Official premier motorbike racing is the NASCAR for those who just prefer the sleek racing rockets and the riders that speed through the track, and the universal appeal makes it an international favorite among racing fans. Gamers who love the racing event have loved the MotoGP series on another console but thanks to Capcom obtaining the license, MotoGP 07 debuts on the PlayStation 2 with some mixed results. Oh, it still feels like a MotoGP game and the strict difficulty is back but it just doesn’t come close to matching the near perfection of past games in the series.

Whether you’re a fan of Brazil’s Alex Barros, USA’s Nicky Hayden or Japan’s own Shinya Nakano, MotoGP 07 brings all the major international pros to the circuit. All the usual MotoGP elements are in place including the various international venues, the hot motorcycles (everything from a Honda to a Yamaha) and a strict competition that will have you really working hard to make a mark in the championship series. There are five main modes of playing the game and that includes Multiplayer mode (which, sad to say, doesn’t include any online play). It also features challenge play so the first they you’ll want to do when the game loads up for the first time is accept the invitation to test out the game’s tutorial.

Quick Race is basically the game’s exhibition mode that allows you to race using any of the official pros available, bikes, tracks and conditions (sunny, rainy or somewhere in between). It is here where you can perfect your skills and better learn the game’s controls. Then there’s Time Attack, a game mode where you essentially race against yourself (literally if you add a “ghost” rider that represents your best lap time) to improve your lap time. Then there’s Multiplayer mode, where you can go up against a friend in a Quick Race or Time Attack mode as well as the game’s main Championship mode. As I mentioned above, Capcom didn’t include any online options … and it doesn’t even support the PS2 Multitap for up to four players. Then there’s Challenges mode, a game mode that sets up a series of scenarios or conditions you must meet in order to move on to the next series of challenges. One challenge might have you attempting to win a Quick Race in Laguna Seca while another one has you attempting to beat a certain lap time.

Championship mode is the heart of MotoGP 07 since it is the game’s season mode. It is here that you pick your favorite rider and take him through a series of qualifying and 6 to 8 circuit races. While it isn’t as incredibly deep as other racing games, Championship mode does touch on aspects of a rider’s career that makes sense in real life. For example, you’ll have to opportunity to alter your bike’s mechanical setup for a better performance. This means you’ll be changing tires, suspension and tending to the gear ratio in order to fine-tune your bike to meet your own style or racing. This mode will also track the other riders’ rankings so you’ll know who you have to watch out for during the next circuit race. Your goal, of course, is to maintain the top position in the circuit (and racing through real life tracks like Le Mans and the Istanbul Park Circuit to name a few) and gain as many medals as possible.

As far as the controls are concerned, this is the type of game you can pick up a controller and start playing since the default control scheme is easy to figure out. What will have you glad you tried the game’s tutorial is the demanding and frustrating physics that makes making sharp turns or keeping from skidding off the tracks such a challenge. With enough practice you’ll know just when to brake while leaning during sharp turns and you’ll figure out a way to push through the other racers but even if you do the game is unforgiving when it comes to the AI or the qualifying time. Your rivals never seem to make a mistake and you’ll never see another racer miscalculate a turn. Mess up once in this game and it means your time and position … or sometimes you’ll have to restart the race all over again. Top that off with long load times and you will find that these major flaws just hold the racing action back considerably.

When it comes to the game’s graphics, MotoGP 07 is not as pretty as its predecessor but it‘s not ugly either. The point is that this game just isn‘t as pretty as it could have been even on the PS2. The backgrounds and textures are just not as attractive as the other games in the franchise but when it comes to the rider models and the bikes, the graphics show off a somewhat pretty face. At least the replays look decent enough.

The game’s sound is also something of a weak spot. There’s a soundtrack and it almost feels nonexistent since what few musical bits you’ll hear are repeated often. You won’t find any voiceovers explaining the rules and you won’t hear any other sound effects aside from the revving of motorcycle engines and tires skidding on the track ever so often. 

MotoGP 07 for the PlayStation 2 is a demanding and flawed game but devoted fans will find a few things to like about this motorbike-racing simulator so everyone else who can’t overlook the problems should look elsewhere. Racing fans will like most of the challenges provided here but the infuriating difficulty setting, long load times and ugly graphics just make this a game that is a nice try but just doesn’t have what it takes to rev our engines the right way.

Gameplay: 6.5
The game’s controls are actually easy to learn and that’s the good news. The bad news is that the movements and physics will make sharp turns seem like hell. The AI is also unmerciful so if you mess up once you might as well restart the race. There are some decent game modes but you’ll start wishing Championship mode were deeper.

Graphics: 5.5
This is certainly one of the most unattractive PS2 games and one seriously plain-looking MotoGP game. Replays look pretty decent and so do most of the riders and bikes but the tracks look really plain. Even the blue skies look drab.

Sound: 5.0
There’s a soundtrack somewhere around here but all we really get is a few repetitive tunes that repeat often throughout the experience. Just about the only thing you’ll hear is the revving of engines or your wheels skidding in the dry tracks.

Difficulty: Hard
The ultra realistic physics makes this a game simply for the loyal devotees but then again some events will feel unrealistically hard and the AI can unfairly turn the tables on you. Capcom must think that nobody else but you should be the only one to make realistic mistakes.

Concept: 6.5
The game’s Championship mode will put you through a season of motorbike racing action and you’ll even get to compete in well-known tracks like Le Mans just to name a few national and international venues. You’ll even go up against a number of the sports’ hotshots. There’s multiplayer but it’s only offline.

Multiplayer: 5.0
You can race against a friend but if you want to play the game online, you can just forget about it. There are enough riders to pick but why can’t we play against a large number of players? This is just not acceptable, Capcom.

Overall: 6.5
Capcom’s attempt at bringing a strict motorbike racing simulator is a good try but it just doesn’t come together smoothly in all the right places where it counts the most. MotoGP 07 is far from perfect even for hardcore motorbike racing enthusiasts but it you’re willing to forgive the game’s various weaknesses you might just find yourself find this is a flawed yet acceptable entry.