I had the pleasure of testing and reviewing MotoGP 19 and, one year later, I find myself here, with the new MotoGP 20. So I hit the track to try this out competitive motorcycle title, based on simulation, nestled in excellent graphics jam-packed with content.
But stop the chatter and let's take a lap to understand what it is!
MotoGP 20 review: motorcycling, quarantine and video games
The motorcycle championship is still at risk but Milestone, Italian videogames development team, has decided not to let us miss it by bringing a highly simulation title to the market. An apparent palliative, also valid for all bikers who cannot take the Sunday outing, which actually turned out to be a small pearl able to keep enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts glued to the screen.
Without flaws? Definitely no. But let's start from the pits and get out on the track to find out what MotoGP 20 looks like
First impact on the asphalt, without getting hurt
Mindful of the last episode, I can say that MotoGP has maintained the general appearance of a "first in the class". It is astounding the amount of customization, features and content featured in this episode, a really positive note.
The menus, the options, the fluidity and the general aspect of navigation make us the approach to the game very clear despite everything. There is no confusion in discovering the various game modes, The numerous aspects of customization or the possible options to choose from to make the experience even better. The photos that form the background and outline throughout the game are exceptional.
Getting on the track proves easy thanks to fast mode which will allow us to play the classic occasional game. If, on the other hand, we want to fully enjoy all the facets of the title, without a shadow of a doubt the Career mode is the most suitable.
There are two additional feature modes: multiplayer and historical. In the first we will have the opportunity to challenge other players online, up to enter the competitive rankings, while in the second we will relive the most famous races in the history of motorcycling.
The customization deserves a separate mention why it really is the lair of the white rabbit. We can delve into the modification of any aspect of our livery: from the helmet, to the overalls, to the soaps on the overalls, to the gloves, without considering the whole graphic aspect of the bike.
Each customization includes a very structured editor almost like a professional graphics program: for each addition we will have to create a drawing layer to overlap. It is so structured and detailed that we could almost use it as software to create custom logos (but wasn't it a motorcycle game?).
If you are used to the theme and have followed the videogame series dedicated to MotoGP you will realize that there is really a lot of meat in the fire. If, on the other hand, for you it is the first approach you may find yourself a bit confused by all this amount of information and you may get lost.
A dispassionate advice: have fun and experiment in the "fast" mode, when you feel ready you can tackle your career. In this way you will enjoy the individual aspects to the fullest and you will not be afraid of making mistakes.
The gameplay
Taking a deep breath, after several hours of gameplay, doubts about how to talk about every aspect remain. There are many points in favor, as well as the small defects present in this game.
MotoGP 20: a general taste with the Veloce mode
In the fast mode we will be able to choose our favorite MotoGP champion and take on his shoes by facing Grand Prix or time trials. By opting for the Grand Prix we can choose not only the driver, and therefore the team, but also the circuit, the number of laps and driving aids. Neither of these options will affect your motorcycle career, so you can try any configuration you want.
In this videogame universe, in which the occasional game is increasingly the prerogative of portable consoles or mobile devices, having a way to take a short break, and download all the power of a super sports car at 300km / h on the track, is without shadow. doubt a very good chance.
I remind you that both in these modes and in the career, each grand prix is made up of a weekend divided into:
- free practice (Friday and Saturday)
- qualifiers (Saturday)
- race (Sunday)
You therefore have all the time you need to familiarize yourself with the vehicle and the route.
Deepening
The world championship of motorcycling is organized the various periodic appointments during which the participants compete on the track. Each of these events is defined as a “Grand Prix” and is divided into three days which usually take up a weekend.
- Free tests: they are used by the drivers and the team to prepare for the Sunday event. During these phases the riders test different settings of the bike, different tire compounds and study the track by trying it several times, in this way they guarantee a feedack to the engineers who will make the necessary adjustments in anticipation of the race.
- Qualifications: thanks to these timed race sessions, the starting grid is established
- Race: consisting of the "warm up" (warm-up lap) and the usual laps. It is the real clu event of the whole weekend
During these grands prix points are acquired based on the result of the race, points that will accumulate from time to time, establishing the winner of the world championship at the end of the whole championship.
MotoGP 20 - Amazon.com Exclusive (with DLC VIP Multiplier...
- This edition includes game and VIP multiplier pack DLC
- This year you will be able to experience all the emotions of an even more complete managerial career.
- Discover more realistic physics, improved graphics, new 3D models for drivers, face scans of teams' faces ...
MotoGP 20: the real game is career
In career mode, the dances really open up.
