With only three Grands Prix of the 2021 season disputed, or what is the same, with 16 ahead, motorcycling fans can now enjoy MotoGP 21 to put themselves in the shoes of their favorite riders and be the protagonists from home.
Like every year, the main attraction offered by Milestone in the only official MotoGP video game is to have all the riders and bikes from the three World Championship categories, as well as MotoE and the Red Bull Rookies Cup , although these last two will not be Available until a next update.
If a year ago we were talking about a video game that meant continuous improvement, which is not a small thing, the truth is that this Milestone has once again taken another small step forward with new features that are not so obvious to those who come from last year’s edition .
Perhaps the two new features that will catch the attention of regulars will be the Long Lap Penalty and the manual bike recovery control, which bring it a little closer to reality.
Now, as you accumulate warnings, instead of accumulating time at the end of the race, you will be penalized during the race and you will have to go through an enabled zone, a narrow lane where you can also choose to have the CPU automatically take control for you.
In addition, if the rider crashes, now he will have to pick up the bike where it ended up to get back on it, although this option can also be disabled and done in the classic automatic mode to save time.
On the technical level of the bikes, changes have been made in the temperature control of the brakes and the engine, something that will have to be more attentive than ever to reach the finish line.
Something that players will certainly like is the number of circuits present. MotoGP 21 offers the original calendar of 20 – it includes the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with the remodeled turn 10 and Portimao – and the reduced version due to COVID. With the disappearance of Brno , the Czech layout joins the list of historic tracks along with Laguna Seca and Donington Park .
Same game modes in MotoGP 21
No significant changes have been made in this section. In addition to the usual options of any video game –Time Trial, Grand Prix, Championship, Online, etc–, the Historical Mode continues with more than 40 motorcycles and riders from another era for the most nostalgic and the Manager Career Mode that was incorporated in 2020 to those with more time.
There we will have to manage all aspects of a team, from personnel, sponsors, contracts, etc.
One thing we don’t want to overlook is the absence of split-screen multiplayer , eliminating the possibility of two people playing head-to-head in the same room. This option has increasingly lost more weight in the video game world due to the rise of the online mode , which in the case of MotoGP 21 allows up to 22 riders to connect at the same time.
Physics and graphics in MotoGP 21
Graphically, Milestone had set the bar very high every year and MotoGP 21 is no exception. The level of detail of the motorcycles, the circuits, the sound and everything that surrounds it continues to be maximum.
In this section, the news seems to have reached the new generation of consoles. For PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X users, Milestone promises up to 4K dynamic resolution, along with 60FPS and faster load times. In addition, the PS5 DualSense controller includes haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
Personalization in MotoGP 21
Milestone made an important advance last year to improve the driving sensations and that the player had the possibility to adjust almost all the parameters of the motorcycle, from the tires, the suspensions or the fuel consumption. In this version, the temperature control of the brakes and the engine is added, which raises the difficulty level a little more and brings it closer to the real world.
On a graphic level, if we choose the Manager mode and create our own rider, we can design any detail of both the clothing and the bike, with a selection of Creators Stickers for the back, the number and the helmet to achieve a unique design. Of course, it will take time, although the result will be worth it.
Conclusion; grade: 8.5
MotoGP 21 is a video game that deserves a notable high, bordering on outstanding, because it is very close to satisfying all players. Although it has things to polish – load times one more year – its graphics are excellent, the difficulty adapts to the level of any player, the customization possibilities are vast and the number of hours of play is infinite.
On the downside, it should be noted that more professional gamers will find the gaming experience more ‘arcade’ than ‘simulation’.
MotoGP 21 debuts this year in the catalog of new generation consoles, PS5 and Xbox Series X, but is also still available for PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC.
First gameplay of MotoGP 2021
