MotoGP 23 Review (PS5): Life at Over 200 MPH

As you may have seen, I recently attended a Honda track day. I rode three motorcycles, including the new CB750 Hornet, at my local racetrack. I wasn't fast by any means, staying below 124 mph (200 kph) at all times, but that was different from the purpose of the exercise. I had mixed feelings after the event, as I'm competitive. I felt disappointed that I wasn't as fast as I would have wanted to, but I was also excited about the start of a new journey for me. I have been riding bikes in the virtual world for over 20 years, so it's about time I started experiencing the real thing. While you can't beat the live experience, having a copy of MotoGP 23 at home to play with after a long day at the office can be pretty fun.

Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting

Well, at least it gets fun after a while. Why is that, you may ask? I'll get to the point in a minute. As mentioned, I've played several motorcycle racing games over the years. Moto Racer 3 is the first one that comes to mind in 2001. But it wasn't until circa 2005 that I became obsessed with racing on two wheels. The game that got me there was MotoGP 3 Ultimate Racing Technology. I would sometimes experience riding around on the game's extreme fantasy motorcycles.

But I would most often go out on Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with Valentino Rossi, Loris Capirosi, or Shinya Nakano, depending on my mood. I stuck to my old laptop and this 2005 game for over a decade before switching to Milestone's Ride 3. And that has been my go-to home-entertainment product for all these years. Although I've played a bit of MotoGP 21, I needed more to get a fair idea about the racing-focused series.

So I was ecstatic to get a PS5 copy of the newly-released MotoGP 23. I've always been a PC-kind-of-guy, but I quickly understood why console gaming is so attractive. Playing from the comfort of your couch with a big-screen TV in front is relaxing. But that's not the point of today's story. As I was installing the game, I told myself: this isn't a walk in the park. But then again, what else would you expect from a racing sim?

There's a good reason why career mode starts with the Moto3 class, just as you would in the real world. These bikes might be the slowest in the World Championship but are speedy. I've seen one in action a few years back, and it will make a 600cc Supersport machine look like a kid's toy in the hands of a good rider. My Ride 3 gaming experience would be helpful with MotoGP 23. But the new racing title is much more complicated than I initially thought.

There is more to life than simply increasing its speed

They say patience is a virtue, and that's particularly true when it comes to this game. I started getting used to the bike's handling after 20 or so laps, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. When prompted with the difficulty level, I chose the Classic setting - level two out of four: "Semi-automatic transmission and assisted electronic work with neural aids.." Wait, what? I remembered the poor gameplay experience in Ride 3 with the most accessible setting, and I decided to skip the nanny aids and get to the point.

After falling in the wet in Classic mode many times, I thought switching to Extreme might be straight-up lunacy. But it turned out to be the smartest thing yet. As mentioned earlier, patience is a virtue. So you will need fine throttle, braking, and leaning inputs to avoid crashing. But it all feels so much better with this setting. The one thing that surprised me but shouldn't have was that the rewind function is no longer available: silly me, you don't have that in real life either!

While Milestone has tried adding several new features to the game, such as the Turning Points and fictional Social Media Network, these aren't changes that a hardcore gamer would be interested in. It might amuse motorcycle enthusiasts, but they would be happier playing a game like The Crew, which is easier to tackle. Dynamic Weather is an exciting feature for MotoGP 23, and it adds an extra element of difficulty for anyone struggling to stay ahead of the pack. It was odd that changing bikes is automatic once it starts raining, and you can only spectate, so that could have been more impressive. I knew you should lean less when the track is wet, but that's easier said than done, so expect to crash a few times before you get the hang of it.

I've also noted that it's never occurred to me so far for the rider to fall off the bike during Auto Pilot. That made me giggle, but Milestone still should have taken care of some things before releasing the game. Props to them for already releasing some updates for it, but there's one thing that seems missing and made fans a bit angry: what happened to the historic mode that everyone loved in MotoGP 22? I've also yet to see any MotoE bikes in the game, as I'm dying to know how the new Ducatis perform in this class.

You win some, lose some, and wreck some

After spending several hours in the Moto3 class, I needed an upgrade. I had mastered the entry-level point and wanted to see how fast the big bikes were. I've never done so many unintentional wheelies and stoppies in my life. I was as shocked by the speed of the MotoGP bikes as I was first appalled by a Superstock1000 racing motorcycle, even though I had only used 30% of its power level. You barely have time to process the corner you're going through, as you already arrive at the next one.

I get the feeling that you'll feel god-like once you've mastered this class within the game. Even with the most careful inputs, you need help getting a fast lap done. And if you do manage to avoid crashing, you'll probably be at least 20 seconds slower than anyone else on the track. So I toned things down and opted for the Moto2 class instead. Things are much more manageable here, even though these bikes are ludicrously fast compared to the Moto3 class.

I've never seen such strange AI behavior in the hundreds of games I've experienced. You'll see competitors crashing quite often, showcasing weird behavior, and angrily reacting when you bump into them, unintentionally or not. Even at this level, it becomes apparent that you can only go full throttle mid-corner if you plan on experiencing one high side after another. It took me under two minutes to complete a lap of the Barcelona-Catalunya layout, and a wave of memories washed over me, thinking of my teenage years.

Alas, knowing the track so well inspired me to switch to the big class again. Bagnaia's Ducati is suitably terrifying at any given moment, and your inputs must always be spot on if you plan on being anywhere near fast. While I could drive an F1 car today, given my 186,000+ miles (300,000+ km) driving experience, I'm confident I couldn't handle a MotoGP bike in real life. 186 mph (300 kph) is the norm with a MotoGP bike, and after six or so laps, I realized the game had gotten to me. I need to become better at it, fast!

Conclusion

MotoGP 23 is for the hardcore racers who need an extra adrenaline rush at home. You should play it in its most challenging setting and experience all three classes to get the most out of the experience.

People who want more diversity and adventure would be better off sticking to the Ride franchise, and the fifth installment is coming up in a few months. MotoGP 23 might be the most thrilling, exciting motorcycle racing game ever. It will require some serious commitment on your side should you plan on becoming a master of it.

But there are some downsides as well. It's great to see the company is actively working on improving the experience in some areas of the game, and one can only hope that a patch for historic bikes is on its way soon. Until then, I will keep improving my riding level to feel comfortable taking on any online challenger.I think you might find this compilation of classic MotoGP games exciting to look at. After all, this is where we stand after 30 years of evolution.

RATING 95/100