Along with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom and Dark Void, Capcom was also showing MotoGP 09/10, a Grand Prix motorcycle racing game. The nomenclature of 09/10 is special since the game features something that most sports games don’t – the ability to download the 2010 season’s race tracks, riders, and rider info and stats without having to wait until the season is over to enjoy. There will be one additional track along with the new rider stats and outfits as free DLC. There will be other pay DLC options as well and all will be available in the MotoGP store for download.
There are some new features in the game so that you are not just racing. In MotoGP 09/10, you will have to manage your team like your pit crew, marketing, and so-on. You can also customize your rider, his home track, his nationality, and his outfits as well as choose and upgrade his bike. The game will feature splitscreen local co-op as well as online multiplayer. They are hoping to be able to support up to 20 players online, however, at the time of the demo, this had not been confirmed yet.
The controls take a little getting used to – a lot like the first time you played an FPS game that featured strafing. You really have to have a handle on your thumbs, the right stick is to steer and the left stick is to shift your weight for sharper turns. You also need to know when to accelerate and brake in order to make some of the sharper turns in the tracks. The game also features a racing line that shows you where to drive as well as give you clues when to brake or accelerate. This replaces the usual “ghosting” mechanic that most racing games feature. The problem with ghosting is that if the car passed you, it was gone. This racing line will stay no matter what. You can also download other people’s racing lines so you can check the leaderboards and see how some of the top players raced the tracks. The line will always be there, no matter what level rider you are.
The graphics have also gotten an upgrade so when you start to pick up speed, you will notice that the background will get blurry. This also happens when your rider crashes, the focus is on him.
The races aren’t straight up races either. There is a showboating element to the game where you can pick up more points to use towards team or rider upgrades. There are also objectives within the race where you can pick up even more points by completing goals like maintaining a certain speed for a certain time.
The game also features several modes – Championship, Career, and the brand new Arcade Mode. You can race in all three MotoGP bike classes – 125cc, 250cc, and 800cc.
Norm and I both got a chance to play the demo, although the splitscreen co-op was not available in this build. I thought that the control was very intuitive, although I had to concentrate really hard to get my thumbs to work together. Once I got the hang of it, I had to concentrate on getting the acceleration and the braking down. After that, it was about staying with the racing guide line. The great thing is if you have ever played a racing game, the learning curve for this game is about one to two races. You can get as deep into the game by completing the Championship and Career Modes or you can just jump in for some casual competitive races online or with the AI.
MotoGP 09/10 will be available in March of 2010 for the Xbox 360 and the PS3. The ESRB rating is still pending.
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