MotoGP3

Published by NAMCO
Distributed by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Developed by NAMCO
Platform: PlayStation 2
Released - Out Now
Price : £39.99

First off let's make it clear that this is the game from Namco, exclusive to the PlayStation 2 that is completely different from the Xbox only MotoGP Ultimate racing technology. This is the third title in the series and comes with a wealthy collection of modes to keep all you arcade racers happy. I say arcade racers because the game bears little resemblance to riding an actual bike; I am not saying it's not an enjoyable game mind you. Let's take a look.

MotoGP3 offers an Arcade mode, a Season mode, Time Trial, Challenge mode, Multiplayer mode and a Legends mode. Of course you all know what an arcade, season and time trial mode entails because they are the staple features of any racing game. Challenge mode gives you 100 challenges to complete which entail numerous events such as beating a specific opponent or performing a lap of a circuit within a given time. Legends mode lets you race against four champions riders from yesteryear and has very limited appeal. The multiplayer mode is for up to 4 players and played in split screen mode, there is no online play.

There are two driving models in MotoGP3, there's the easy driving mode and the simulation-driving mode. Choosing the easy driving is pure arcade style driving. Your bike behaves like it's super glued to the road and it's virtually impossible to come off the bike. Simulation is an entirely different kettle of fish though and it's very easy for the back end of the bike to slide from underneath you if you don't brake correctly on corners. Even in simulation mode though it still doesn't feel realistic and still leans to being an arcade racer. There are some additional advanced features that can be enabled to make it feel more authentic though. You can enable weight shifting and front and rear braking (as opposed to a single brake which makes braking easy). Those of you wanting more realism will probably want to enable these functions.

It's good to see that the AI riders don't cheat, like they do in Gran Turismo and numerous other driving titles. That is to say they don't come from nowhere to take over even though you passed them ages ago. A challenging race is always to be had but you never feel like the AI is trying to put one over on you like in so many racing titles.

MotoGP3 looks good but if you're expecting GT3 standards then you'll be disappointed, but not by much. The circuits all look good and only the poor crowd graphics really fail to impress. Effects such as raindrops running down your windshield are also very impressive. The action always remains silky smooth and the framerate never dips. You might be pleased to know that the game also supports 16:9 widescreen televisions which is great news should you have such a television.

There are no problems for deaf gamers with MotoGP3. The races don't have any commentary and the game doesn't rely on sound in any way so there are no causes for concern.

MotoGP 3 is an enjoyable game but I feel it would benefit from allowing bike customisations and upgrades like you see in Gran Turismo. Arcade racers will love this game but those who are looking for realism may want to rent the game first to make sure it appeals to them.

Overall Game Rating: 7.5/10
MotoGP3 is an enjoyable racer but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Deaf Gamers comment:
No real problems for deaf gamers.