MotoGP 26

The Italian development studio Milestone has held the license and has been making MotoGP games for over a decade. This year was no different. To make it more interesting, as with similar sports titles, there were discussions about various improvements and advancements in all areas. The game was released a few days ago, and we could throw in a saying, "just like FIFA."

WHERE DID THEY FALL SHORT?

Well, it could be said, in quite a few areas. After sending reviewers a PDF manual that was epic and not having the time or will to read it all, we started playing and writing.

At the very beginning of the game, you decide whether you want to be a Pro or an Arcade rider. Immediately follows a Tutorial, after which everything in the game is unlocked. I, as an old racing wolf, immediately went into Time Trial mode to check the state of my Pro skills on the Mugello track. I immediately warn all those who are not seasoned Moto racing drivers, which are, let’s clarify, a completely different world from car racing, to switch to Arcade; otherwise, they will very likely have a frustrating driving experience. So, if you are not coming from the RIDE and/or Isle of Man TT franchises, stay away from the Pro setting.

As in all previous years, the career mode is the core of the offline part of the game. But that same career – is again the same! Just like last year, or five years ago. It hasn't underperformed as a mode, but it is simply a copy of those from before.

After the demanding Pro mode and the copied career, the graphics can't pick up too many good ratings, and the sound isn't particularly special either – depending on how you set it up, like most of the other things. The photomode is present, but it’s not like we’ll be creating masterpieces with it, as in some other games. Personally, I think last year's title has better graphics.

I started (very) negatively because the game deserved it in those areas, but it is certainly not a bad title – MotoGP 26 is actually a GOOD and fun motorcycle simulation. As the saying goes, it just needs a little tweaking.

“CALL THE GUY”

To immediately follow up on the end of the last paragraph, the game is good, but it can't be without a little "tweaking." First and foremost – bring the Arcade mode closer to the Pro mode as much as you feel confident, i.e., you don't fall and you're not the master of your motorcycle. This requires the following actions; Adaptive Difficulty Off, AI Difficulty 65 (a matter of personal choice, I will raise mine to 70), Neutral Steering – Moderate, Neutral Brakes – Moderate, Neutral Throttle – Moderate, and Transmission – Manual, but you can leave that on default, which sets it to on. We’ve sorted out the gameplay, now for the audio. Set the Output Device to the best one you connect your console/PC to, and now very importantly, Dynamic Range – Extended and Audio Experience – Realism.

Now you will have the motorcycle partially under your control, while AI will still assist you. If you don’t brake too late and at an angle, there won’t be falls, you’ll be able to add gas earlier, all with a much better sound of your engine, as well as from other riders. Over time, you can turn off one assistance feature at a time and be faster, at the cost of easier falls and a much more precise feeling for "opening" the throttle.

GAME MODES

The game selection consists of several sections for the modes available in the game. The most important is itself in the category, and of course, it is the Career mode. It boils down to starting in the weakest category, Moto3. As always, you have a special rival, where you are then given the condition to be better than him over several races. If you succeed, an agent soon comes to you with contracts, either for a better team in the current class, or something weaker but in the Moto2 class if we stick to playing from the beginning. Personally, I rejected everything and stayed with my team, as my goal is to win the championship in all three classes. Also, every few races there is a press conference. There are always three questions, two relate to your racing ego, and one to the next rival. Finally, from time to time you have a meeting with your mechanics, who ask you questions about the engine specifications, what you think should be improved.

 One category consists of three very frequent modes, just like the career. These are Grand Prix, which translates itself, and it involves racing a specific GP. The second is Championship, a mode lasting the entire season, just without all the additional things mentioned in the career. The third is my personal favorite in racing games, Time Trial. Here, with the ghost of the best lap, or without it, you can easily lose hours chasing a new best time...

Every now and then between races, you also drive one of the following modes: Flat Track – cruisers on dirt, Motard – cruisers on asphalt, Minibike – small engines on asphalt, and Production Bikes – some of the most powerful road motorcycles on the tracks.

Online is currently quite deserted, although when creating a lobby there are enough options for everyone's taste. So far, I have managed to race only two online races and it was quite fun, one with collision on, the other off – it's like fighting with ghosts, the bikes literally pass through each other. I don't know what went wrong and why the servers are deserted. Did the game sell that poorly... In general, online can be seriously competitive, and finally, there is also the iconic Split Screen mode.

I will also add an album with stickers – as you progress in the game, you receive packs containing pictures of players and tracks, which you use to fill the album. For which audience is this, who would know...

GAMEPLAY AND TECHNICAL ASPECT

 Finally, a brief overview of the game mechanics. As we established at the beginning of the review, Pro may be the best experience, but it is too difficult for at least 90%+ of players. That’s why there is Arcade with modifications based on Pro, which provides a very good driving experience, but the virtual assistant for braking, leaning, and throttle control is still noticeable. On the other hand, you now feel that you have a beast under you that would chew up the asphalt. You almost add gas on your own when you want, brake much later than with Neutral Brakes – On, and it's best to leave the leaning assistance as it is. What I haven't mentioned, and is very important for everyone who doesn't know all the tracks – let's be realistic, this isn't F1 so we know them, and there are more and more new ones there, is the Driving Line, i.e., the line that guides you around the track and shows braking zones. I have always claimed that Time Trial is the right place to learn the track, but the older I get, the more I support that line.

We'll start the technical side with the graphics, specifically, those on the PS5 Pro, since the game carries the Pro Enhanced label, and we are reviewing it on the PlayStation. Apparently, on the Pro console, there is native 4K resolution with stable 60fps, PSSR (it doesn't say 2), and higher quality textures for motorcycles and tracks. All of this is nice, but the problem is that it doesn't look that great, although I'm quite sure about the 60fps. The rain is also not perfectly executed, or at least not like we see in some other racing games. The MotoGP bikes look the best, as it’s clear they received the most attention – logically, since that’s the name of the game itself. The Unreal engine is certainly not the best choice for this game, and it would be good for the Italians to realize that.

FINAL WORD

MotoGP 26 will definitely find its audience. It won't be a game that sells in millions, but for everyone who decides to buy it, it will bring enough fun if they follow the instructions, or even better, if they are good enough for Pro. The game has kept me engaged so far, and since I'm still in the Moto3 class, it will take more time to achieve all the goals.

A copy of the PlayStation 5 version for review purposes was provided by the distributor CD MEDIA