REVIEW : MotoGP™22 (PS5)
Steve McQueen stated it first “Running is synonymous with living. Everything before and after is on hold “.. MotoGP 22 is now available on consoles and PC, offering a new motorcycle driving experience from the veteran Italian studio Milestone.
We were able to test its modes, riders, and circuits, and in our review of MotoGP 22, are there any significant improvements?
Do you have your license handy?
The first is always the first. What options do we have in MotoGP 22? We are once again confronted with the World Championship’s fully approved simulation title, so we may enjoy the MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3, MotoE, and Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup disciplines of the 2022 MotoGP season.
To this, we must add the historical backdrop provided by this instalment (which we will discuss in the next section) with well-known drivers such as Nicky Hayden, Casey Stoner, Sete Gibernau, and, yes, Valentino Rossi. In total, the game includes over 120 drivers and over 20 legitimate tracks.
The tracklist was created using the official circuits from the current calendar as well as those from the classic 2009 season, which is one of the main cornerstones of this instalment.
Surgical driving
The great cornerstone of this saga is a simulation, and the next instalment was not going to be any different. As previously stated, Milestone has established itself as one of the bastions of driving on two wheels in the video game business, and MotoGP 22 continues to rank very high.
To be clear, the driving sensation achieved by this title is its best letter of introduction and the pivot around which everything revolves. MotoGP 22 feels fantastic, and the improvements made in the previous instalment have been given a new twist that elevates the game’s realism.
However, it is widely known that the world of motor simulators may be difficult to enter, and Milestone sought to approach new applicants more successfully than in prior deliveries.
The MotoGP 22 tutorial system has been revamped and is considerably supplemented by MotoGP Academy, a section that enables us to get to know each circuit, its sectors, and curves while competing against ourselves to learn the secrets of each route in a didactic manner.
And, while making everyone happy can be difficult, MotoGP 22 provides a different setting for each sort of player. Its possibilities are slightly broader than in its previous iteration, which already had a broad range.
Making a “straight” in the graph
Yes, MotoGP 22 looks better than ever, and the animations, 3D character modelling, and other features have received another graphic boost thanks to Unreal Engine, but more could be done to refine certain sections.
Although it is obvious that everything looks excellent on the track, the seams on the faces are still visible, and everything is far from pure competition.
The continuity is palpable, and while the new generation of consoles has improved its capabilities, we are left wanting other parts to stand out as much as the driving itself, and end up completing a game that might give you more of yourself graphically.
Although some enhancements are appreciated, such as the feeling of immersion with the adaptive triggers of DualSense on PS5 or that Ernest Riveras’ voice feels less wasted, it remains anecdotal.
The great tribute to ‘Il Dottore’ in his farewell
But let’s talk about what Milestone is recognised for doing: listening to fans. Following a period of stagnation in terms of game mode innovation, MotoGP 22 introduces two new features that will please a select few.
The first of these is split-screen multiplayer, a classic option that has long been popular among players and integrates the core of classic driving games. More specifically, two players compete in the same race against the AI.
The goals of each race differ, but they are often repeated, and they occasionally conflict with the race’s final result, which we debate. When we were driving Rossi in Qatar, the goal was to finish second, and we even managed to overtake Stoner, which never happens in real life and produces some dissonance.
Aside from these features, the standard fast modes such as Grand Prix, Championship, or Time Trial, online multiplayer, and Trajectory, where we will train our driver, are available.
This penultimate mode has remained nearly intact from last year, highlighting the conformism of MotoGP 22 with a modality that might give much more of itself.
After personalising our rider, we can begin our professional career in any of the disciplines available in the game and begin hiring agents and engineers to add depth while enhancing our bike’s performance.
We will also be able to form a subsidiary team in lower categories, as we saw in 2021. And, in addition to competing in the various prizes and circuits, we will be able to play qualifying rounds and races to fulfil the terms of our contract.
In terms of customisation, MotoGP 22 convinces us without reservation in this Career mode and provides us with a plethora of possibilities to make our rider feel unique. Helmets, jackets, gloves… everything may be customised to our preferences, and logo design contributes more to the experience than it appears.
Keeping the pace to the finish line
MotoGP 22 achieves an outstanding simulation in terms of playability, and few titles will be able to generate the realistic sensation that we have experienced by, for example, tracing the Laguna Seca corkscrew while it is pouring outside, knowing that if you touch the brake, you will crash to the ground.
The options and possibilities are many, and enhancements such as (Nine) Season 2009 or split-screen demonstrate Milestone’s dedication to the licence.
This delivery improves and polishes, even though it runs at various speeds in other areas. The consistency in graphic and even playable material is appreciated, as we are already accustomed to various sports titles, and this highlights one of the major issues with annual releases.
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