| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| New Nine Season 2009 mode | Little ambient sound in the circuits |
| Physics of the bike and setting options | You cannot customize aids while in a race |
| All official categories plus some extra |
There will always be a dilemma… What is better, motorcycles or cars? Two or four wheels? As a good lover of speed and driving, I can’t decide on one, but today we are here for one reason. Something that I really wanted to be able to play after a year, please stand up and welcome MotoGP 22, the best motorcycle simulation game on the market.
- Available On: Xbox, PlayStation, PC
- Published By: Milestone
- Developed By: Milestone
- Genre: Racing
- US Release Date: April 21st, 2022
Lovers of these beasts are in luck; today, we finally have the new release with the official license of the most important championship in the world of two wheels. MotoGP 22 is now available for all platforms, and today I will bring you my impressions after having had the opportunity to play it.
We are going to stop statutory introductions, and we are going to put on our overalls, get on our 300 hp motorcycle and bend over until practically our entire body is out of the fairing. Since that will be the key to making the best times and leaving our rivals behind. Get ready because this will be a fast and difficult trip; there are more than adequate words for this new installment.
Technical Section
MotoGP 22 presents us with graphics that everyone will like. This installment has 4K resolution, HDR10, and +60fps on new generation consoles, providing the smallest detail to show us the most faithful motorcycles to date. If the main attraction of this game is well defined, the drivers who are responsible for getting the most out of these two-wheeled vehicles were not going to be left behind. The moldings of the pilots and their facial gestures are very well worked out, as well as the podium celebrations, a detail that is appreciated, since there are games that leave that section a bit to the side.
As for the circuits, there are no complaints; MotoGP 22 has them very well recreated and with very nice details. It should be noted that when you run on a wet track, you will appreciate without any problem the “spray” released by the motorcycles and the reflections on the asphalt due to the puddles of water that will remain in the middle of the track. If you have to look for any downside in terms of this section, it is the ambient sound that characterizes this type of event because the stands do not stop roaring throughout the race. In this aspect, MotoGP 22 lags a bit behind since the circuit feels somewhat “empty” although it is true that some noise is heard from time to time, it is something that could be improved for future deliveries. However, you will listen to the sound of the motorcycles first hand, something essential in driving games, at least in terms of personal opinion.
Gameplay
Let’s go to the most important thing, how does the game feel? Let me tell you that it feels good, very good. We are facing a total simulation game that will make things very difficult for all those unfamiliar with this saga and who have not traveled a few kilometers. Milestone has wanted to make it easier for new people to enjoy this delivery as much as the most professional. MotoGP 22 offers us the typical time trial mode to practice the circuits for as long as we want, training with basic lessons to learn to control the most essential parts of the bike, and a mode with advanced lessons that will allow us to become a great rider. As long as we dedicate time to it, of course…
This does not end here; MotoGP 22 brings us the “MotoGP Academy” mode. In this new format, we will be able to practice the circuits by sectors; this new model will allow us to choose any of the 21 official routes and thus train the sector that presents us with the most problems. This is undoubtedly a great success that will allow us to perfect every track corner to beat absolutely all records.
Once we have left the training mode behind, we are going to what possibly catches your attention the most, the Nine Season 2009 mode. What are we dealing with in this new model? Well, I’ll tell you, as the name indicates, we are in the 2009 season, and the most fans in this world will know that at that time, Valentino Rossi won his ninth world championship. Crowning himself as one of the best pilots – if not the best – of all time.
This mode takes us through history through the 17 circuits that existed at that time. We will not be facing normal races. Therefore, this mode is a breath of fresh air in the franchise; let’s say it is its own “story mode”. In Nine Season 2009, we will put ourselves in the shoes of the most emblematic riders of the moment, from Rossi to Nicky Hayden and Lorenzo, Pedrosa or Stoner, direct rivals in the MotoGP world championship.
The races that this mode offers us are based on actions that really happened and shown in the form of challenges. For example, starting last on the grid, putting yourself in the eighth position in less than six laps, or getting a specific distance from your rivals. All this is mixed with a compilation of real narrated images, which will allow you to know the whole story of that epic season in a very detailed way. A mode that I did not know could be so necessary until I tried it, without a doubt a great success on the part of the Milestone team to include something like this in this MotoGP 22.
If you are a lover of the most classic and are not interested in this new mode, do not worry; you will have everything from fast races to multiplayer mode. And for the first time in the franchise, you’ll be able to play on split-screen to tear down those in your own house. Without forgetting, of course, the Career mode, a mode that allows us to create our pilot and create a team to start competing. This mode will enable us to improve our bike to be up to the champions and fight for the world title. MotoGP 22 offers us absolutely all the weekend sessions, from free practice on Friday through free practice and qualifying on Saturday and of course, training and the long-awaited race on Sunday. Are you ready to start from the bottom and rise to the top?
Once we have put aside the game modes, we go to the motorcycle’s behavior. MotoGP 22 brings us a true simulation game, which means that we face a difficult delivery to control and even more difficult to master. As I mentioned a little above, Milestone brings us game modes to be able to practice and thus learn to control the bike more and therefore make this installment more accessible to absolutely everyone.
Don’t be fooled; MotoGP 22 will be quite a challenge for those who aren’t used to this type of game. Above all, when the weather conditions are not right, if the track is wet, be prepared to touch the gas and the brake carefully, because each corner could be the last…
Duration
As you well know, this type of game is not based on a single story mode and that’s it. Driving games can last us as long as we are willing to enjoy them; even so, I can tell you that the Nine Season 2009 mode will take you approximately nine hours to complete all the challenges, including the secondary ones. Remember that in addition to that, you have the multiplayer mode that can offer us countless extra hours, the career mode with the 21 official circuits and races that range from 5 laps to 100% duration. Therefore, you decide how long you want to spend on the track.
Suppose we add to all this the split-screen mode and the customization options that it offers us. In that case, we are facing a game that will allow you to enjoy this championship all year long until the release of the new installment if you are lovers of the saga. This new MotoGP 22 is undoubtedly a more than necessary option for those who enjoy motorcycles and the official championship.
Conclusion
MotoGP 22 offers us more than 120 riders, more than 20 circuits, and different modes to give you endless options. Milestone has created a true must-have piece in any gamer’s library. We are facing a delivery that stands out in all aspects, it is fun and challenging, and at the same time, it will trap you until you manage to perfectly master the 300 CV beasts that this new game offers us.
Graphically, it more than complies; the only drawback is the ambient sound of the circuits since there are times when it seems that it is completely silent. Driving varies – and a lot – depending on the weather, the bike, wear, or configuration.
In short, MotoGP 22 brings us everything that motorcycle lovers want: speed, impressive overtaking, setting up our own team, or reliving Valentino Rossi’s last world championship.
