NOTE: This interview was conducted prior to the game’s launch.

"Our fans are addicted to simulation, and every year they ask us to expand the game making it more realistic. This time we worked on the bike retrieval mechanic because we wanted to add realism creating active gameplay in a phase of the game that’s usually not so interesting for the player."

What was behind the decision to add the bike retrieval mechanic to the game?

Our fans are addicted to simulation, and every year they ask us to expand the game making it more realistic. This time we worked on the bike retrieval mechanic because we wanted to add realism creating active gameplay in a phase of the game that’s usually not so interesting for the player.

The Managerial Career mode is an exciting step forward for the series. How much depth can players expect from its loop of hiring and managing staff in various different areas?

The biggest challenge for the players this year will be to manage their Junior Teams. They will be able to found new teams in the lower categories, hire riders & staff, manage them and lead the to the victory of the championship. We also revised the “Development Tests” to make them more realistic and functional, so there are plenty of activities to keep players engaged.

Milestone games have been making impressive use of neural AI for some time now, and MotoGP 21 is following suit. What improvements have you made in this area?

The main improvement is about pure performance. At the highest difficulty level A.N.N.A. is way faster than last year, especially in the top class.

Can you talk to us about Long Lap Penalties, and how their introduction is going to affect the general flow of races?

This is another feature we introduced to satisfy the needs of realism of our players. I think that’s very interesting also from the gameplay point of view, because getting an LLP is less frustrating than getting a simple time penalty and most important thing, it adds strategy to the race. It’s not just about serving the LLP in the fastest way, but need also to think which is the best moment of the race to serve it.

"The main improvement is about pure performance. At the highest difficulty level A.N.N.A. is way faster than last year, especially in the top class."

Brake temperature is another pretty important mechanic that MotoGP 21 is adding. How much of an impact is this going to have on the moment-to-moment play in your view?

For sure it’s something the players need to keep an eye on during the race. The most critical moments for the brakes are for sure he ones after the start, when the brakes are still cold. But the players will need also to keep in mind that riding to aggressively will overheat the brakes, making the bike lose braking power. From a certain point view, this should also help player to learn how to ride their bike better.

What sort of improvements can fans of the series expect as far as customization options are concerned?

This year we focused a lot on the customization inside the Managerial Career. We expanded the number of available liveries for the custom teams, and we also increased the number of available sponsors, to give a more attractive look to the custom bikes and suits. We also updated the list of available helmets, boots and gloves: every year we cooperate with the most famous brands to give to the player all the brand new accessories on the market.

MotoGP 21 is the first game in the series to be receiving a native launch on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. How does the game leverage their more powerful hardware, especially given the fact that it’s a cross-gen title?

The most important thing is that we are able to offer a stable 60 FPS experience on each of these consoles: for a simulative racing game this is very important. We also had the chance to experiment new features for the game, and enrich the circuits environment with animated vehicles and characters, that are not present in the old gen consoles. I’m sure that this it’s only the beginning and that we will able to reach even higher quality standards for the next projects.

The Xbox Series S features lesser hardware compared to Xbox Series X and Microsoft is pushing it as a 1440p/60fps console. Do you think it will be able to hold up for the graphically intensive next-gen games?

To be honest we were all surprised by the smoothness in the development on Xbox Series S. The console is indeed less powerful, but is was easy to manage through the downscale of the resolution. For sure this is something that we will evaluate again in the next projects, when will gradually take new advantages from all the power of these new consoles.

"To be honest we were all surprised by the smoothness in the development on Xbox Series S. The console is indeed less powerful, but is was easy to manage through the downscale of the resolution. For sure this is something that we will evaluate again in the next projects, when will gradually take new advantages from all the power of these new consoles."

What resolution and frame rate does the game target on PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S? Furthermore, will the game have multiple graphical modes?

The game targets 60 FPS on each of these consoles. On all these platforms the game targets 60 FPS, but while the first two versions support a dynamic 4K resolution, Xbox Series S is set on a 1440p dynamic resolution.

We recently got the chance to speak with Milestone’s Matteo Pezzotti, producer on the recently released bike racing sim MotoGP 21. When asked about the experience of developing for the Xbox Series S and how he feels the console will hold up for the more graphically intense games going forward, Pezzotti said that Milestone has been “surprised by the smoothness” of the experience.

“To be honest we were all surprised by the smoothness in the development on Xbox Series S,” he said. “The console is indeed less powerful, but is was easy to manage through the downscale of the resolution. For sure this is something that we will evaluate again in the next projects, when will gradually take new advantages from all the power of these new consoles.”

Of course, there is the question of exactly how the console’s hardware will fare as the generation progresses – it’s still early days right now – but architecture that allows easy scaling for developers is surely going to help with that.

MotoGP 21 is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Our full interview with Pezzotti will be going live soon, so stay tuned for that.

The Xbox Series S and its lower spec hardware has divided opinion, not just in fans and players, but also in those in the industry. Some developers have suggested that its lower specs are going to complicate matters and present challenges in the future, some have suggested that they won’t present any major issues for a while, while others still have suggested that right now, it’s too early to say either way.

