MotoGP '07

Well I've been waiting for this game ever since I heard about it at the beginning of the year. I am a huge motorcycle and MotoGP fan and was very happy to hear the THQ was going to update the great MotoGP 06 game that they released last year.

The first thing you'll notice is that all the menu graphics have teen changed. And for the most part it looks much better. I love how there is an aerial view of the track as it is loading... but you'll also notice new accomplishments listed as well. THQ have added such things as "Clean Lap" "Clean Race" "Target Laptime" and "Target Speed". These do add to the game and make it more fun.

Now lets talk about the graphics in the game... they added cut scenes that now include grip positioning (with team members and umbrella girls present), team helping you out as you leave your garage, and podium scene as well. Nice touches... does nothing for gameplay.

In game graphics have improved (as difficult as that is to imagine) especially the track graphics... you can see MUCH more detail around now, from waiving flags to people, helicopters and other things. The track looks great. The riders do as well, though they looked really good in MotoGP 06, but it does look really really good.

Now the most important part... the gameplay. This is the area that was MOST changed... and most improved. Yes you heard me right... VERY improved. So what could they do? Well for one the bikes "feel" much lighter. They are much more flickable (I keep over steering the corners still) and, as in real life, they feel smaller and faster. The lean angles have also increased and overall the sense of speed is much better than the last game. The addition of the bike moving around is also wonderful. It really feels like you are pushing to the limit when the whole thing gets sideways. Though this is still an arcade experience (not simulator) you can increase the level of realism in the settings making it much more difficult to go into a corner hot, lean over and push hard on the breaks without crashing... good, very good. The wiggling of the bike great, it really feels like it's moving when you push it too hard. The only time it really wiggles is when you are at full lean and push hard on the gas... though the bikes obviously have steering control built in and that usually keeps you from high siding (unless you touch the grass... then you have a problem... again, GOOD).

It's fun to see how the game has progressed over the years and this is the best version yet. If you have MotoGP 06 you'll want this one... but be warned... once you start to play MotoGP 07 you won't go back to 06. Funny enough, after you get used to the new 07 physics... the 06 bikes feel like SUVs going around the track. Just not very flickable and not as fun.

The online play is as good as in the last game and overall I must say I love this new version and highly recommend it.

Now for some things that need to appear in next years (hopefully there will be a next year) version:

-Different Tyres (Bridgestone, Michelin, Dunlop)

-Tyre management (the tyres need to get used up during the race. SBK 07 does this VERY well)

- Bike Damage (if you crash the bike should feel more difficult to ride, and you should have the ability to set the damage so that if you crash hard enough, or often enough, you have to retire, again SBK 07 does this very well)

-Rider Health (again, if you crash too much or too hard, the rider should be able to get hurt and therefore retire)

-Gear manufactures (why can't you get the real gear into this game as well????)

-The ability to add new paint jobs, and riders during the season. This should be downloadable content as there is no way to forsee when a team decides to change riders or have a special colour for a race.

That's it for now...

4.5 out of 5 starts