Who is Valentino Rossi? That's a question a MotoGP fan would never ever find themselves asking. The legendary Italian phenomenon on two wheels has a massive seven world championship crowns at 500cc and titles at both 250cc and 125cc to go with that. Who better to mentor us as we put on the leather suit and head out onto the track to start our own career. Where the MotoGP games have been stuck in a rut for years, both in terms of the overall presentation and the physics it seems that things are moving in the right direction this time around.
Valentino Rossi: The Game mixes a few different motorsports, but MotoGP is still very much the main attraction. You can pick between playing the career mode with Rossi or jumping straight into the action as an existing racer in a series. We start out playing the career mode, and as you'd expect you have to recreate your digital self, kit out your racer with the best racing outfits there are, before then hopping on a bike. With Valentino's voice guiding us we tackle a few practice tracks. We get to sample motocross bikes, your MotoGP style bikes, and even some rally cars.
If we were to combine three recent Milestone titles; Ride, Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo, and MXGP 2: The Official Motocross Videogame, we're getting pretty close to what Valentino Rossi: The Game is. The career mode where we got our start comes across as well designed, you have to make your way through a brief driving lesson where all disciplines are covered, before things start proper. You start out in the lowest bracket, Moto3, and start your journey through the ranks. If you're not interested in working your way into the main classes, you can jump directly into them via other modes allowing you to compete in a series or in time trials. There is also a game mode that lets you live out Valentino Rossi's major accomplishments over the years across various tracks. It mirrors the same sort of mode that was included in Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo, and it includes things like the Rally Showdown on the classic Monza track. To put it simply, there are plenty of modes to get stuck in to.
It is more and more common to be able to tailor your experience in racing games by fine tuning the difficulty through settings and vehicle tuning. This game is no exception, and you can make it a more "arcadey" experience if you don't fancy wiping out every now and then. The physics in the track-tuned bikes is decent once you've turned off a few assists. The balance in the corners and the weight distribution are always vital, and if we push things a bit too much that skin-tight leather suit will be put to use. The same goes for the motocross bikes, they come with lots of torque and if we're not careful we quickly lose control of the rear wheel. The car physics are also decent. However, with Dirt Rally fresh in our minds, we're not easily impressed, but it has to be said that the rally sections of Valentino Rossi: The Game entertain. The drifting, however, isn't entirely up to scratch as you don't have to stay on course or maintain good speed in order to score points. A minor thing perhaps, but it's worth mentioning that the challenge isn't there.
The challenge on the bike is slightly different. Regardless of your difficulty level in terms of assists, the AI riders get on our nerves. They come across magnetic and stick to fixed positions and have no problem sliding magically from side to side if you happen to come into their racing line. The same issue could be spotted in Ride and it's a shame it hasn't been sorted.
Audio-visually there isn't a great deal to get excited about. The sound is really weak, and everything from the sound of the engines to screaming tarmac is pushed to the back of the mix. The visuals don't stand out either, car and bike models are decent enough, but the tracks lack detail and come across as empty. The load times have to be mentioned; these, along with somewhat cumbersome menus that require too many button presses for simple tasks, make it a chore to start a new race or switch an outfit.
We haven't been able to sample the multiplayer as much as we would have liked, simply because there haven't been many players online. The races we have been able to complete have worked well enough and the multiplayer is just as packed full of game modes and content as the rest of the game. There's also split-screen for those who'd like to race locally with a friend.
If you enjoy MotoGP, Rally Showdown, and Motocross, and don't take issue with somewhat lacklustre presentation, then Valentino Rossi: The Game offers enjoyable physics (both in terms of cars and bikes), and a whole lot of content. Milestone has clearly turned a corner, and before long we may even get a MotoGP game that's as enjoyable as Dirt Rally. Who knows?
