"We added some things that were missing: fuel consumption and power mapping, so you can decide how much fuel take in the tank, and how to use it during the race. It’s a very strategical approach to the grand prix."

MotoGP 20 promises improvements made to damage on bikes- is that more of a visual thing, or does it have an effect in terms of driving the bikes as well?

Yes, the MotoGP bikes can break their winglets affecting the performance, but also other bikes get some physical damage (if turned on in the options): it’s a much-requested step.

MotoGP 19’s neural AI was a pretty big advancement that many fans and players took notice of- does MotoGP 20 take that a step further?

We refined and detailed the physics with some new aspects like 3-sections tires and fuel consumption, so they need to know how to avoid running out of fuel or rubber. And this is only the beginning because they had to manage the much more challenging brakes, and all the rest, improving their lap speed significantly.

What should fans expect from MotoGP 20 in terms of new historical content?

We added some bikes like the Cagiva C594, or the first NSR500 that Doohan led to victory in the championship, but we also refined the physics and introduced a new game mode based on randomly-generated races to make points and unlock new bikes.

Can you talk about the improved physics and the areas where they materialize the most?

We added some things that were missing: fuel consumption and power mapping, so you can decide how much fuel take in the tank, and how to use it during the race. It’s a very strategical approach to the grand prix. Then we improved the tire model: in ’19 it was a single entity, but now the two sides and the middle evolve differently, so track by track the tire choice and management becomes more involving and challenging, like in reality. Then we made the braking part more realistic, while in ’19 you could apply 100% brake force for much of the slowdown process, now you’re at risk of over-doing and flipping over, so at maximum realism setting it’s a very different package this year.

"We made a career mode that we define “managerial”: you can hire a personal manager to get contracts and get involved with team in negotiations, then you can get some personal engineers to acquire technical data to develop the bike."

How much of an impact does the introduction of new technical aspects for improving performances of bikes have on gameplay?

There are several levels of complexity: single lap, practicing for the race, and then the race itself that has to be managed and cannot be done 100% pushing all the time. Like real riders do, setups, rhythm, and race evolution now have to be understood properly to win.

Can you talk about the biggest improvements MotoGP 20 makes to the career mode?

We made a career mode that we define “managerial”: you can hire a personal manager to get contracts and get involved with team in negotiations, then you can get some personal engineers to acquire technical data to develop the bike. You have an R&D department that can be managed to produce new parts, so you have a lot of new tasks, even if firmly rooted into the rider’s perspective. We also added the possibility to race in real teams, but also “fictional” teams with real bikes and sponsors, but that don’t exist as a real team. Here you can have much more freedom in terms of visual customization and add a breath of fresh air to championships. All of this holds for the Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP classes, it’s a long way to the top.

Have there been any pieces of feedback for the previous games that you’ve looked at in particular for the purposes of MotoGP 20’s development?

Yes, basically all the things I’ve covered involved some degree of community feedback and request, but it was quite easy to agree- we’re as passionate as our players so we like the same things, we have the same obsessions.

Something that’s considered very important in sports games is presentation- what can we expect from MotoGP 20 in that area?

Many touches: better graphics, better visual damages, but also better rider animations, 3D scanned faces for riders, and MotoGP team managers as well. New cutscenes that introduce the team at the beginning of the season. we’ve paid attention to all of this.

"Basically all the things I’ve covered involved some degree of community feedback and request, but it was quite easy to agree- we’re as passionate as our players so we like the same things, we have the same obsessions."

Will the game will feature Xbox One X and PS4 Pro-specific enhancements? Is 4K/60 FPS on the cards?

On these consoles there’s a quality/performance setting: in “quality” you can expect increased resolution (while not native 4K) and stable 30fps, while in “performance” we have full HD and unlocked frame rate targeted to 60fps.

How is the game running on the original Xbox One and PS4, in terms of frame rate and resolution?

It’s 30fps, with dynamic resolution, most of the times stable at 1080, the game due to physics, AI and number of bikes is more CPU demanding then GPU.

What are the docked and undocked resolution and frame rate of the Switch version?

720p with dynamic resolution, again we’re much CPU bound, and we give priority to the frame rate.

To its credit, MotoGP 20 is a game with absolutely no illusions about what it is and who it is for. It is a simulation, through and through, and one with serious fans of the sport in mind. Right away, you’re given the option to create your own custom racer, using a decent enough character creator. You select your gender, choose between a few presets faces for each, and select your nationality. That’s it for the general customization, though entering the career mode allows you to further customize your colors, number, and equipment to be used for the duration.

