MotoGP 08 First Impressions

[RaychelSnr]

We have posted our first impressions of MotoGP 08.

Quote:

"I certainly wasn’t expecting much going into my first sit-down with MotoGP 08 last night. THQ no longer had the reins in the series, and Capcom had taken over as the developer of the only MotoGP title on the market. After a long string of fun races in the THQ titles, the little I knew about the Capcom product on PS2 was that it was generally considered less than stellar."

[NINJAK2]

TC,
how do the in game graphics compare to gp 07? I know screens are posted, I just want to get your impression after actually playing. Also, is the cockpit view available (and manageable) in 08. That's one thing I liked about 07 is that you could actually race well with that camera view.

[TCrouch]

Looks like the article got posted to a separate thread instead of merging with Kruza's thread. Not sure how that works. We may look at merging the two.

But graphically, it was quite nice. I won't say it made my jaw drop, but the initial impression from a night race at Qatar, as Kruza mentioned, was very pretty.

A lot of that "heat shimmer" and stuff isn't in the Capcom version, and personally, I actually like the crisper look. Some of the surrounding stuff looks a little bland, but when you're mixing it up with other riders (which I frequently have been), nothing has been making me go "ooh that looks like crap".

There are two separate cockpit views, and the first one is definitely manageable. It's very similar to the the THQ titles in my opinion. The second one is much closer in, and almost like a zoom view that constricts your peripheral vision.

I didn't have a ton of problems riding in the first helmet cam, but the second was a bit "off" for me.

Overall, it's definitely not shabby graphically, but it's not a console showpiece, either.

[Ric HxC]

Hi TC

Two questions:

-Did you feel that qualifications were actually important and relevant for the rest of the race? Or can you just pass 10 bikes before the first trun as it is often the case in such games?

- I own SBK 08 and I find the handling awesome and quite unforgiving. Have you tried it? And if yes, how do they compare?

[ofdman]

I have this and at first thought it wasn't that great. But, after a few more hours I am LOVING IT! For one, the graphics, IMO, are MUCH more realistic than Climax's versions. It has the right color palette and isn't overly saturated like last years game (and 06). And I agree with this guys article. I love the control scheme and it is a lot of fun getting better and racing with a better AI.

The one thing I really don't care for is the audio. I recently bought the high dollar Turtle Beach wireless headphones for my 360 ($200!) and this game has the crowd ALWAYS cheering no matter where you are on the track and they didn't give the option to turn them down (or OFF as I would prefer) but other than that I am digging it!

[gbx34]

I am thinking about picking this up. As i can hear it sounds like its a sim games with the least tuning possible. Which is awesome because i know nothing about tuning. Is the game like any of the previously Moto GP games?

[gbx34]

This game is listed for $39.99 @ toys r us. It also says ship date of 11/04? I thought this was already out. The 360 verison is $59.99 .

[Kruza]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ric HxC

Hi TC Two questions: -Did you feel that qualifications were actually important and relevant for the rest of the race? Or can you just pass 10 bikes before the first trun as it is often the case in such games? - I own SBK 08 and I find the handling awesome and quite unforgiving. Have you tried it? And if yes, how do they compare?

I’m not TCrouch, but maybe I can help.

To answer your first question, I think a good run in Qualifying -- and Practice if you’re unfamiliar with any part of the track -- is absolutely necessary in MotoGP 08 because there is no realistic chance of winning the race starting from the back of the grid. In this game it’s much more difficult to overtake many CPU-controlled riders during the race. It’s even challenging to get off to a good start in comparison to how it was in past MotoGP games developed by Climax.

As for your second question, I personally haven’t played SBK-08 (yet), so I cannot compare handling of MotoGP 08 to that game. But what I can tell you is that it’s Milestone who is responsible for developing both SBK-08 and MotoGP 08. So chances are good that you will like the handling of MotoGP 08 as well if you like SBK-08.

Quote: Originally Posted by ofdman

The one thing I really don't care for is the audio. I recently bought the high dollar Turtle Beach wireless headphones for my 360 ($200!) and this game has the crowd ALWAYS cheering no matter where you are on the track and they didn't give the option to turn them down (or OFF as I would prefer) but other than that I am digging it!

I don’t care that much for the audio in this game either, but for different reasons than you mention here. I think the sound effects for bike engine noises, bike crashes, bike clashes, skidding and chirping tires could all be a lot better. Hopefully this aspect of the game will be improved on for the next version.

Quote: Originally Posted by gbx34

I am thinking about picking this up. As i can hear it sounds like its a sim games with the least tuning possible. Which is awesome because i know nothing about tuning. Is the game like any of the previously Moto GP games?

The tuning options in MotoGP 08 are the same as it had been in the previous Climax games. Tires can be changed independently (front & rear) along with suspension, gear ratios, and responsiveness in Steering, which substitutes Wheelbase in past MotoGP games. And yeah, the Simulation handling model in MotoGP 08 is more realistic than any handling model that existed in any Climax MotoGP games. Check out my Impressions thread for more details on this issue.

Quote:

This game is listed for $39.99 @ toys r us. It also says ship date of 11/04? I thought this was already out. The 360 verison is $59.99 .

The Xbox 360 version is definitely out now. Maybe that advertisement is referring to the PC version or something.

Kruza