MotoGP 20: Who Was Valentino Rossi?

MotoGP is also currently affected by the ban on major events. Luckily there are video games. Since 2013, the Italian developer Milestone has regularly published the simulation of the premier class of motorcycle racing. MotoGP 20 depicts the racing circus well, even if it sometimes appears a bit brittle.

Basically, I would say that I have experience with racing simulations. No matter whether the first Gran Turismo parts, later Forza Motorsport or Project Cars: sophisticated virtual motorsport is something that I enjoy. However, so far I've only felt really at home on four tires. But MotoGP 20 shows that the frenzy on two wheels can also be appealing.

Off to the career ladder

Your own MotoGP career is at the heart of MotoGP 20. Although presented somewhat drily, this mode offers some interesting elements that cleverly enhance a classic racing weekend. First of all, you create your own driver and hire a racing team. This places different demands on you. Better teams of course want you to do better in the drivers field. Your salary will then be more lucrative. You can start directly in MotoGP or fight your way up from Moto2 or Moto3. Alternatively, the game offers you the opportunity to stomp your own team out of the ground.

You may hire a manager who, depending on your expertise, will land better deals over time. But you also decide which technicians work for you. They are important because you continuously work on your bike throughout the season and unlock better components.

For research you need special development points. You deserve that when you do tests. The free trainings are ideal for this. Alternatively, there are two periods available in winter or in the middle of the season. Even though the variety of these tests is limited, what I like is that the training is becoming significantly more important. Instead of simply jumping to qualifying or even racing, I regularly use the entire race weekend so that I can further improve my racing machine.

Also cool: you can ask your technician for advice on fine tuning the motorcycle. You choose from various points in the setup guide what you would like to have changed. Based on this, the settings are adjusted. This way, even inexperienced people can quickly and easily tune their vehicle. Unfortunately there are no values for the adjustments. And if you want to take over the setup yourself, the game only offers you coarse settings. This could not be enough for MotoGP experts in particular.

At the very beginning, an interesting dynamic builds up in career mode. Every race weekend is savored and the time is used so that your team can research better components. At some point, lucrative contracts and better teams will be there. Over time, however, routine emerges. Unfortunately, there are no new attractions or playful challenges apart from the championship.

Riot on the track

It took a couple of tries before I could reasonably safely cross the racetrack on two wheels. Compared to racing cars, motorcycles are more sensitive when cornering. Over time, however, I got the hang of it. Maybe also because I started my career in the Moto3 class. The racing motorcycles are much tamer and easier to handle there.

Since the drivers go into every corner, I have the feeling that it is necessary to go into the corner a little earlier. At the same time, the left analog stick should only be moved gently: the smoother you master the curve, the faster you will pick up speed again. If you get rough and get back to the starting position too abruptly, you lose precious seconds.

If you stumble with the driving physics, you can switch on various driving aids. But this makes the driving feel a bit flute, which makes a good impression with MotoGP 20. For example, the amount of fuel affects driving behavior. A fuller tank makes the motorcycle heavier and slower. With 31 other drivers on the track, there is often little space to maneuver, especially when you are in the middle of the driver field. The neuronal AI advertised by developer Milestone can also be regulated in the options so that you as a newcomer are not without a chance.

Nevertheless, the AI is not completely convincing. Even at a medium level, the opposing drivers step on the brakes far too early, which is why you can easily make up many places in these moments. On the other hand, the AI drivers only adhere to the ideal line in a rudimentary manner and rarely take into account what results in accidents. Fortunately, you can rewind the time at any time with the front right shoulder button. So if you want thrilling races with numerous exciting position battles, you have to raise the level of difficulty properly. However, this could frustrate beginners.

Between dreary reality and dreary technology

Visually, MotoGP leaves plenty of room for improvement. It's nice that you can choose between performance and quality mode if you have a Playstation 4 Pro, but even the performance mode doesn't keep the promised 60 frames per second away. If accidents occur in the full driver field, the frame rate is happy to get down on its knees. Even if it has no influence on the gameplay: does it have to be that the music hangs up in the long loading pauses and repeats briefly, as if a CD were jumping in the drive?

I personally find the performance mode more pleasant than the quality mode. Not only is the doubled refresh rate (even if it sags every now and then) a big plus, the image is clearer despite some missing effects, which is a matter of taste.

A trip into the past

In addition to the career, the core of MotoGP, the game also offers individual races and a classic championship. If you are creative, you can design helmets, stickers or numbers and even share them with the community. There is also the historical mode: In the beginning you have a small selection of historical drivers and are allowed to participate in daily challenges in their skin, which are divided into three levels of difficulty. This will earn you a currency with which you can unlock additional drivers or teams in the shop.

MotoGP 20 – Announcement Trailer

Motorbike fans will not have to do without a new edition of MotoGP this year either.

Basically a nice idea, but: You can only shop in the historic market if you have previously won a race. The drivers are unnecessarily divided into rarity levels, and why are there 30 Valentino Rossi and 3 Casey Stoners in the 30-man squad in the 4-stroke category? As an interested layperson in the MotoGP racing circuit, I would have appreciated a few background information about the drivers.

MotoGP's multiplayer mode was not yet available at the time of testing. As with the predecessor, there is unfortunately no local split-screen option.