Buck Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 You're a game developer and you've turned out some decent to excellent games (we'll forget about Shrek :wink: ) on a console that has only been around for about a year and a half. So, what do you do when it's time to release a sequel to your best game to date? Are you going to build off of what made the game great the first time around, or are you going to try so hard to improve the game, that in the long run you fail? Well, if you're Climax, you go ahead and release one of the biggest disappointments in recent memory. Man, I had you guys going there, didn't I? MotoGP 2 is without a doubt one of the best overall racing games on any platform. The original MotoGP while great had a few issues, but nothing that would ever ruin your experience with the game. But now with MotoGP 2 we get everything we had with the original, just now it's wrapped in one of the most complete packages to ever grace a game store shelf. Let's start off with one of the things most people with XBL already know about the original, the Live interface. I mean good lord Climax, when developing MotoGP 2 were you guys just sitting around saying, "I wonder how we can take our original lobby system and make the other lobby systems of other XBL titles really look like shit?" Well, Climax has succeeded. As most may already know, no matter if you're playing single player or multi player, you're on XBL. You have the option to hide your online status so you have the ability to build up your bike in peace, which can come in handy from time to time. You also now have the ability to see even more information while looking through your friends list. For example, if a friend is playing MotoGP 2 it will not only tell you if they are in an online race, but it will also tell you if they are watching a replay, playing in a single player career, participating in challenges and even what they had for dinner a week ago :wink: Not only have the improvements been made to the Live interface, but I swear every track both looks and feels, new. You can tell that Climax set out to try and reproduce the tracks as close to real life as possible, and from what I can tell they've done an amazing job of re-creating them. This time around we're treated to all of the GP tracks on the circuit as well as the training course, for a grand total of 17. However, unlike the original, not all the tracks are unlocked from the beginning, you'll have to get on the track to unlock them. Let's talk a little about the graphics this time around. Well, like the rest of the game so far, Climax has turned up the power to 10. Take the already gorgeous MotoGP and make the bikes and environments look more realistic, but might as well totally re-work all the rider animations and make them as life like as possible too. Just wait until you see the new crash animations, one word, painful . One location in particular got my roommates to let out a, "GOD DAMN THAT LOOKS FUCKING REAL!!!!!!", is the new South Africa track. The heat effect on the track looks so real you'd think you were watching a live broadcast of GP racing, it really does look that good. As expected the use of Dolby Digital is put to great use again in a racing game. Not only can you hear the riders coming up on all sides, but you can hear the fricking rain hitting the asphalt. I bet for Climax's third installment you'll be able to hear crickets farting five miles away in a field . Not really much else to say here, just that you won't be disappointed. Now, let's get to gameplay. First off, MotoGP 2 is by no means an easy racer, and on the same hand, it's by no means a difficult racer, unless you want it to be :wink: . It's a racer that anyone is going to enjoy. I will warn you that if you're expecting to jump in and 2 hours later have a fully maxed bike you're going to be greatly disappointed. Where in the original you had a total of 110 stat points to distribute, now you've got 175, which at any point can be re-distributed in any order, very nice. The training challenges this time around range from really easy to, I'll now proceed to install a controller S in the front of my RPTV :evil: . Something that some people may not notice, but I thought was a very cool addition, is that when upgrading your stats the more wheelie prone your bike becomes. For example, come out of a sharp turn in first gear and give it full throttle, and without even pulling back on the left thumbstick the front wheel will start coming off the ground, :insert school girl laugh here: One thing I want to bring up before I wrap this up and go to bed is that there is some talk of framerate issues. Let me assure you that this is most definitely NOT the case. On the second training challenge there is a section at the beginning where the framerate does take a hit, but it is not going to affect the gameplay. Otherwise, the game runs at a solid 60 fps and just as with the original the sense of speed is not for the faint of heart. So, after a good 6+ hours of playtime I can safely recommend this title to anybody who enjoyed the original or anyone looking for a game that is easy to pick up, but hard to put down. There are so many things to unlock that you're going to be busy for a very, very, long time and most likely enjoying every solid minute of it. 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potempkin Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 Is the core bike handling similar to the original? I'm just wondering if people who've invested a lot of time mastering the first game's controls will be able to jump right in, more or less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck Posted May 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 Is the core bike handling similar to the original? I'm just wondering if people who've invested a lot of time mastering the first game's controls will be able to jump right in, more or less. If you make no changes to the settings, then yes, the bikes handling is just like the original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 I am defintly going to pick this up and probably inside pitch this weekend. Looking at my x-box games there are 4 games i can trade . So no loss even if inside pitch stinks ;-) capt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelley Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 guess i'll have to get this one now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 For example, if a friend is playing MotoGP 2 it will not only tell you if