While the full scope of the situation will only become clear a couple of years from now, once we’ve fully moved into exclusive next-gen development, even development of cross-gen games right now is giving developers at least some idea of what to expect. Italian developer Milestone, for one, has faced little to no challenges in the development of the upcoming MotoGP 21.

Speaking in an interview with Wccftech, the game’s producer Matteo Pezzotti said when asked about how development for the Xbox Series S has been, “No troubles at all, we were all surprised by the smoothness in the development of both Series X and Series S. The latter console targets a frame rate of 60 FPS and a resolution of 1440p (dynamic).”

Again, MotoGP 21 is a cross-gen title, so given the fact that the lowest specs its targeting optimization for are those of the Xbox One S, it’s not surprising that development on the Series S hasn’t presented any challenges. Still, it is encouraging to hear that the hardware itself is easy to develop for, despite its lower specs.

MotoGP 21 will launch on April 22 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Outriders

People Can Fly’s looter shooter has seen its share of delays but it’s finally, finally gearing up for release. Outriders takes place in the future where humanity travels to Enoch for colonization. While investigating a mysterious signal, it’s hit by a powerful storm. Many die but others, including the player character, gain powerful new abilities. With the signal manifesting once more, the player sets out from the First City to discover the truth and hopefully ensure humanity’s long-term survival.

Though Outriders is a third person shooter with cover mechanics, it encourages players to enter the fray and slay foes, providing health on kills. There are four classes – Pyromancer, Devastator, Trickster and and Technomancer – with different skill trees that can fit varying play-styles, from tanking to support.  With a fairly large campaign, end-game Expeditions and support for three player co-op, that too without no microtransactions or live-service elements, there’s plenty to look forward to. Outriders is out on April 1^st for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, PC and Google Stadia. It will also launch day one on Xbox Game Pass for console.

Oddworld: Soulstorm

A re-imagining of Abe’s Exoddus, Oddworld: Soulstorm has also been a long-time coming. After Abe freed the Mudokons from slavery, he must now lead them while fending off the Magog Cartel. Whether Abe can find his voice and lead the revolution or the Mudokons fall depends purely on the player. Oddworld: Soulstorm throws in the same sneaking, puzzle solving and platforming that defined its predecessor but on a larger scale and a 2.9D perspective.

You also have the opportunity to command your Mudokon followers to help, as they can act passive or aggressive depending on the situation. Craft items, gift them to followers, amass an army and scavenge from foes in order to survive. Just make sure that none of your fellow Mudokons die in the process. Oddworld: Soulstorm is out on April 6^th for PS4, PS5 and PC with PlayStation Plus subscribers getting the PS5 version free for the month.

Borderlands 3: Director’s Cut DLC

Included with Season Pass 2, the Director’s Cut marks the final piece of DLC for Borderlands 3. Hemovorous the Invincible is the latest end-game raid boss, requiring 500 Eridium to battle and whose power scales with the player and Mayhem level. Ava also features in the new story missions which see players venturing to different planets to investigate murders tied to the supernatural. Visiting crime scenes and piecing together clues is important with the results apparently “sending ripples” throughout the base game’s story. Finally, the first of three Vault Cards arrives, bringing over 100 challenges to earn cosmetics, powerful gear that scales to your level and more. The Director’s Cut DLC is out on April 8^th for all platforms.

MLB The Show 21

As the first title in the series to release on Xbox platforms, MLB The Show 21 isn’t simply providing improved visuals. It has a Casual Mode for learning the ropes, tons of new animations for everything from bat tosses to fielding, streamlines progression for the March to October season and much more. Current-gen versions even get the new Stadium Creator which allows for designing your own ballpark from the ground up with more than 1000 pieces. Of course, you can also share your stadiums and play those created by other users. If that weren’t enough, MLB The Show 21 will even have cross-play and cross-progression. It’s slated to release on April 20^th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4 and PS5.

Century: Age of Ashes

Playwing LTD’s Century: Age of Ashes is a free to play multiplayer title that enters early access in April. What sets it apart from the competition are the dragons. As a Dragoneer, you choose a class and dragon and incinerate, maul and/or decimate your foes. Three modes are available from the outset – Carnage, a 6v6 team deathmatch mode; Survival, which sees three 6-player teams battling to be the last team standing; and Gates of Fire where one team must deliver a flag, passing through gates and earning points while doing so. Leveling up unlocks cosmetics for your character and dragon while additional classes will be coming in the future.

MotoGP 21

The MotoGP series returns with its yearly iteration, offering over 120 riders and 20 tracks from the 2021 season. And while it may be more of the same, MotoGP 21 lets you customize pretty much everything, from racing conditions to various parts and accessibility. Some of the more interesting additions include bike retrieval – falling off your bike now has you picking it up and manually getting back into the race – and the long lap penalty, providing more nuance to races. Extensive customization for one’s rider, the event creator and so on are also here with more features. MotoGP 21 is out on April 22^nd for Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.

NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…

Following the incredible success of NieR: Automata, it seemed only a matter of time before its predecessor was remastered. Based on the PS3 version released in Japan, NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is more than just a remaster – it heavily revamps the visuals, from character models to environments, while improving the combat. Fully voiced characters, rearranged music and new tracks also round out the excellent presentation as players venture the world to discover a cure of the Black Scrawl. Along the way, they’ll discover the meaning of existence, and what it truly means to be alive. Releasing on April 23^rd, Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139… will be available for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Returnal

Housemarque’s high-octane arcade shooter action marches to a stronger narrative beat in Returnal. Deep space ASTRA scout Selene crash lands on a strange planet called Atropos, only to discover constant hostility, shifting environments and a Groundhog Day-like cycle of death. Utilizing 10 different weapons with over 90 mods to customize them with, Selene must learn the secrets of Atropos and try to escape. Interspersed in each run are unique narrative events that provide more background into her past while audio logs detail the more terrifying occurrences on the planet – like Selene encountering and killing another version of herself. Returnal is out on April 30^th for PS5.

New Pokémon Snap

It’s been roughly 12 years since Pokemon Snap launched on the Nintendo 64, providing a unique spin on “catching them all” by focusing on Pokemon photography. New Pokemon Snap follows the same principles with improved visuals and more than 200 Pokemon to photograph. Venturing to the Lental region, the player assists Professor Mirror in investigating the Illumina phenomenon. Using the NEO-ONE, they’ll journey through various environments like deserts and beaches, with Pokemon exhibiting different behaviors at different times of day. Use Illumina orbs to make them glow or Fluffruit to lure them out and take pictures, with higher rated shots improving Research Levels and unlocking new areas. Along with photo-editing, players can share their snaps online – amass enough likes and your work could be featured in-game. New Pokemon Snap is set to release on April 30^th for the Switch.

Terminator: Resistance Enhanced

Of the many games one expected to garner a positive following after mixed critical reviews, Terminator: Resistance was probably low on the list. Nevertheless, the first person shooter, which takes place in the franchise’s Future War scenario, offered up some fun combat and interesting mechanics like changing the fates of different characters. A new mode, Infiltrator, was also added as players control a T-800 and taking out resistance members. The Enhanced version promises loads of improvements, from lighting and shadow improvements to 4K/60 FPS gameplay and faster loading times. It’s exclusive to PS5 and launches on April 30th.

Milestone recently unveiled MotoGP 21, the next instalment in one of several motorcycle racing sim franchises developed by the Italian studio. MotoGP 21 is promising several major improvements and upgrades, and while there are some high-level ones to look forward to, like a revamped career mode and improvements to the AI, some other, relatively more granular changes are also being introduced, like Long Lap Penalties.

Long lap penalties were, of course, introduced in the actual sport a couple of years ago, in which riders handed the penalties have to drive through a designated area of the track within three laps, to ensure more consistent time penalties. Milestone has now released a first gameplay look at MotoGP 21 which shows the racer in action, and also shows how long lap penalties are going to function in the game and what they will look like. Take a look below.

MotoGP 21 due out on April 22 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Stay tuned to GamingBolt, and we’ll keep you updated on any new info that comes our way.

Milestone have announced MotoGP 21, the next instalment in their yearly bike racing sim franchise, and it seems this year’s game is going to come with plenty of major improvements. The first and biggest of these looks to be the new Managerial Career mode, which will task players with building and managing their own teams whilst customizing their bikes.

The experience boasts several elements that promise to provide an engaging managing experience, including the Personal Manager, who will lead the staff and help riders look for new contracts; the Data Analyst, who will be crucial in identifying the key areas for further research and development; and the Chief Engineer, who will help earn Research Points either weekly or during Free Practice sessions. Players will be responsible for making the right recruitments on all levels, from promising young riders to a Team Manager to a Technical Director, while also engaging with establishing a Junior Team and customizing and upgrading bikes.

Several gameplay improvements have also been confirmed, including revisions made to the bike suspension system to make it more realistic, long lap penalties, keeping an eye on brake temperatures, and perhaps the most intriguing of all, a bike retrieval mechanic- which means you will now manually have to retrieve your bike every time you fall off, rather than automatically respawning on the track.

And of course, Milestone are also promising further improvements to their machine learning AI system, dubbed ANNA, which will supposedly make for “faster, smarter and more accurate opponents than ever.” Meanwhile, the developer also has plans for several post-launch updates. “MotoGP 21 will only get bigger and better over the months thanks to some new content that will be introduced through patches,” the developer writes in the announcement press release. “Day one is only the beginning of the race!”

As you’d expect, MotoGP 21 is going to be a cross-gen release, and on the newer consoles, it will sport various enhancements. On both the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the game will run at a dynamic 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, in addition to featuring faster load times and enhanced lighting. Meanwhile, on the PS5, support for the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers has also been confirmed

MotoGP 21 is out on April 22 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.