MotoGP 18 is the official game of the sport yet despite an extensive career mode and an overhauled engine, developer Milestone has only iterated rather than innovated.
First place. It’s an elusive mistress sought out by the hungriest sports teams, Olympians, politicians, racers, gamers, and pageant queens. Whether a gold crown, the middle spot on a podium, or a flashing “1st!” on a screen, the yearning for victory drives us to do great things. The feeling of achievement at being singled out from multitudes of people as the best is one of life’s greatest rush of endorphins. But what happens when there is no second or third place? Is the victory as sweet when there is no competition?
This is the quandary faced by Milestone, developer behind the MotoGP series and this year’s newest entry, MotoGP 18. The Italian developer is unchallenged in the gaming arena as this series is the official game of MotoGP motorbike racing. Featuring the real-world equivalent of many racers, bikes, tracks, and brands, Milestone has churned out several MotoGP games over the years much like EA has with Madden or FIFA.
As with any game that sees near-yearly releases, Milestone has faced several bumps in the road iterating MotoGP in any significant way. The first glimmer of hope for fans seemed to be in the announcement that Milestone was moving from their in-house engine that has been used for years to Unreal Engine 4 for MotoGP 18. Additionally, the 19 tracks used in the game have been 3D-scanned by drones from their actual locations in the MotoGP circuit. On paper, these sound like the building blocks of a large step forward for a somewhat stagnant series.
MotoGP 18 is more racing simulation than arcade-like driving game. Any player expecting controls that are easy to master should switch their focus towards something else. As a person who leans more towards Need for Speed over Forza or Gran Turismo, MotoGP 18 was a shock to the system. I had no doubt that if I attempted to dive right into a race or a career mode that I would crash within seconds like a toddler behind the wheel of a Corvette. Hopping into training is an equally intimidating experience as there are a handful of training stages meant to let newcomers or anyone else become accustomed to how the game controls.
Let’s get this out of the way: I am dumbfounded that the physics exist in nature to allow a human being riding on a motorcycle to lean at such an angle they can actually not fall and die instantly. I find the type of motorcycle racing in MotoGP fascinating in its concept but boring in its execution. Sure, it’s a sight to behold watching a person’s elbow drag centimeters away from asphalt. But for me, it’s tiring as hell watching dozens of people fold in and out of turns lap after lap. The same applies to Nascar. But just because I don’t get it doesn’t mean that other people can’t.
Little part of me believes that Milestone’s target audience are gamers like me. A player who loves the sport and wants a digital way to experience it likely already knows that the MotoGP series exists. Rookie or not, the controls for this game are daunting yet the tutorials do an admirable job of laying out basics. For someone as ignorant to the concepts as me, I could use dozens of tutorials that prompted me when exactly I needed to push a button to brake or move or shift a gear.
For a handful of hours, MotoGP 18‘s controls might feel sluggish, weird, and confusing. For a normal person that doesn’t need to overcome any logistical hurdles, movement of the rider and the bike feel nuanced and responsive. Hardcore fans will be able to pick up on leaning into a turn after cutting off just enough speed to burst back onto the track unscathed. Attention has been given to tire temperature and tire wear, bike damage, and physics. As a hardcore simulation, Milestone hits all the right notes.
What also impresses me are the overall physics of MotoGP 18. The game’s tracks feature different weather patterns and races can take place at different times of day. A rainy day means less traction for tires, making turns even more difficult. But a track that has been soaked in sun means the heat will alter the way a bike’s tires grip to the track. It captures the way racing should feel in real world scenarios and it’s the most alluring aspect of the game.
Players will gravitate and spend a large portion of their time in the game’s Career mode, which is meaty enough by sports game standards. While no story exists, players are able to create a character that will rise the ranks from the RedBull MotoGP Rookie Cup, to Moto3, Moto2, and all the way to MotoGP. The selection of pre-made faces are strictly male and quite bland. Players can customize their MotoGP ID which means name, birthday, racer number, and more can be customized. The ability to select from dozens of helmets, boots, gloves, and text motto emblazoned on your butt means that everything that isn’t the face feels unique and an expression of the player.
From the onset, players can start Career mode and choose from a bevy of difficulty options, AI configurations, driver settings, assists, and length that will contribute towards a reputation multiplier that essentially acts as levelling up. Points are awarded during warm up races to help fine-tune the bike and learn the ropes of a track better. Rather than unlock new parts for a bike, points are merely dumped into different stats to improve them. It would have been cooler to see those physical differences represented in the way the bike looks rather than an invisible number hidden away somewhere. I also enjoy how Milestone tries to make your rider seem like a real person who got emails from agents and could appear on a social feed. It’s a nice touch.
After making your way through the ranks, your racer will nab the attention of a racing team. Once joining a team you have to race to its standards or risk being kicked off. This is the path towards competing against better racers, riding on different tracks, and getting better bikes. It’s an addicting enough loop to keep players invested in the outcome of their rising star. Commentary and small cutscenes of being in the pit pre-race or pissed at a loss add a bit of flavor but it does come across as hollow. With EA incorporating actual storylines into its sports games, it seems like the next necessary step for Milestone to take is introducing that component to the mix.
Time Attack, Grand Prix, and Championship modes are suitable and a way to play or race against famous MotoGP stars, yet they feel more like checking a box than anything else. The option to compete in the eSports tournaments that have brought MotoGP to popularity aren’t available right now but the online multiplayer is definitely lacking. My first attempt at starting a game threw me into a lobby where I waited for five minutes and no one joined. The few races I did participate in suffered from lag and rubber-banding. Obviously I would have no chance against people seriously testing their mettle online but it still felt extremely lacking.
Where I find myself most unimpressed by MotoGP 18 is the overall atmosphere and look of the game. The shift to Unreal Engine 4 downgrades the series from 60fps to 30fps, which is definitely going to be a sticking point for many. There is a good amount of care put in to capture what these tracks look like in the real world and at times, it shows. But overall, the game is just kind of bland to look at. Most of the detail was put into the look of the bikes and the riders (except the custom faces).
There’s little to no ambiance when riding except on a rainy day. Locations will change and the tracks will look different but there isn’t much going on. Crowds will cheer you on but their horrible resolution and stock frames of animation are almost laughable. Milestone should have put more effort into the crowds and the foliage and everything outside of the actual track players drive on. The load times are equally dated and downright bad in their length. The exact same track will have to load multiple times and players will stare at “100%” for several seconds before actually being taken into the race.
Milestone has made an extremely solid racing experience with MotoGP 18. Realistic controls and a pleasant Career mode are the highlights of this year’s MotoGP game. The effort to push the game forward and do more than just a simple iteration is apparent but MotoGP 18 isn’t substantial enough in key ways. The game should look slicker and scream with polish but it doesn’t. Players desperate for an update will get what they want but are probably going to have to wait another year before the kinks are further ironed out.
