Valentino Rossi review: The Game

Make way for the Doctor!

Version tested: PC, PlayStation 4.

I feel compelled to say it: this year Milestone is really working hard in the development of motorcycle-themed video games, and without neglecting quality. First she took care of the new MXGP 2 (HERE our review) thus dedicating himself to motocross, after which he realized Ducati - 90th Anniversary to celebrate 90 years of the Italian myth and recently announced the development of Ride 2, scheduled for Autumn 2016. But we are here to discuss another title, namely the annual appointment with the MotoGP, but this time Milestone has decided to aim even higher and give the definitive experience to all fans of the Doctor by realizing the highly anticipated Valentino Rossi: The Game.

The game focuses totally on the figure of the Italian champion allowing us not only to run there 2016 MotoGP season, but also to dabble in other Valentino activities, including flat track racing and rallies. “MotoGP 16”, therefore, this year changes its name and offers an even wider gaming experience that all lovers of two wheels will love.

Old chicken makes good soup

As already mentioned, in Valentino Rossi: The Game the MotoGP will not be the only protagonist of the production as happened until last year, even if it is still the main mode as well as the most developed; but let's go in order. First of all, starting the game we will be immediately welcomed in the office of the VR46 Riders Academy, where we will be given a brief introduction to the Career mode, and then proceed to the traditional creation of our alter ego with name, age, driving style and other options. After that we can customize suits and accessories variable that we will wear during the races: in addition to the MotoGP suit, in fact, we will also have to choose gloves, boots, helmets and any visors to be used in the flat track and during tests on the Yamaha R1M. 

Regarding the aspect of customization specifically, Milestone has undoubtedly done a great job, since this time not only offers several new accessories from famous brands in the motorcycle sector, but also all the official helmets of Valentino Rossi's long career in addition to the original one of Marco Simoncelli to commemorate his passing. And what struck us most was the utmost care taken in their realization, giving reproductions that are very faithful to reality. Unlike what happened in previous chapters, now most of the accessories will no longer be unlockable by simply leveling up, but we will have to buy them by spending the VR Points (the game currency) earned based on our performance on the track.

Furthermore, at the end of each race our driver will earn experience points that will improve various essential parameters on the track, such as braking and cornering skills, which over time will translate into increasingly precise and efficient driving. Gods will also be present bonus can be activated by completing certain challenges that will allow you to increase the statistics in question faster.

The Career mode of the title has several innovations in store thanks to the new types of races that we will have to face. As always, our main goal will be to win the championships in Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP, but the path will be much more varied than in the past. As a member of the VR46 Riders Academy, during the season the Doctor will offer us various events in the four alternative disciplines which, inevitably, will make the gaming experience even more complete and immersive: flat track, rally, drift e training on the Yamaha R1M.

The flat track will allow us to race together with the Academy boys on a supermoto and on really existing circuits specially created for this kind of discipline, first of all the Valentino ranch in Tavullia. We will have available only 4 motorcycle models different, but we cannot complain about: Honda CRF350R 16YM, Yamaha YZF450F, KTM 450 SX-F and TM 450 FI. The supermoto driving model is definitely satisfying, a sign that Milestone's collaboration with Valentino and other riders to create a feeling as realistic as possible has paid off. If you then increase the physics of the game, perhaps setting it to Pro, the experience will become really challenging and maximum dexterity will be required to tame the bikes. In any case, the drifting and overtaking on the flat track circuits are priceless, especially for the natural movements that characterized the various pilots. The events in which we will be at the helm of the R1M, on the other hand, will always act as "training" with the Academy team and will allow us to obtain extra experience points useful for increasing our statistics.

Regarding automotive disciplines, we must first say that they have been developed discreetly and are quite basic in every respect, although they are appreciable. In the rally we will find ourselves behind the wheel of the Official Ford Fiesta WRC of Valentino and we will have to beat certain times on the Monza track (complete with “obstacles” on the track) and then directly challenge one of the team members. Finally, in drift we will be the pilots of one Ford Mustang and our goal, as can be deduced, will be to beat the predetermined scores by drifting as much as possible within the time available; in case of errors, however, we will be able to rely on rewinds, as long as we have not voluntarily deactivated them from the pre-race menu. The driving style on both vehicles turns out to be arcade-like, so the weight of the cars will not particularly affect our experience.

