Valentino Rossi may be a weird name for a MotoGp game but it actually makes sense once you know who or what this “Valentino Rossi” stands for. Valentino Rossi is still one of the greatest legends ever lived when it comes to motor racing. Valentino Rossi, aka Vale has achieved 9 world titles and won more than 100 Grand Prix’s, which makes him one of the most successful motorcycle racers. Valentino is a “big” name in the world but will the game achieve the same success?
You’d probably already figured it out but Valentino Rossi will play a big part in this game. In this game, everything is about the player and his motorcycle set in the world of Valentino Rossi. From career mode to challenges, it’s all part of a big history lesson about the win and loss of this successful racer. This amount of events and challenges that Valentino Rossi has faced, is the perfect know-how in which a game can be created. This know-how adds up to the diversity of this new MotoGP game.
The career mode in this MotoGp has a lot more diversity than any other game. Most of the time, it’s all about racing the same “race” on a different track and Valentino Rossi’s game adds a new standard to career mode by implementing a different kind of race. Whether it’s racing with dirt bikes or competing in the Monza Rally, there’s a lot more going than any other MotorGP kind of games. There’s variation and that’s what a MotoGP game should be all about.
Of course, a career mode wouldn’t be much worth if your virtual avatar didn’t have the dream to become one of the most successful motorcyclists of the century and follow in the footsteps of Vale. The career mode offers the player the opportunity to familiarize himself or herself with some of these vehicles on these different tracks. All of these races, you enter as a “Wild Card” under the supervision of Valentino Rossi. He’ll give you an explanation of everything that’s happening with some tips and of course compliments to maintain a positive racing motivation.
“This know-how adds up to the diversity of this new MotoGP game.”
The learning curve in this game is pretty good since you’re getting a lot of help and each victorious race gives you the feeling that you’re becoming a better motorcyclist than ever before. In the end, all of this hard work will pay off and the game will let you sign a contract, which opens up opportunities in becoming a motorcyclist legend, just like Valentino Rossi but then again, you’ll only feel like a true legend when you’re actually able to defeat the virtual Valentino Rossi, since you can actually race him. Just one step at a time.
The career mode is pretty good but it does miss a very important thing and that’s atmosphere. The race itself is a lot of fun, but there’s not much left around the whole “race” thing. First of all, you’re being dropped into the race without a warning, so you’ll have to be alert each time a race is starting or the race is already lost. The game also has a dull crowd, there’s actually no cheering in the heat of the moment, so don’t expect a boost when things aren’t actually going as planned. There’s also no victory ceremony after each race, so you can’t enjoy your victory to the fullest. These little things can do so much in a game when it comes to immersion and unfortunately, this “immersion” is absent.
“The technical aspect of this game is a knife that cuts both ways.”
The game of Valentino Rossi might be the most complete motorcycling game yet, it has so much variation in content which makes the game stand out from any other MotoGP kind of games. This game offers variation in race tracks and race modes. There’s Drifting, Monza Rally, Multiplayer, Challenges, MotoGP 2015-2016 and even playable historic moments directly taken out of Vale’s career. As for race tracks, the brand new Red Bull Ring of Austria has been added to the game along with 5 classic tracks in motorcycling history, like the legendary racing track of Assen, from the Netherlands. All of the important motorcycling drivers from MotoGp 2015/ 2016 have also been updated to create the best up-to-date MotoGP game. All of this content will open the eyes of many players out there. Hopefully, the developers will keep this new sense of direction when it comes to developing another MotoGp game!
Although the game’s graphics are a bit outdated, the game itself runs fluently. Not only does the game run fluently but the physics and technical aspects of all the motorcycles are near perfection. A lot of the motorcycles feel different and yet unique, the way they’re supposed to feel like. Some motorcycles are faster, while others drive slower but are more stable. All of these different motorcycles, challenges the player to hone his racing skills. To control all of these beastly machines perfectly, the player will have to use all of his know-how and skills to get that curve just right. Only to get that millisecond and score the perfect round that eventually will earn him/ her the title of “victorious”.
The AI in this game is also good. All of these AI motor racers have been perfectly synched with its racer profile. A tiny mistake or a quick break session can be the end of your perfect round and make the race even harder to beat. But then again, the feeling you get when drifting just right is just overwhelming. The technical aspect of this game is a knife that cuts both ways. You need to concentrate in order to be successful.
To even hone your racing skills better, you can take up the challenge and race against other gamers in the Multiplayer mode. The multiplayer is more challenging than competing against virtual AI. A lot of these players, know the racing tracks like the back of their hands. They can easily throw you off balance as they line up their moves perfectly. The online multiplayer offers a good ranking system based on points. These points are based on your driving skills. The better you drive, the faster you’ll rank up. The game can be played online but there’s also an option to play it in “splitscreen” when it comes to console gaming.
Conclusion:
Milestone did a great job in developing the most content packed MotoGP game ever. This game is definitely a step up from all those other MotoGP games but they can even make the game a lot better when they also spend a little more time in the visual aspect of the game as well as the immersion of the player by adding a lot more “atmosphere” to the game. Valentino Rossi is a polished game with an up-to-date package and fluent gameplay. This game can be the perfect preparation of the upcoming TT of 2017.