they are in an online race, but it will also tell you if they are watching a replay, playing in a single player career, participating in challenges and even what they had for dinner a week ago Makes Mechassault's inability to even report the game that they're playing correctly look even more silly eh? Fuck, this game better come in today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris F Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 I'm picking this up this weekend. I loved the demo, and I could never find the original, so this will be a welcome addition to my library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 Just got back from Eb. traded in a bunch of stuff for MotoGp2 and inside pitch. Now i will have 6 games im activily playing. Too many too little time capt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark E Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 Too many too little time Quit your job, isolate yourself socially, refrain from leaving the house, quit your gym. Drop out of school, give away any pets. Now enjoy . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 I dont have pets, dont go to gym and i graduated school a few years ago :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyjaw Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 Hmm, this is pushing ever closer to getting Live...I'm not really very good at MotoGP, but this new one sounds so nice, and the online racing could only make it better...especially now that it sounds like they've had time to get their heads around online gaming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck Posted May 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 I'm not really very good at MotoGP That is the true beauty of online MotoGP, there's an option in the optimatch settings for skill level and one of the options just happens to be "Same as me". This truly is a title that anybody can and most likely will enjoy online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark E Posted May 22, 2003 Report Share Posted May 22, 2003 I agree, and think this would be a blast on Live. But damn, where are the weapons? There should at least be an option for some Road Rash style mayhem . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted May 23, 2003 Report Share Posted May 23, 2003 i stink at this game . But i wasnt great at the first demo either. However this weekend is a 3 day weekend so i plan on getting some motogp and inside pitch practice capt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyjaw Posted May 23, 2003 Report Share Posted May 23, 2003 OK, so I busted the bank and got Live and MotoGP2 on my way home from work. I haven't set anything up yet, I wil try to do so tonight...but get ready to ph34r my l4mn355 at m070GP! :shock: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyjaw Posted May 23, 2003 Report Share Posted May 23, 2003 OK, so I'm now Live enabled. I'm "FreakTornado" and I'm ranked in the mid 5,000's Fun game though. I really needed to practice so I did some time trials (single player) to try and remember the finesse of cornering...well, 'finesse' may be a bit grandiose in my case, but I did improve. Anyway, my first online race was pretty unspectacular, in fact it restarted 3 times, and during each race my other two opponents decided it was more fun to joust on motorcyles than race. They tried to hit me head-on as I passed by, but they missed (made for some great doppler surround sound effects though). I never did get 3 laps in before it restarted. Despite the childishness of my very first Live opponents, I actually am quite optimistic. I think this will be a lot of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainl Posted May 23, 2003 Report Share Posted May 23, 2003 Re: jousting opponents, one of the many things thats making me consider getting this rather than just a cheap copy of the first one is that in amongst the options when setting up a Live game is collision detection: On (as with 1) Off (slightly dull I suspect) and... Off for people going backwards! Yes, under that option, if someone is facing backwards on the track then their bike goes ghostly (apparently) and idiots can't mess up your race! Everything I've heard about the sequel so far suggests that the Climax Brighton team have definitely been paying attention to how the first one was played online. Not that I have Live yet, but there you go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted May 23, 2003 Report Share Posted May 23, 2003 during each race my other two opponents decided it was more fun to joust on motorcyles than race. Was it on Stunt mode? This basically another form of the game where you get points for various thing (which can be customized). There are demolision tournaments which are basically rooms full of people running around in circles trying to knock each other down and get the most points. Off (slightly dull I suspect) Not at all. With collisions of it's all about who can go the fastest, without having to worry about some yahoo running up your rear end because he's going into the corner too fast. The problem with collisions being on isn't just idiots though. The main problem is that everyone plays the game quite differently, and many different lines are taken, depending on how good you are, and what bike you're on. Unfortunatly this can lead to many accidents simply because the person in front of you didn't do as you'd expect and got in your way without time enough to make the adjustment. First corners are almost always a disaster because everyone's trying to get through quickly, and on their line exclusivly. The other problem is lag. Even though the game deals with lag quite well, you do often race against people who are a bit jumpy, and as such, completely unpredictable. The problem is only magnified when you get closer together (someone who looks smooth a second down the road can get quite jumpy when close together). I've even had times in a race where I've just sqeezed by a guy only to watch him skid out and fall like I had hit him... which in fact I had on his end of things. Real life racing is all about working on the guy ahead of you, trying to gain a bit of speed on him so that you can shoot past on a straight, or brake a little later to get through on a corner. Most tracks only have a few places around them that this can be attempted. Fortunatly you'd have racers who should be of a fairly equal level, who's lives are possibly on the line, mostly taking the same lines, and some manner of proffesionalism. In