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| MotoGP 2006 Review | // review | ||
| When Microsoft first released the monster that is now Xbox Live upon us, one racing game ruled them all… because that's all there was. The demo of MotoGP more than any other game included as a demo since the launch of Xbox Live, has given gamers a glimpse of just what was possible on the service. The demo alone is probably responsible for the massive initial uptake of the service, not bad for a game that is still seen a niche title. It is because of this, the simple fact that we can't take people's liking of the game to be because they had no choice in the matter that we must accept there is something more to the game. But why? Well, because even when they did get a choice, many went back and continued playing the game that had introduced them to the pleasures of Xbox Live. Three years down the line and two sequels down publisher THQ are preparing to launch another edition of the hugely popular niche racer upon the hoards of Xbox Live again, but with the likes of PGR 3 now dominating the online racing scene we have to ask. Is there room for a motorbike racing game or will we see it scooting between the cars as it breaks towards the finish line leaving the four wheeled wonders eating two wheels dust? If there is one thing developers Climax are good at doing, it's listening to their fans. Many of the developers are regular visitors to the official MotoGP community site XboxLiveAddicts, and are almost constantly interacting with the community, listening to their complaints, their praise and most importantly, listening to ways in which the fans believe they can improve the titles. But it's not just listening that the guys and girls at Climax do, they often act upon the advice, doing their best to implement suggestions, all the while adding extra stuff that will exceed their fans expectations. It's nice to see developers who actually listen to their fans because as you'll find out, many of the problems present in the last two versions have been fixed, even the ones us journalists didn't pick upon or report. That's not to say that the game is flawless however, it still has its problems but they tend to be minor things that while detracting away from the game, don't affect the most important feature too much, the gameplay. An example of one of our gripes is the appalling loading times which mean gamers are often left to wait 2 or 3 minutes before being able to jump into a race. Thankfully the loading problems aren't as bad on Xbox Live but they still nonetheless detract away from the experience. But enough about the bad stuff. How does the game play and what's new? That's what you're reading the review for, not to listen to us moan about things that when considered in the grand scheme of things are minor and frivolous. The one thing people always comment on about the game is the unique control method. For those that have played the MotoGP series before you'll know exactly what we mean. For those that don't listen up, you're about to learn about one of the most innovative and flexible control methods ever created. MotoGP doesn't use the triggers or buttons to control acceleration and braking. It uses the right analogue to control speed. The further forward the stick is pushed forward, the more throttle that is applied, the further back it is pulled the more the bike brakes. In a similar way, the left analogue stick doesn't so much control steering as much as which way the rider leans. If you've ever seen motorbike racing you'll see how they lean to one side while turning the corner. What you might not realise is that they are leaning to turn the corner. The left stick also controls whether or not your rider has a lower profile, handy for increasing aerodynamics and therefore speed while pulling back makes them sit up, hand for increasing weight shift for those hairpin turns where every second counts.
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