And the game’s attention to detail in this regard is commendable; the equipment all looks excellent, from the suits and helmets worn by the participants to he bikes themselves, which are loving rendered in solid detail. It’s obvious that the people responsible for the equipment visuals took their time, and that they really cared about what they were representing. The bikes in particular look top notch. Granted, the rest of the visuals can look dated, but that’s not really the point of a game like this; the bikes are, and they look terrific.

"For those with an interest in the sport, and the complexities of this kind of racing, there’s a rewarding experience to be had. For others, they may be better served looking elsewhere for their racing game fix."

The game is divided up into a couple of different modes, with the core of the game being a career mode. Here you can choose to start in one of three divisions, determining if you start your career already in the big leagues or if you want to begin by working your way up from the very bottom. The mode allows you to determine your personal manager, each of which offers different benefits and drawbacks, and sign on to a certain team, each with their own benefits and requirements. Once signed, you have full control over your team, hiring people and allocating your funds throughout different areas of research and development, such as your electronics or your engineering. These research tracks open up various improvements and modifications that can later be applied to your bikes.

The game takes this part of the simulation quite seriously. The level at which you can manage your bikes is impressive. The game models tire wear, forcing you to replace tires, as well as taking into account weather conditions and heat, and offering different tire types to accommodate. You can make on the fly changes in the pit to things like suspension, center of gravity, etc. The game even allows you to run with high fuel or low fuel, with changes to your speed and handling as a result. All of this can be further fine-tuned through the modifications and improvements that can be earned through the different research and development tracks available.

Once you have your bike in top condition, its time to hit the asphalt and start racing. Here as well, the game takes its commitment to the simulation very seriously. The game models every aspect of the race, from the wear of your tires and the amount of fuel in your tank to the wetness and temperature of the asphalt beneath you. Turns have to be taken very carefully; too fast and you’ll overshoot, too slow and you’ll flip over. The game’s physics are modelled very realistically, and although the game does offer several assistances such as automated gear shifting and assisted physics, it remains a very realistic simulation of high-speed motorcycle racing.

"The game models every aspect of the race, from the wear of your tires and the amount of fuel in your tank to the wetness and temperature of the asphalt beneath you."

And that’s both the game’s biggest strength and most defining weakness; it is a detailed simulation through and through, for better and for worse. For those coming into the game already aware of the intricacies of the sport, that’s a great thing, as it provides a game that offers exactly what it needs to do and lives up to that simulation completely. But for those less familiar, the game feels distinctly unwelcoming. There’s no tutorial to speak of; the game never explains its own controls, let alone the intricacies and uniqueness of this particular kind of racing. The controls themselves are buried under a menu in the Options screen.

As such, if you’re a player who isn’t as familiar with the sport itself, and was maybe instead just looking for another racing game, you’ll likely find yourself quite frustrated, as few skills from other games in the genre transfer over, and the game provides no warning or explanation in that regard. Devotion to realism and simulation is not a bad thing at all. On the contrary, it’s great for a game like this. But the game makes no concessions, nor even attempts to explain itself to those less familiar with the sport it simulates. As a result, its broader appeal becomes considerably narrower, limiting those likely to really enjoy it solely to those already enthusiastic about the sport, with little chance of it winning over newcomers.

The career mode isn’t the only option available. There’s a quick race mode, with options to toggle between a single circuit race, a time trial, and a custom championship. There’s also a historic mode. This mode features three challenges of progressively increasing difficulty, that randomly cycle through daily. These challenges take players back in time, allowing them to play as famous past motorcyclists in challenges inspired by events of the past. Admittedly, it’s a cool idea, and the cyclical (pun intended) nature of the challenges adds a little extra longevity to the game. There’s also an online multiplayer mode, which offers up some decent fun, though I was a little disappointed to find there’s not split-screen option to speak of.

"The game makes no concessions, nor even attempts to explain itself to those less familiar with the sport it simulates. As a result, its broader appeal becomes considerably narrower, limiting those likely to really enjoy it solely to those already enthusiastic about the sport, with little chance of it winning over newcomers."

MotoGP 20 is, through and through, a simulation for the motorcycle racing enthusiast. It knows exactly who its target audience is, and exactly what it is trying to deliver, and provides exactly that; nothing more, and nothing less. If you’re part of that target demographic, and that kind of game is what you are searching for, then this game will likely be right up your alley. The simulation is strong, the career mode deep enough to maintain interest, and the other modes enjoyable enough to keep you playing.

But if you aren’t already a fan, even if you’re curious about getting into the sport, this likely isn’t the game for you. With no tutorial or even an introduction to the sport, the game is unashamedly for enthusiasts only, and makes little attempt to win over casual fans. While this does allow the game to focus all its efforts on providing a top quality simulation for those who want it, it also results in a game that is the embodiment of limited appeal. If you’re into this kind of racing already, pick it up. If not, you’re better served looking for a more welcoming racing experience.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.