➤ Doctors and motors 🎮

The licenses of prestigious competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Formula 1, MotoGP or the Olympics are undoubtedly among the most coveted (and expensive) in the gaming industry, and the publication of an official product without direct references in the title would seem to be the all meaningless; yet this is what really happened this year with the new chapter of MotoGP, a series that has been curated for some years by the Italian software Milestone. From a marketing point of view, such a choice could therefore seem risky at least, however when you develop a title shaped around the career of multiple world champion Valentino Rossi, you can certainly afford this luxury. Valentino Rossi: The Game is basically MotoGP 16 enhanced by the collaboration with the centaur from Tavullia, whose charismatic presence expands the boundaries of classic production by embracing other disciplines on two and four wheels, a renewed career mode in the sign of the VR46 Riders Academy (the "gym "for young promises of motorcycling), unprecedented challenges and an overview of the twenty years of success of the national Vale. In short, a much tastier and more abundant dish than what one would expect from an annual sports series.

Lots of content and various news in Valentino Rossi: The Game, the new MotoGP dedicated to the Doctor

The fair of abundance

One of the most interesting and impressive aspects of Valentino Rossi: The Game are the numbers involved in the project: hundreds of official riders divided between the various classes of the present and past world championship, about fifty tracks (including variants) and fifteen different game modes, which, as already mentioned in the introduction, also flow into the world of motoring with rally and drift tests, without forgetting the discipline of Flat Track riding dirt bikes, much loved by Valentino Rossi. Before analyzing the heart of the game, however, it is necessary to spend a few words on Milestone's commitment to (finally) renewing the various menus, much more usable and pleasant than in the past thanks to a more modern and captivating arrangement of the various items, with a interface dominated by yellow tones - the Doctor's favorite color - and elegant contrasts between gray and black.

The soul of Valentino Rossi: The Game is naturally represented by the new career mode, which differs from past ones for the introduction of new disciplines within the calendar with the express purpose of improving driving skills.

Each discipline, in fact, promotes specific skills of the driver, whose growth recalls those of role-playing productions: at the end of each race attributes such as braking, physical condition, agility or ability in the wet are improved, which make control easier and more natural. of the means as the seasons pass. The main purpose is always to go up the "food chain" starting from the Moto3 championship until you reach victory in the MotoGP premier class, a path in which you are accompanied by the nice personal assistant Sara and a chat that mimics WhatsApp, where the Valentino Rossi himself with audio and text messages. The special events, accessible individually in the VR46 World item of the main menu, are divided into the aforementioned Flat Track, also present in the "Americana" variants with elimination rounds and "Endurach" for teams; in the Special Stage rally races, Monza Rally Show and Monza Masters' Show aboard the Ford Fiesta Rally; in Drift races with a powerful Ford Mustang and in tests with the very fast Yamaha R1M on the Misano circuit. Of this track, in addition to the classic GP version, there are several variants designed for the Drift and Flat Track disciplines, the latter also practicable in the Tavullia ranch (faithfully reproduced in the game) where Valentino Rossi trains with the guys of the VR46 Riders Academy and with some historical friends. In addition to the career mode and the VR46 World, the MotoGP World item is also included in the Race label of the main menu, in which it is possible to organize entire championships or individual Grand Prix of different categories, ranging from the 2016 and 2015 MotoGP classes to the old ones. 125cc and 250cc two-stroke, passing through the 500cc 2 and 4-stroke and of course the Moto2 and Moto3 categories of the current championship. A real plethora of vehicles, sponsors, teams and licensed riders that will delight any motorcycling enthusiast. For the individual Grand Prix various options can be determined such as the number of laps, the type of session (dry race or with free practice and qualifying), the weather (clear, cloudy, rain), damage, disciplinary flags, consumption. tires and so on, to the full advantage of the personalization of the experience. The second label of the main menu, called Rossi Experience, contains a selection of very interesting secondary modes built around the legendary career of the pilot from Tavullia.

In "VR46 Historical Events" you can retrace the sporting history of Valentino Rossi in twenty different events, starting from that famous 18 August 1996 when the Doctor, at the time seventeen, obtained his first victory in the 125cc, after an exciting duel with the expert Martinez. Each event, similarly to what happens on Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo, is accompanied by short films in which the good Valentino passionately recounts his memories and emotions experienced. The presence of historical events is also reflected in the number of circuits available in the game, given that in addition to being all the official ones of the current championship there are some old glories, such as the South African Phakisa and Assen of 2002. The "The Doctor" Challenge offers twenty-three events in which the player, aboard the bikes driven by Rossi, must be able to beat the best times obtained in the champion's career, while in Challenges, currently not accessible, specific races will be proposed for a limited period of time with bikes and circuits selected by VR46 himself. Finally, Rossipedia, as the name suggests, is a real mini encyclopedia: in this mode you can discover anecdotes and curiosities about the rider's history, as well as view the original motorcycles, liveries and helmets in detail in a special showroom to be enriched by spending VR. Points, credits that are earned at the end of each race also useful for unlocking the numerous accessories to customize the driver. Among the other modes present there are timed trials, also available for Flat Track and Yamaha R1M, the split-screen multiplayer and of course online, which at the moment we have not been able to test due to the completely deserted servers, since the game will be launched. next June 16th.

