As a MotoGP and all-around motorsport enthusiast, I’ve tried my fair share of racing titles over the years. Whether it’s classic arcade experiences like MX vs. ATV and the DiRT series or more realistic sim racers likeProject Cars 2and Assetto Corsa, I’m fairly open to all-comers in the genre, but the MotoGP series is one I particularly look forward to each new installment.
With Jorge Martin taking the world championship to Aprilia and Marc Marquez starting in Ducati red for the first time, the 2025 season in particular is one that many fans have eagerly anticipated.
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Although annual sports titles can often feel repetitive, whatever genre they are,the MotoGP series is one that certainly attempts to innovate and add content that fans actually want.Unlike the Codemasters/EA F1 series, there have been some significant additions to the game each year, and Milestone’s MotoGP 25 is no exception in that regard.
So, fire up your engines and let’s go on a sighting lap of everything that MotoGP 25 has to offer.
Accessible Arcade or Serious Sim?
Most racing games either fit into one of two genres: arcade or sim. Arcade racers are typically characterized by less realistic gameplay with a focus on stunts, challenges and XP, while sim racing aims to create the most life-like experience possible for racing enthusiasts.So, where does MotoGP 25 fit into this dualism?
Actually, MotoGP gives players the best of both worlds with both arcade and sim options.The arcade setting, which will be perfect for newer players such as those coming over from the F1 games, strips away the technicalities such as setup and electronics,allowing players to focus purely on cornering and nailing their braking zones.
It’s a great addition to the series, which could sometimes present a steep learning curve for those who are used to racing on two wheels rather than four.Another great addition are the all-new Minibike training modes and Flat Track races, which offer a great alternative to the main MotoGP races and can be a refreshing change of pace.
Compared to MotoGP 24, 23 or 22, there is a noticeable amount of new content in the game, and it all serves to give players more time to race and enjoy the game - there’s no “F1 World” hub or season pass progression here, so the vast majority of the game’s focus is on-track, as it should be.
In terms of the gameplay and handling of the bikes themselves, MotoGP is definitely an improvement on recent years, with braking and cornering in particular feeling a lot more authentic.
The AI opponents have also been improved slightly compared to prior iterations, and the new adaptive difficulty setting ensures that races remain a challenge. While they can still be weak in some areas and be easy to beat, even with inferior machinery,there is a noticeable improvement in the realism and behavior of your fellow riders.
Newer players can still expect to crash on occasion, especially when going wheel-to-wheel with some of the more aggressive riders in the pack, but it certainly seems that they are less frequent than in previous games, particularly when using the Arcade setting.
Out of all the iterations in the MotoGP series over the last few years, MotoGP 25 is both the most accessible and comprehensive.
Bikes seem to grip surfaces slightly better than in previous games, which allows for greater precision and control in tight corners. One minor gripe is the lack of controller vibration, which can leave different track conditions such as wet/dry, or even curbs and dirt surfaces, all feeling quite similar.
Additionally,tire wear, tire pressure and fuel allowances are not as much of a strategic element as they ought to be, given that these factors often have a significant effect on riders' strategies and how races pan out in real life.
Although the bikes and racing action are arguably themost realistic that the series has seen so far, for those hardcore enthusiasts out there looking for absolute realism, it may still feel too easy even at the higher difficulty levels.Wet conditions also don’t feel substantially more difficult than dry, while the AI riders will struggle significantly and suffer a big reduction in pace.
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There’s certainly enough here to please everyone, and out of all the iterations in the MotoGP series over the last few years, MotoGP 25 is both the most accessible and comprehensive for both brand-new and returning players.
Tuning The Formula
In terms of the game’s presentation, it fits very well compared to the real-life broadcast with an authentic HUD and timing tower as well as a useful minimap for players getting used to the tracks.
Podium celebrations and other such animations do feel a bit recycled from previous editions, though when it comes to choosing your own personal ones for custom characters, there is a little more variety. Bike details and racers' suits and helmets are incredibly detailed, but some background NPCs or track-side details do leave a little bit to be desired.
One area which has seen a significant overhaul is the game’s audio, with engine sounds and even crowds being realistic and reactive. Personally, I found the best experience to be using headphones, which really gives a full sense of the atmosphere and raw horsepower that MotoGP is all about.
The additional game modes such as Motard and Minibikes are a fun side activity from the main races, but the circuits are very limited. Themain career modein MotoGP is where the series truly shines and gets its replayability.
MotoGP 25’s career mode is arguably one of the best in the racing genre currently.
As well as being able to play the complete MotoGP calendar,including new tracks like Balaton Park in Hungary,you can also work your way up from the Moto3 and Moto2 categories, with a fully dynamic driver market as well, should you choose to enable it. Unlike in previous years, MotoGP25 lets you play out the full season in the lower tiers, rather than just a few races.
Progressing through the tiers and improving your skills and technology as you go is easily the most satisfying part of the game, and MotoGP 25’s career mode is arguably one of thebest in the racing genrecurrently.
One new element that could use some work is the new rider relationship and the social media system. Within the career mode, riders will make comments which players can respond to in order to form rivalries and friendships on the grid, but overall it feels somewhat disconnected and doesn’t hugely influence the ways other riders will behave on-track.
In a similar manner, the debriefing after race weekends also limits the player’s input into bike improvements and upgrades. The focus is certainly on the rider here rather than the team, so anyone looking for anF1-style Create A Team mode will be disappointed.
The game is very forgiving to newcomers, but there is a risk that it can be quickly mastered, and the fun can also wear off when the initial challenge subsides. Even though I am by no means an expert MotoGP player, I found the most fun to be had by sticking the game on the strictest rule settings and cranking the AI difficulty to the maximum.
It might not be the overhaul that many long-time players of the series have been waiting for, butthe combination of new features and improvements are certainly a big step in the right direction.
Unreal Fidelity and Customization
One area in which the MotoGP series has long been head and shoulders above other racing sims is in its detailed customization. Creating a driver with a unique helmet design and race suit is an incredibly fun experience and really helps with the immersion of the career mode.
This isn’t simply selecting from a color palette - you canextensively customize logos and create different graphicsand fonts to create a truly unique and personal racer, a detail which has often been lacking in other mainline racing games.
As previously mentioned,the riders and bikes themselves are very good and well-detailed - at least when they have their helmets on. Similarly, the life-like recreations of each real-world circuit are incredibly authentic and look especially good in the rain and night lighting.
It feels especially cool seeing your own custom-made designs on show during the broadcast segments of each race weekend.
Utilizing Unreal Engine’s Nanite lighting system, the game provides realistic light physics even during changeable conditions, which really helps to accentuate the detail of the vehicle and character models.
The visual authenticity certainly helps with the immersion, and it feels especially cool seeing your own custom-made designs on show during the broadcast segments of each race weekend.
Smoke and dirt effects still leave a little to be desired, but overall the visual package is a strong one and looks markedly better than previous titles. So far, I haven’t experienced any technical difficulties, bugs or noticeable glitches while playing on PC, and that’s only with a 30-series Nvidia card.
Closing Comments
MotoGP 25 is a great entry point into the series for any new players and makes a great alternative to four-wheel racing games. Returning players who have a lot of experience in the series may find the incremental changes aren’t dramatic enough, but the arrival of additional new race types and the full junior seasons is nothing to frown at. In terms of gameplay and visuals, MotoGP 25 does pull a gap on its predecessors even if it doesn’t lap them entirely. Though it’s not without its faults, MotoGP 25 is easily the definitive motorcycle racing title out there today and brings with it the high levels of authenticity that we have come to expect from its developer.
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