Test – MotoGP 22 – An agreed sequel, saved by the NINE mode! | Xbox One

Every year, Milestone releases games from the official MXGP, Monster Energy Supercross and MotoGP championships. The latter remains the most popular and it is also the one that generally offers the best gaming experience and very interesting new features. On paper, MotoGP 22 once again follows this logic with the introduction of the NINE playable documentary and some other features that we were eager to discover.

A more welcoming episode

With the title of Frenchman Fabio Quartararo in 2021, it goes without saying that MotoGP is experiencing a resurgence of interest, at the same time bringing a new public to take an interest in the discipline. As it is not always easy to understand all the tricks, the studio always offers complete tutorials. As soon as the game is launched, we are invited to discover what makes motorcycle sport special with clear explanations and quick scenarios in order to easily learn the basics of driving and regulations.

As in MotoGP 21, exercises on more technical subjects are also available with the aim of understanding the usefulness and impact of the electronic aids that equip modern machines. Clear and precise, these tutorials are a good way to quickly understand how to embark on the MotoGP adventure. Even better, if the game finds after a few races that you are struggling in one area, the Riding Analysis System will offer you to change some settings. As a bonus, the game offers the MotoGP Academy. This is a game mode in which the player can discover the circuits by working the sectors independently to improve his performance.

If neophytes are taken by the hand, aficionados will appreciate the additional work done to the physics of the game. Each year, Milestone refines its copy and MotoGP 22 is no exception to the rule. What we notice first compared to the previous opus is the work done on braking and changes of direction.

Now the bike becomes more difficult to corner, you feel more resistance in the steering and keeping control of the machine requires greater dexterity.

In terms of acceleration, we also notice a change in the passage of power to the ground with a better feel of the grip, thanks in particular to the vibrations in the lever. The studio had also announced a much more realistic tire deformation, but we didn’t really feel any change there. Electronic aids such as TCS or anti-wheelie, as well as engine brake management can always be changed on the fly and this year we also note the arrival of the RHD system. The latter makes it possible to control the attitude of the motorcycle by crushing the rear shock absorber. It is used, for example, during departures to further reduce pitch-up.

Joystick in hand is present and we can also count on a competitive AI. On the other hand, we regret once again that the latter does not make many errors and above all is not impacted by the bike-retrieval. This parameter introduced in MotoGP 21, which requires you to manually run towards your motorcycle after a crash, greatly enhances immersion, but remains a big disadvantage for the player since he is the only one concerned. Fortunately, it is still possible to deactivate it.

The NINE mode, the real good surprise

The real highlight of this new edition is undoubtedly its NINE mode. This is a playable documentary that traces the events of the 2009 season, recognized by many as one of the most contested in the history of the discipline.

Each race is staged through different points of view of drivers, whether they were playing for victory or fighting at the back of the grid.

NINE was created by Mark Neale, director of the greatest MotoGP documentaries, in collaboration with Milestone, and is found as a bonus fully dubbed in French.

It offers, for example, to relive spectacular ascents or races in complicated conditions. It is a pleasure to take part in the highlights of this memorable season, particularly between Rossi, Stoner and Lorenzo. The 17 championship events are present and there are several objectives to achieve in order to evolve in the mode and unlock additional content. Helmets and special liveries are notably available.

All the pilots, bikes and circuits of this 2009 season are present. It is then possible to enjoy the unlocked content in the other game modes.

In addition to its interest, the NINE mode also offers a substantial lifespan since there are generally 3 events to relive per event, for a total of 39 challenges, with the added bonus of more than 50 minutes of original recordings from races or events. interview.

Generous content as always

The content remains a strong point of MotoGP 22 since all the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 riders of the 2022 season are available in the game, as well as many historical riders for a total of almost 200 playable riders. However, the MotoE and Red Bull Rookies Cup categories are missing this year.

The 2022 championship has new events on its calendar such as the Mandalika circuit, obviously present in the game. We also note that the changes made this year to the layout of the Red Bull Ring, with in particular the addition of a chicane instead of place of the old straight following the first corner, have been taken into account.

Customization is also always an important part of the experience and it is of course always possible to fully customize the helmet, butt patch and race numbers. This is particularly significant in the career mode which allows you to create and manage your team.

The latter, on the other hand, deserves a good facelift as its fundamentals are starting to date and should tire the players who buy the game every year. If it remains relatively complete, the overall presentation and the recycling of assets are felt. We note however that it is now possible to take part in shortened seasons, a good initiative which avoids in particular having to stick to the complete calendar in Moto3 and Moto2 before reaching MotoGP. Players who wish to do so will also be able to take advantage of the 21 Grands Prix of the season, regardless of engine size.

Finally a split-screen mode and cross-gen play

The multiplayer has been greatly improved in this opus since in addition to hosting a split-screen mode allowing you to get the hang of it locally, it is finally possible to take advantage of cross-gen play. This means that Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S players share the same servers and are no longer split.

This cross-gen aspect is however unfortunately felt on the screen since if the game displays a fluid framerate at 60 FPS most of the time, it does not particularly shine with its graphics. The pilots and motorcycles are neat, but the environments and other animations are really starting to suffer.

The studio also promised revised facial expressions, but they are struggling to convince. In any case, it is not the few recycled cutscenes punctuating the career mode that will make us say the opposite.

The observation is generally the same for the sound environment, which is quite uneven depending on the category. We know that the firm is already working with Unreal Engine 5 and we can’t wait to see the next completely “next-gen” game from the license land.

Tested on Xbox Series X.