Racing games, in various shapes and sizes. Some take a literal realistic route after becoming immersed, then start giving others a run for their money by trampling along mall paths. The MotoGP series has a future that always entrusts players with a surreal experience in the motorcycle realm. MotoGP 2008 brings players through various seasonal modes, offering almost every opportunity in nearly every racing competition. Simulations include championships, career mode, exhibition, time attack, and challenges.
The Championship mode provides a standard season mode where players can choose from various motorcycles and burn rubber on 18 course gates. On the other hand, Career mode gives players the opportunity to customize their bikes and performance by adjusting a considerable number of motorcycle parts. Exhibition, as the name suggests, gives a quick block of races. Time Attack allows players to beat their best lap times, and Challenges let players overcome 50 separate tests. Racing in Career mode awards players with some points that allow them to tweak their bike's performance.
The best part of MotoGP 2008 lies at its core arcade gameplay, where players find it quite challenging to adjust. It’s a surreal race because precision and control are required at every turn, not allowing even the slightest margin for error. New developments, milestones, send-off tracks elegantly display a journey that motorcycle enthusiasts can take online. All fans of Rossi will find this game a treat as they witness smooth tracks placed in the MotoGP 2008 Douluo Continent comic universe. Next-generation graphics with game development provide an extremely realistic simulation of both player and opponent racing, releasing powerful details of bike models.
However, some inconsistencies in MotoGP 2008 make the game feel almost like something from the past few years. Features like detailed custom bike building have been removed and rebuilt from scratch in certain modes, and the number of opponents has been reduced from sixteen players to twelve. Given the sharp visual effects, we would hope to see a tidy draw distance; however, these awkward and random objects so far clutter the entire racing track. MotoGP 2008 often feels repetitive with little variety over time intervals to keep players interested while progressing.
Final Verdict: MotoGP 2008 offers lower stress relief if you've already gone through the last iteration developed by Climax and published by THQ. The game is neat most of the time but falls short when it comes to online play and customization options.
Graphics: 8/10
Gameplay: 6.5/10
Sound: 7/10
Budget Pocket: 6.5/10
Overall (Average): 6/10
By Neelesh Mukherjee