MotoGP4 - Hands On

When you think of motorcycle racing, the first image that pops in your head is probably shrieking, blisteringly fast bikes rocketing down the track. Well, you're half right. We just hopped off our first crack at MotoGP4 and the first thing we learned in the 8-player, online races was how much slowing the hell down can affect the race.

Jockeys already know that MotoGP is all about cutting the most precise, time-shaving line through each turn, not necessarily going fast. To make this feel as authentic as possible, Namco's poured a boatload of tech-heavy information to make this game the real deal. Problem is, all that detail makes the game a monster to control ... initially.

We line up on the track with a few other fellow racers. The green light flashes and we're off. The pack sees a turn up ahead and instinctively lines up single file (just like you're seeing on the Tourist Trophy commercial right now) in preparation. Then, our bike in seventh place witnesses a mangled mess of players flung from their cycles as each and every one roars off the track. Hilarious to watch, but pretty damn illustrative of what newbies can expect when they hit the track for the first time.

So, it's obviously not built to lure new players. But for the gearheads, this could be your game. You've got three engine classes to play with (125cc, 250cc and MotoGP), 16 measured and recreated courses and a laundry list of unlockable extras. Don't like your ride? Keep tuning and tweaking parts until you craft the perfect fit, then take it online and rip someone a new one.