Moto Racer 4 is a game for the quick at heart. Those players that want a “pick up and play game” kind of experience might appreciate what is on offer here. Its intuitive game modes are very simplistic and not at all for the hardcore player. You won’t find a lot of modes or the ability to customize your motorcycles to your handling preference, but you will find a ton of speed, unbalanced controls and a lackluster presentation of the overall experience.

"What’s nice about gaining stars at the end of each race is that you can earn them based on how well you think you can do. "

Moto Racer 4‘s career mode lets you choose which races you’d like to compete in first in a four versus four playstyle. By placing individual races along a ‘route’ you’ll have the option to choose which race you’d like to attempt first. Setting races up based on which routes to choose feels like a stimulating choice, but ultimately you’ll want to do as many of the races as you can to acquire as many stars as you can to open the next track.

Opening tracks requires stars (yes, similar to Super Mario 64 — it makes sense if you think about it). Stars can be collected based on how well you perform in any given race and many of the tracks have at least two options on how to play them. What’s nice about gaining stars at the end of each race is that you can earn them based on how well you think you can do. For example: if you are new to the game and don’t think you can achieve a first place rank, the game gives you an option on some tracks to pick which place you think you can achieve. First place will grant you three stars, second place two, and third place one. These stars are collected at the end of each race and can be used to unlock other tracks.

"Unfortunately, Moto Racer 4‘s graphics still don’t shine with Unreal Engine 4, but it’s far from the worst game you’ll see this year."

Stars can be earned on every track in different categories such as a single race, survival (which is about beating the clock) or Last Man Riding (which eliminates drivers throughout the race based on their current position and time). Game modes are extremely limited in that sense. Choosing which position you believe you’ll finish in will grant you at least one star pushing your career farther along each time. Each of the bigger races is locked behind a padlock which can only be opened with a certain amount of star power depending on which race it is. So if you only unlock one star per race, you may have to go back or play different races and get better placing to collect more stars.

Unfortunately, Moto Racer 4‘s graphics still don’t shine with Unreal Engine 4, but it’s far from the worst game you’ll see this year. It’s fair to say the effects of the tracks along with the several different racer models and their custom motorcycles are a tad lower than average, but decent enough to enjoy the entire experience without crying at something extremely low-quality. With that in mind, the tracks are actually pretty well laid out. From sudden turns to instant transitional paths, there’s no telling what’s around the next bend. Crashing will cause you to lose a few seconds, but if you’re an avid racer, it shouldn’t hurt to much to get back into the game shortly thereafter. AI can be really great and just pummel you the entire way through or they can be a little easier going and let you catch up.

Right from the start Moto Racer 4 tries to prove its excitement with its incredibly fast paced, breakneck speeds. You can go from zero to 200 KM/H in seconds and it feels great. The intense speed really forces you to have quick reflexes for pivots and going down straightaways one after another. The speed is exhilarating and it made me smile going so fast so quickly and the boost power makes the game more crazy. What also helped was the excellent handling of the turns while on some of the many bikes I had to choose from. There isn’t any way to adjust the bikes’ controls, but the handling for turns on most of the bikes felt good.

"Being able to play along side a friend or family member while sitting on the couch is a game mode that is getting left behind more and more this generation."

However, the controls for Moto Racer 4 are way too loose and fidgety. Barely adjusting the analog stick to control your angle and balance will cause the racer to tilt his/her body and lean very deeply in causing the bike to sway instantly and by a large margin. This can be overcome with practice and time, but as for racers, there isn’t much to do in this game causing that time needed to practice to practically not exist – no one wants to play a short-burst game practicing the controls all of the time. It should be time spent on playing and enjoying the game right from the start. Without the ability to adjust the controls for your motorcycle, this game becomes a lot harder to handle than most people will want to put time in to. There are tricks and abilities to learn throughout the experience and an easy to access menu to find them all.

With the option to split screen, Moto Racer 4 becomes instantly more attractive. Being able to play along side a friend or family member while sitting on the couch is a game mode that is getting left behind more and more this generation.

With everything about Moto Racer 4 out in the wild there really isn’t anything that sets this racer apart from a standard indie-style racer. It’s extremely limited game modes, online functionality that doesn’t have enough players to find a steady amount of races, fidgety controls and mediocre graphics, Moto Racer 4 isn’t the motorcycle game most people will be lining up at midnight to pick up at the game store, but its short-style races make it fun enough for a quick ‘pick-up-then-go’ game for someone trying to get in a race before work or school.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox One.

After the franchise took a long break, Moto Racer 4 is going to be coming to the current generation of consoles. The developer has promised the game is going to have 60fps support and no less than 15 single-player and multiplayer modes. The title is going to have some traditional modes that have popped up in previous versions of the franchise.

There are also going to be some brand new modes such as ‘Ghost Bike’, ‘Wolf Pack’ and ‘Golden Helmet’. Perhaps the thing to get most excited about is the promise of a split screen multiplayer mode. That’s a real rarity in the racing genre.

You can check out  a run down of all the features that have been promised in the new game below. The very first Moto Racer debuted on the PS1 in 1997. The final game in the series, until Moto Racer 4, Moto Racer 3 was released way back in 2001. Moto Racer 4 is due on the PS4, Xbox One and PC on October 13.

• KING OF THE HILL: Each rider starts with the same time on the clock. While time runs down for the leader, the other racers get extra turbo. The first player to get their counter down to zero wins the race.
• LAST MAN STANDING: The last player to pass each checkpoint is eliminated.
• SURVIVAL: The race starts with very little time on the clock. Players gain time by passing the checkpoints. In single-player mode, the aim is to survive for a specific length of time. In multi-player mode, the winner is the last player with time left on their clock.
• CATCH-UP: The player’s opponents begin the race with a headstart and the player must be in first place at a specific time.
• WOLF PACK: The player begins the race with a headstart and must maintain it for a certain length of time without being overtaken.
• GHOST BIKE: The player starts the race in last place and is not allowed to deviate from the road or collide with others. S/he must finish in a specified minimum place.
• GOLDEN HELMET: Competitors must earn the one golden helmet up for grabs during the race. To do this, they must be first past the initial checkpoint. If the player wearing the golden helmet is knocked by another player, s/he surrenders it to that player. If a player falls off their bike, s/he loses the helmet and it is automatically sent to the next checkpoint.