MotoGP 13

Closing the gap between racing simulator and arcade racer comes MotoGP 13, the official game of the MotoGP championship. Experience the thrills of high-speed motorcycle racing like never before, and master the many tracks available in this game.

For many fans of this sport, the MotoGP series is the only way they have to live the excitement of the track. However, being the only option doesn’t mean that the game is infallible. On the contrary, there are many things wrong with this game that can only make it recommendable to die-hard fans of motorcycle racing.

Next Level Realism

Any good driving simulator has to understand the basics of whatever vehicle it is trying to simulate. Fortunately, MotoGP 13 is unparalleled in terms of realistic motorcycle handling. It also allows players to pilot their motorcycles in first-person mode, allowing for a greater level of immersion.

As far as handling goes, MotoGP 13 is a bit of a mixed bag. Each motorcycle class gets increasingly harder, as it should be. However, most bikes never truly feel like they should, lacking the characteristic sliding seen in real-life races. Too much grip can also be an annoyance when you just need to drift in some corners.

Considering this is primarily a simulation game, don’t expect your bike to be able to pull off the insane stunts you can do in games like Burnout Paradise. That said, there’s a lot of flexibility in difficulty to allow novice players to enjoy the game.

Race the Computer

Another point of contention we should talk about in MotoGP 13 is the AI racers. Not only are they laughably easy to beat: they regularly seem to “cheat” their lap times to impossible ends. This seems to be a rubberbanding measure to keep the AI from becoming a total annoyance.

Despite this, there are still some challenges to be had with the game’s AI. The randomized weather system will keep players on their toes, especially because it seems like it loves rain. Most races take place in rainy weather, for some reason, and this negatively impacts your handling and visibility.

Not even the game’s in-depth UI can help you with poor visibility. Luckily, the MotoGP commentators can keep any race from becoming too dull.

Adequate Looks

MotoGP 13 shows some serious dedication to photorealism. Almost every aspect of the game has been designed to look and feel just like the real thing, even though this can sometimes have an uncanny feeling to it.

Racers and bikes look good enough, especially considering the game’s age. That said, games like F1 2013 easily beat MotoGP 13 in terms of visual fidelity, and also in the way they capture the exhilarating feeling of speed.

If you can overlook some slight blemishes with MotoGP 13’s core gameplay, this is a very competent simulator and the only one of its kind.

Pros:

• Handling feels mostly great
• Tons of bikes to choose from
• Neat user interface

Cons:

• AI is too easy to beat
• Random weather favors rain too much
• Disappointing visuals