MotoGP 08

MotoGP 08 is a fast paced driving game that puts you in the driving seat of some of the most powerful racing bikes in the world.

The game is the official game of the MotoGP championship and as such lets you ride all of their licensed motorbikes throughout the 2008 season. You'll have the choice of riding such iconic bike makes as Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda at break neck speeds around all of the top race courses in the world including Silverstone, Curcuit de Catalunya and Twin Ring Motegi.

The game modes in the full product range from single quick races right up to a full career mode that lets you design a racer and work your way up through the engine classes until you are the MotoGP champion. As it's a fully licensed game pretty much all of the real world options are available to you whether you choose to work through the career, or if you just want to head out there as your favourite rider on your favourite bike.

The physics engine used in MotoGP 08 is to be applauded and does a great job of making you feel like you're really controlling some of the most powerful bits of machinery in the world. Using visual effects and force feed back the player is thrown head first into the action.

The physics are backed up by top notch graphics. The level of detail that has gone into modelling each bike and rider after their real world counterpart is impressive to say the least. The development team have obviously put a lot of time into researching and recreating all of the tracks from the MotoGP tour so any fan will be treated to a visual spectacle as they race around locations they've seen time and again on the television.

If you're using mouse and keyboard then the controls can be a little awkward to begin with, using A to accelerate and S to brake, but once you've settled in to them you should be fine. The game also offers support for XBox 360 controllers and that's certainly our preferred method of play.

As far as this demo goes, the functions are a bit limited. You really only get a glimpse of what the full game can offer and that can be frustrating just as you're getting into the swing of things. The slice of the action it does offer though is exciting and does a great job of showing you what to expect in the full title.

Pros

• Fast Paced Thrilling Action
• Incredible Real World Physics
• Accurate Recreation of the MotoGP world

Cons

• Demo Could Be Longer
• Somewhat Awkward Controls