Having been bounced between a series of publishers including THQ and Namco, its little surprise the MotoGP videogames have struggled to find their feet and bring the breakneck world of professional bike racing to life. But in trying to be all things to all people, new publisher Capcom has created a game that will appeal to neither hardcore MotoGP fans nor anyone looking for a quick blast of high-speed action.
Offering players a choice of handling styles, the action ranges from the Arcade mode which feels like an old-fashioned coin-op racer and fails to capture the power of the machines youre racing, to the ball-bustingly tough Simulation which takes hours of practice just to get around the first bend, but lacks the deep customisation options seen in other authentic speed fests which allow players to pimp their rides in a way that best suits their individual driving style.
Worst of all, though, at any difficulty setting the bikes feel as if theyre floating a couple of centimetres above the track and hitting the brakes feels no more powerful than sticking your foot into a cushion of cotton wool, the poor physics of the rides made more obvious by the grey, boring tracks where the races are staged, and the overall shoddy presentation that cheapens the entire experience.