If in MotoGP 19 the mechanics and the depth with which the dynamics of preparation for a race were faced, here without a shadow of a doubt Milestone has surpassed itself.
In this section there is the possibility to face the three classes of motorcycling: Moto2, Moto3, MotoGP. They are characterized mostly by a difference in the power of the bikes used however, from a point of view of game difficulty, it is HIGHLY recommended starting from Moto3, the lowest category and the easiest to manage.
In the initial stages we are faced with a novelty: the managerial aspect, a big implementation introduced in MotoGP 20 which, in all honesty, turns out to be a significant leap forward. It is not the first time that the Italian team has tried to insert this game mechanic but, unlike in the past, this attempt is perfectly successful. In this section we will be able to choose the manager who will be part of our team, and will take care of recovering contracts and drawing up agreements for our career.
Alongside the manager we will be able to build a team with different technical skills, as the chief engineer and the telemetry, up to a seamless official team.
The managerial aspect involves not only technical figures who are actually relevant to the game but also budget management and the atmosphere in the pits (on a social level there are combinations of professionals who manage to collaborate in a cohesive way and others who do not get along, causing an inefficient configuration of the bike).
An inexpensive and inexperienced manager will not be able to make us run and have noteworthy engagements, with not enough cache to cover all the team's expenses. The same goes for the rest of the collaborators.
Once the team is structured we can customize all our livery, we will be in front of the usual editor and we can indulge ourselves in creating our colors and our personal logo. Could it be missing the livery of? Absolutely not!
An efficient team means a perfect bike
During the free practice and testing phase of our vehicle, we will certainly get an idea of what works and what doesn't work on our bike. Back in the pits we will be able to collaborate with the various professionals to better adjust the suspension, opt for a tire change, improve the aerodynamics or the chassis of the bike. The better the feedback we give, the more efficient the proposed changes will be.
Here the dynamics of the team we mentioned above return, if we employ professionals who do not get along with each other, or with specializations other than their use, the changes and the development of new features will be extremely reduced.
Don't be scared, even if you are not an expert in the sector you will be accompanied at each step by guided options so you'll never find yourself making freehand changes. The jargon used is within everyone's reach and you don't need a workshop manual to understand something.
Considering the title and the depth it offers, this is an extremely positive side, indeed I would say surprising. They had more care in following the player during the customization of the vehicle than during the race phases on the track.
MotoGP 20 - Xbox One
- This year you will be able to experience all the emotions of an even more complete managerial career.
- Discover more realistic physics, improved graphics, new 3D models for drivers, face scans of teams' faces ...
- Use the different graphic editors for sticker, helmet, race number and name on the suit to bring your style to life and ...
Gloves, helmet, closed visor: off we go
The climate in the pits is well created and, once on the track, the immersion is total.
The race highlights the simulation nature of the title. During acceleration or along the curbs we will be able to feel the flaking of the handlebars and the lightness of the same, especially if we dare a wheelie or two. It is not an arcade, know that! This means that you will not be able to take advantage of any repetitive and predictable dynamics within the game to fool the artificial intelligence and beat the opponents.
Here the reactions are felt and, as a motorcyclist, it is a pleasure to have a good ride in some circuit aboard a racing car as it should be. The entry into the curve of the bike faithfully reproduces the real dynamics, the speed is felt and, while on the straight we will be able to tackle the 320 times without too many problems, facing a bend will not be so simple. We will have to take into account the speed, the length of the curve, the modularity of the front and rear brake and then start again at full speed on the way out so as not to lose precious tenths of a second. There is very little room for the rest: stands, the public and off-piste are a contour to the true essence of the track. Unloading all that power on the rear wheel is satisfying and encourages you to do better with every lap.
While on the one hand the customization part of the vehicle is rather "tutorial", here instead there is almost no guide for the player. The choice to direct the title towards a niche market, already veteran and accustomed to the environment may be respectable, but this makes MotoGP 20, like its predecessor, a video game absolutely not for everyone. If you are not passionate, the first phases will be very frustrating, characterized by tumbles due to the closing of the steering, due to low speed in the corners, or slippage, due instead to excessive acceleration when exiting the corners. As already mentioned, it is not an arcade, there is no room for errors, like a real race. Great for the simulation aspect, very difficult and not talkative unless accompanied by a tutorial.
There is a difference between the various categories, the suggestion to start from Moto3 is precisely due to the fact that you will have the opportunity to enjoy a more uniform and gradual learning curve.
MotoGP 20 - Nintendo Switch, with digital code per...
