MotoRacer3 Game Review (PC)

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Last Updated : 02 July 2012
Written 21 September 2005

Introduction

This review was inspired again by the lack of any motorcycle games reviews done by riders on the net. The game is for PC (Windows).

The game actually came from a cereal box. I kid you not, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it, as it's not the usual sort of computer game I tend play.  However I think you can still buy off the shelf at various stores.   Anyway, thanks to Nutri-grain I have one of the Extreme games set that they where giving away with the cereal. 

The premise is like any car racing game except that that your controlling a bike.  There are 5 different types of games within the game.

Speed - Racing on a track
The speed game is pretty normal race track type game, bet the clock race against others and so forth.
Fun Factor : 7/10

SX/MX - Supercross/Motocross
The SX/MX option is more fun than the speed game because it feels just like the actual event.  I learnt how to ride this game the quickest.  Just the whole experience is a very good simulation of the real thing.  I loved racing against the other computer bikes because I could make them stack in turn one ! and cause general mayhem.
Fun Factor : 9/10

Trail - Indoor obstacle course
The Trial game I feel is the hardest and I presume in the real world its pretty tricky too.  Controlling the bike and overcoming obstacles is very difficult, especially the 90 degree turns at a standstill pace.  Its quite rewarding once you've mastered the bike's control.
Fun Factor : 7/10

Freestyle - Acrobatics and jumps
The Freestyle game is pure aerial fun.  Do the jumps, do some cool aero tricks land without bumping into the ramps and that's basically it.  I like it because you can basically go anywhere you want in the stadium. The task to to basically out do the other in terms on cool moves! Or as they say - sick !
Fun Factor : 9/10

Traffic - Road racing
This option is pretty fun too.  Simply race you bike and others in traffic.   You even get erratic traffic as they try and pass each other too !  One thing that annoyed me, but not others may be the car tend to drive on the right hand lanes as opposed to the Australian norm of driving on the right.  The task is realistic and very fun once you get the hand of doing fast corners and the bike its self.  I often found myself riding as if I where on the real road, gee I really can't lane split.
Fun Factor : 8/10

The Bikes

There is only a choice of 125-250cc for non-road races whilst a choice of 250cc to 500cc bikes for the road/track only courses.   I assume they are 2 stroke because they seem to move like that.

Colour choices are plenty enough although nothing that says 'me'.  You get a choice of helmets too !  As you progress through the game you get more choices, but they don't seem to differ very much.

The physics of the bike are actually pretty good.  They have to be controlled in a similar fashion to real bikes albeit 2 strokes.  (I think)

Game Environment

The graphics in the games are excellent.  The scenery is very well designed.  although like all games the bystanders look like card-board cut outs. 

ALL the bikes are rendered nicely and move very well indeed.  Suspension up and down, wheels spinning, cornering, lights and even fumes coming form the exhaust. I even enjoyed the 'coming off' the bike sequences, which I did many times for sheer enjoyment. Overall very profession production.

Bike controls are also pretty realistic, although I feel the bikes lean over way to quickly.  I guess real GP bikes do the same thing !

There are multi-player modes for LAN and Internet Gamers - cool !

A disappointing aspect of the the production is the in-game music.  Yuck!  I never understood why 'extreme' sports have annoying 'extreme' music. Trash metal, hard rock whatever it is it not inspirational.   Luckily the music is stored a separate MP2 files, so you can get convert your own mp3s into mp2s and have your own selection of music.  Sound effects are fine though.

The other disappointment is the limited number of tracks and bikes available that you can ride on.  You also have to earn point before you can use other tracks or bikes, a standard 'feature' of all the racing type games and one which I don't particularly like as it reduces the fun factor.

Once you've finished a race you get to see the replay at different camera angles.  I must admit that this is a pretty cool feature and it actually felt like I was watching a real race, cheering myself on (someone has too), crashes and all !

Hardware

The required hardware is reasonably high.   On a Win ME Celeron 400 8 meg graphics it worked but was quite laggy and not playable.

On a Win 98SE Pentium 3 500 8 Meg graphics the game worked OK but wasn't stable hence not playable.

On a Win Me Athlon 1800+ 64 Meg graphics the worked perfectly.  So that's where it stays. 

Conclusion

So the ultimate question is that if this was not part of a cereal packet, would I fork out my cash for it ?  Yes, if it where my style of game.  However its not.  It'll make a great present to those unable to ride the real thing though or curious and those into these sort of games.

What would probably convert me to this style of game would be one where you could actually ride real world bikes.  Like the Gran Tourismo series (Playstation 2) but with bikes.  Imagine a game where you could ride a Hayabusa against a ZX-12 and Harley with a Goldwing, a 500cc racer and a jet drag bike on the same track. (Patent Pending)

Anyway, overall a great production technically professional and entertaining.

Fun rating : 7/10
Technical rating : 9/10
Graphics rating :9/10
Controls : 8/10
Playability : 8/10
Longevity : 6/10
Music : 2/10
Sound effects :6/10
Price : 10/10 Hey, I got with mine off a breakfast cereal - really !

 




 




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