Spending a few words onAI of the other pilots, already in MotoGP 15 I had noticed an increase in difficulty by setting it to Medium, so forget about giving tens of seconds to your opponents unless, of course, you are an expert in the genre; in that case, however, you just need to raise the bar by selecting one of the two highest degrees of difficulty and you will surely have a hard time.

All Rossi

Even if the Career remains the fulcrum of the entire title, the other typical modes of the series cannot be missing to surround it, among which several interesting new features also debut. The game menus, first of all, have been revised and created specifically to pay homage to Valentino, with the dominant presence of “yellow VR46” as a color. The various modes available, then, have been rightly divided into specific sections, making navigation more comfortable and orderly. Under the category MotoGP World the traditional Grand Prix and Championship are brought together, in which we can decide respectively to run a simple race or play a complete season as any official driver of the three classes. There will obviously be timed tests, now also driving a supermoto.

The news comes first in the section VR | 46 World, where we will be able to delight in challenges that see the new game modes as protagonists: we will pass from the “American” flat track to the Enduranch flat track, up to the Monza Masters' Show. And then there is the section that will make all the fans of the 9-time world champion from the Marche immensely happy, the Rossi Experience: here is collected everything that has to do with the Doctor, from the historical events of his career (including the famous overtaking on Lorenzo in Catalunya in 2009) up to the Rossipedia, thanks to which you can discover the anecdotes behind the liveries of Valentino's motorcycles and helmets and buy exclusive ones. Finally, we find the multiplayer mode, both online and in split screen, which will ensure additional hours and hours of fun and will allow us to compare ourselves with other players.

There are no real events of other riders as in previous MotoGP chapters, but will be made available through paid DLC for all those who want to further expand the gaming experience.

Unfortunately, Milestone has not yet satisfied our greatest desire, that is to insert a commentary worthy of the MotoGP and an award ceremony on the podium at the end of each race; with the addition of these two elements, the series would become practically perfect. The commentary displaying the replay of a race would be the top (and would give a more than valid reason to review a race!). For now, however, we are satisfied with Guido Meda's pre-race commentary, hoping that Milestone will surprise us next year.

The hen, sooner or later, must be replaced

Referring again to the famous quote about the hen, I think there is no better phrase to introduce the technical sector of Valentino Rossi: The Game. Don't worry, it doesn't mean that the game has huge gaps in this respect, but if the gameplay turns out to be more varied and, in some ways, revolutionized, the same cannot be said about graphics and sound. It is definitely time to think about a technical evolution in general if you want to keep up with the times, here it is. The graphic engine is still able to give a very good level of detail, both in the textures of the motorcycles, cars and riders and in the reproduction of the circuits, all undoubtedly faithful to reality. But the “old age” of the engine can be seen enough now, above all because it is still the same one used to run the old gen versions of the previous MotoGP bikes; starting with Valentino Rossi: The Game, however, it seems that we will no longer see a chapter of the series on PS3 and XBOX 360, so I expect big changes for next year.

Despite this, however, it is fair to admit that the graphics engine still manages very well the gameplay phases, with a frame rate locked at 30fps very stable on PS4, while on PC, of ​​course, 60 fps are guaranteed and a particularly powerful configuration is not required to reach and maintain them. In terms of visual impact, there are no abysmal graphic differences between the console version and the PC version, although the latter inevitably boasts better textures as well as a greater draw distance, more detailed paths and, in general, a cleaner view. . Note of merit for the work done on the physics of falls, which still show some polygonal interpenetrations but have definitely improved compared to the past.

As regards the audio compartment, I particularly appreciated the excellent sound of the 4-stroke supermoto drivable in flat track mode and the Fiesta WRC of the rally, while the "rumble" of the Mustang seemed a bit subdued, but nothing that spoils the overall experience.