- It does not contain the cartridge but the digital code to download the game
- This year you will be able to experience all the emotions of an even more complete managerial career.
- Discover more realistic physics, improved graphics, new 3D models for drivers, face scans of teams' faces ...
Milestone, MotoGp 20 and ANNA: the triangle yes
A.N.N.A., already introduced in MotoGP 19, is an artificial intelligence system composed of neural networks, a real innovation on which Milestone has focused in the previous title. It now benefits from the fruits of the enormous work done and, thanks to a few implementations, we are faced with a truly excellent artificial intelligence. The opponents are reactive, they are aggressive, they modulate their character and behavior on the track according to the player's behavior. If in the previous title the defect was during the "brawl", here we are faced with a very varied distribution of the opponents: each reacts and modulates itself according to the surrounding environment, no queue in curves or obvious trajectories. In the same way, if we have an aggressive behavior, characterized by some shoulder, be prepared because the opponent will be attacked and will give you battle to the best of his ability.
In addition to these very interactive dynamics, which make single player game lovers rejoice, they have been introduced two variables: tire and fuel management. The two aspects can easily become an Achilles' heel even for the most experienced, forcing you to return to the pits due to… running out of petrol in the middle of the track! These same dynamics will also affect the opponents so if you are lucky you can watch the other drivers return to the pits.
Tracks and motorcycles to scream, in a sound from real trackside boxes
From a graphic point of view it is first of all to say what is not convincing compared to the positive sides. They pushed even more on the realism of the vehicles that faithfully reproduce the originals, they are nothing short of astounding. The fidelity and accuracy of the models is phenomenal, the textures are at very high resolution and not only denoted in the colors and shades of the whole but also the smallest clutch lever or the piston of a brake caliper are exceptional. The same can be said of the motorcyclist's helmets and clothing. Could they stop here? But let alone! The sunsets on the Qatar track will leave you breathless, as well as night or rain.
The same goes for the tracks that faithfully reproduce the official ones. Note of merit: in addition to the official ones a track not yet open was also reproduced, the one in Finland. Really commendable.
The voice of the reporter Guido Meda is inevitable, now a mainstay of the Italian motorcycle commentary, which undoubtedly characterizes the game, making the pits take on a folkloric effect. Once on the track, however, there is only room for the roar of the square cylinders, a symphony of pistons and downshifts to squeeze every available horse.
But the character models?
The character models - other than celebrities - are out of place to the point of being an eyesore. In the fast mode, or in the historical one, as well as for the most famous managers and technicians, our game is filled with important and recognized celebrities in the world. All reproduced faithfully and with great attention, a really good job. The rest, however, seems to have been left to itself, with endless duplicate models not made well. It was just a short while to put the icing on the cake and complete the work!
MotoGP 20 - Nintendo Switch, with digital code per...
- It does not contain the cartridge but the digital code to download the game
- This year you will be able to experience all the emotions of an even more complete managerial career.
- Discover more realistic physics, improved graphics, new 3D models for drivers, face scans of teams' faces ...
MotoGP 20 review: does it deserve the podium?
Si. Personally I do not approve of the development of video games that exclude a priori a gradual and accompanied approach. It also lacks a well-modulated learning curve. MotoGP 20 is well anchored in its niche, it is not enough to be passionate about motorcycling, you have to be passionate about MotoGP, competition, videogames, simulation. With these premises a title like "if he plays it and sings it", if we then think that multiplayer is only online, without a classic local challenge, this individualism is strengthened.
Despite this it is undeniable that MotoGp 20 is well made and deep, you will not find a more faithful title (we underline that it reproduces exactly characters, liveries, motorcycles, professionals all official and scanned in 3d), more complete, deeper, more customizable than this as far as the motorcycle-simulation genre is concerned. We can say that it is the best in its category. The evolution of Milestone is also to be commended, which has sectorialized and aimed at introducing, one title after another, always one more innovation.
It is to be expected that in the next title they could better handle the multiplayer, the models and who knows that they will also do some initial tutorials. If you are part of the circle of people loyal to Milestone and MotoGP 20, first get yourself a subscription to the Italian company. They are churning out masterpiece after masterpiece in these respects. If, on the other hand, you want to try it out to see how it goes, without ever having touched a title like this, ask a friend why you might be disappointed and frustrated in the first hours of the game.
MotoGP 20
Pro 
- Outstanding graphics
- Well-crafted Artificial Intelligence
- Depth of gameplay
- Excellent managerial part
Cons 
- Always a niche title
- Difficult learning curve
- Defective png templates