Between asphalt and dirt road

A lot of variety, of course, is also reflected in the layered gameplay, and although some disciplines are more simplified than others we can say that Milestone has done a good job overall, made possible also thanks to the experience gained with MXGP and Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo. It is usual to shape the driving experience by modifying the physics according to the Standard, Semi-Pro and Pro parameters, with a progressive difficulty in controlling the vehicle.

For cars there are not the same options, but it is possible to adjust the automatic brake, the braking aid, the stability aid and the inevitable ideal trajectory, especially useful in rallies (similar to Dirt's Gymkhana mode) where it is necessary to pass through very tight chicanes and hairpin bends on the Monza track, reworked for the occasion.

As for the motorbikes, the advice of Rossi and his Academy collaborators have certainly paid off: the boys, in fact, have been in close contact with the developers constantly testing the new builds at the Tavullia ranch, suggesting the changes to be made. make to the behavior of the means. The Pro physics is consequently even more in-depth than in the past, almost making one feel the need for some ad hoc peripheral to better tame the bike, although the DualShock 4 behaves very well. This is especially true with the powerful MotoGP bikes or with the old 500s, which rattle violently, wheelie and go wild if the accelerator and brakes are not shrewdly. The behavior of dirt bikes in Flat Track mode is also satisfying, where the approach to driving, made up of "early" drifting, is radically opposite to the precision required on the track. The Drift mode on board the Ford Mustang is certainly the most simplified of the lot, since drifting successfully is all too simple and the penalties are too lax when compared with those of similar products. More interesting is the control of the Ford Fiesta in rally mode, where the influence of the good Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo is evident, although the approach is certainly more arcade. The car sometimes seems a little too light and the bumps are not always convincing, but overall in this case too it is an interesting discipline to break the rhythm of racing on two wheels. The tests with the Yamaha R1M, used by Valentino in training as the tests with the MotoGP bikes are not free, without particular charm or bite. Also in this case there is the influence of the work done by Milestone with RIDE.

Time to change

Despite greater attention paid to the elements on the track, the cleanliness of the shaders and the fidelity of the tracks, as well as the usual refinement in the models of the motorcycles and riders, there is no doubt that the engine owner of Milestone has had its day, finding itself short of breath when compared with the quality offered by the latest graphics engines.

Dated effects such as rain, inaccurate textures, motorbikes that sometimes seem to levitate, aliasing and not very incisive particles when they should make a difference, as in Flat Track races, trace a profile that, unfortunately, in 2016 certainly cannot be considered. avant-garde, while performing its task with dignity and better than in the past. Compared to the previous iteration and to RIDE, there is certainly an improvement in the animations of the riders, especially during accidents, with more realistic falls where the weight of the unfortunates involved is felt more effectively, although there is still no lack of interpenetrations and slightly grotesque situations. A speech similar to that for graphics, at 1080p and 30 frames per second on PlayStation 4, can be made for sound, although in this case the gap between highs and lows is even more evident, especially as regards the roar of the engines, which range from punchy and realistic thanks to excellent sampling to others that vaguely resemble an annoying hum. Even the soundtrack does not hit the mark, while Guido Meda always carries out his task with enthusiasm in the pre-race. On the solidity of the netcode, at the time of writing, we cannot unbalance ourselves due to the impossibility of performing tests against other players.

Comment

Tested version PlayStation 4 Digital Delivery PlayStation Store Price 69,99 € Resources4Gaming.com

8.0

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7.0

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Milestone's considerable productive efforts to create Valentino Rossi: The Game represent a direct continuation of the good work already done with Sebastien Loeb Rally Evo and RIDE, titles that were not perfect but which certainly represented a concrete step forward for the Milanese software house. Rich in content, vast and characterized by an enjoyable and layered gameplay, albeit with some simplifications in certain disciplines, the new chapter of the MotoGP series is tainted only by a dated and not very incisive technical behavior, although there is a greater general refinement than in the past. . If you love motorcycling you can certainly give it a chance, even more so if you cheer for the Doctor, whose charismatic presence will accompany you throughout your career and in the different, interesting dedicated modes.