a videogame that isn't the case. Anyway, I usually have the most fun with collisions off because I'm not throwing my controller across the room because of something someone else did. Only myself to blame. Yes, under that option, if someone is facing backwards on the track then their bike goes ghostly (apparently) and idiots can't mess up your race! Actually, it's based on their comparative speed. This also then catch people who form roadblocks, are running terribly slow, and hopefully (I don't know yet) some of those people who cut straight across the track after crashing, or running off. Everything I've heard about the sequel so far suggests that the Climax Brighton team have definitely been paying attention to how the first one was played online. They're actually very active in the Planet MotoGP forums and used many suggestions from the fans there, as well as feature them in the game (The OneBad bike in the demo was for one of the best racers, OneBadHuskerFan, most of the staff is in the credits, and one of the guys even manages to appear in the video credits). Most of the top riders hang out there, and it also houses one of the most popular MGP leagues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainl Posted May 23, 2003 Report Share Posted May 23, 2003 Cool - that sounds even better than I thought it was. Though part of me thinks its only right that you pile into a crash if the front row cause a pile-up on the first corner, doing such things deliberately would be blimmin' annoying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyN Posted May 23, 2003 Report Share Posted May 23, 2003 Ed ill add you to my friends list so we can play some motogp capt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris F Posted May 23, 2003 Report Share Posted May 23, 2003 Oh man, do I SUCK at this game. I can't even beat some of the early tutorials! I cannot get the hang of making tight turns. And I have no idea about using the front & rear brakes when turning... Yes, I do suck at this game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyjaw Posted May 23, 2003 Report Share Posted May 23, 2003 Oh man, do I SUCK at this game. I can't even beat some of the early tutorials! I cannot get the hang of making tight turns. And I have no idea about using the front & rear brakes when turning... Yes, I do suck at this game. Me too, although I think the default controller set-up adds to the difficulty. I absolutely need to have the a trigger for acceleration...after playing other racing games, I've come to rely on the analog trigger to modulate acceleration. I understand why they made the triggers F/R brakes, it's symmetrical and clean, but I changed it and I feel more comfortable. I basically swapped the right trigger and "A" button assignments. As for cornering, I'm definitely having trouble finding a line, I usually end up flailing my way through corners. I either end up coming to a nearly complete stop, or I run wide and find myself riding in dirt. This game is so tactical, easily as much as a rally game, where there's slightly more room for sloppy driving. In MotoGP you have to anticipate everything. I think a big part of this is knowing the course, familiarity with the layout means you can get into position for the next turn or straightaway as soon as you clear the last one. Practice, practice, practice... Ed ill add you to my friends list so we can play some motogp Cool man, I'll do the same! Was it on Stunt mode? To be honest, I have no idea, I did see the option, but didn't pay any attention to it. Thanks for the info onwhat it means, it soulds pretty cool. One of my biggest fears about racing on Live is that I would start knocking people off the track...this sounds like the answer to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 This game is so tactical, easily as much as a rally game, where there's slightly more room for sloppy driving. In MotoGP you have to anticipate everything. I think a big part of this is knowing the course, familiarity with the layout means you can get into position for the next turn or straightaway as soon as you clear the last one. Practice, practice, practice... This has been a huge part of the game's appealto me. More so than any car racing game I've played, the lines you take and how well you enter and exit a corner play a huge factor. Because of that, it can be a little frustrating at first, but it also means that there is ALWAYS room for improvement. I can't remember the number of times that I had thought I'd hit a wall in terms of speed and times in the first game, only to figure out how to take a few corners much better, which would take off seconds, and then I'd start to think about similar corners on other tracks and try to improve them. Normally in a racing game, I wouldn't really care about improving my lap times by a few tenths, as long as I was winning against the AI. The Live opponents and scoreboards change all that and motivate you to keep getting better. And now that you get penalised for going off the road... there's even less room for any sloppy driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyjaw Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 This has been a huge part of the game's appeal to me. More so than any car racing game I've played, the lines you take and how well you enter and exit a corner play a huge factor. Yes, I'm enjoying this too, a kind of analysis of the physics of being on two wheels. It is a whole different beast from car racing. It's definitely frustrating at first, but it's nice to have a racing game that isn't obvious from the get-go. I still adore a good rally game because of the unpredictability of the courses. I wonder what it would be like to take a bike from MotoGP and put it on one of the paved courses from CMR3. Speaking of which, has anyone completed the slalom training? Damn is that hard! I understand the way it needs to be done, you need to aim well outside of the barrels and cut in before it, so that you're set up for the next one, but in practice it's really hard. After two or three barrels I'm screwed. And now that you get penalised for going off the road... there's even less room for any sloppy driving/ Ooh, that's evil, but it's a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whooter Posted May 24, 2003 Report Share Posted May 24, 2003 Okay, I just got home with this. I'll bust the cellophane and be online shortly.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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