from bad turns. All the while, accompanied by that God-forsaken soundtrack.

In all fairness, you can tweak the living hell out of your bike, to include gear adjustments and tires…potential panacea’s to my MotoGP’s terminal physics illness. The same can be said about ABS and/or other road assists. Combined, however, these do little to mask a clear problem in a game advertising realism but executes as a lesson in poor physics on two wheels.

Final Thoughts

For the mainstream masses, I can see MotoGP working nicely – even on more advanced difficulty settings – within aforementioned arcade cabinets.  Still – and while cycle racers are few and far between - there’s an abundance of four wheeled, console-based counterparts (some very discounted) that offer so much more than MotoGP 10/11.

These criticisms, however, might be useless rants to those already accustomed to the 09/10 iteration – raise your hands, you proud folks – and/or series fans willing to stammer through the physics concerns possibly reduced to trial and error learning curves.