Game Reviews

MotoGP 2012

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| MotoGP 2012
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MotoGP 2012
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| MotoGP 2012

Real life motorbike racing is a mix of precision and insanity. It's all about split second decisions, and throwing yourself around on a bike capable of breaking the national speed limit three times over.

MotoGP 2012 was never going to be able to capture the inherent lunacy of the sport, but it does a pretty decent job of building an entertaining racing experience, albeit one that bears little resemblance to its inspiration.

Leather it

This being the official game, all the riders, bikes, and circuits from the 2012 season are in place. You pick a rider, and then lead him to championship glory across 18 different races. You can qualify for each event, or take your chances working through the pack.

The controls are reasonably simple, with just four buttons letting you turn left and right, brake, and boost. Your boost runs down over time, but taking corners well builds it back up again, allowing you to let rip down the straights.

Arrows flash up on screen to let you know the direction and severity of any upcoming corners, and running too far onto the grass at the side of the track, or too strongly into one of your opponents, will send you sprawling to the floor.

The physics aren't great, and sometimes there are inconsistencies, but the racing is entertaining enough that you won't really mind.

Hard curves

The game probably owes more to the likes of Road Rash than it does to the real sport of MotoGP, but that's not really a bad thing. You always feel like you're the best rider on the best bike, but carving through traffic and holding your position still make for a great time.

If you come to MotoGP 2012 expecting a realistic interpretation of the sport then you're going to be disappointed. If you come with an open mind and a desire to engage in some pretty silly arcade racing shenanigans then you're going to find a lot to keep you happy.

It's fast, edgy, and while it doesn't quite feel like you're tearing round at 200mph and sliding your knees across the tarmac, it comes as close as a mobile game is likely to.

MotoGP 2012

Not quite the simulator some might be looking for, MotoGP 2012 is still an immensely entertaining arcade racer
Score
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.