MotoGP: Ultimate Racing Technology 3 [Xbox]

Based on the outstanding international motorcycle Grand Prix race series, MotoGP 3 provides a deliciously different experience to the fleet of car games already on the market. Capturing the precision and commitment of these insane riders can't be an easy task, but Climax has proved itself well up to the challenge. The question is, are you man (or woman) enough to handle it?

Chief among these delicious differences is MotoGP's dual brake control. Mirroring real motorcycle techniques, you'll need to master both the front and rear brakes for quick deceleration, bleeding off speed in a corner, or showboating rear-wheel steering techniques. The two brakes are controlled by the two triggers, so if you're not familiar with past MotoGP games, it may take some time to get used to this unusual setup.

Although more conventional controls are available, using them misses the point. If you're not going to embrace the full motorcycle experience, you should probably just go play Forza. Mastering the unfamiliar controls and handling is the real challenge of MotoGP, and you won't want to skip it.

Thankfully, this handling model is extremely convincing. Abuse the throttle or the brake mid-corner and you'll have the bike on its side, or flipping end-to-end, before you know it. Just like the real thing, smoothness is the key, and it takes some learning. Even in the dry it can be tough to stay upright, and MotoGP features varying track surfaces or rain to complicate matters. Riding a race in the wet will give you a whole new perspective into the skill of even the lowliest racer.

MotoGP all but requires you to spend significant time doing laps just to learn the track layout. Riding on instinct alone is likely to leave you more familiar with the layout of the gravel traps than the circuit, and while there are some basic aids for new players the game makes little compromise to the pick-up-and-play crowd.

With all that practice to get through, you might get a little sick of the standard racetrack surroundings. When you've seen one grandstand, you've pretty much seen them all. Thankfully, Climax didn't limit themselves to the standard 16 GP tracks. When you're tired of the large runoff areas, gravel traps, and spectator-filled grandstands, you can head for the extreme mode, which adds another 16 fantasy courses based all around the world.

Extreme mode also includes a number of new bikes, split into 600, 1000 and 1200cc classes. They're all fictional, and somewhat implausible-looking, but you can spend the cash you win from racing on improving them, adding handling, horsepower, or braking improvements. While most of the circuits lack the intricate, technical corners of the GP circuit, with their varied urban and pastoral settings they're certainly a great deal prettier.

And pretty is definitely the word. MotoGP is still fantastically well presented. Circuits, bikes, and riders are all brought alive convincingly and with great attention to detail. Each GP track has a slick video introduction, showing highlights of past races and scenes from the host country. Once you're in the race, the models and animation are both excellent. Crash sequences are particularly teeth-gritting; you'll really feel for your hapless alter ego as he bounces down the track time and time again.

Like the Burnout games, MotoGP employs some clever tricks to help make speeds in excess of 200mph feel as fast as they ought. Other riders and track objects blur as you approach them, underlining the insane velocities involved. It's perhaps a little overdone, but it does the job. Meanwhile, the engine sounds hit the spot, and although the music is a touch on the anonymous side most players will already have their custom soundtracks loaded and ready.

Although it's broadly strong, MotoGP's AI's key weakness (and it's a significant one) is that they just don't seem to be aware of the player. If you take an unfamiliar line, they're liable to just slam into the side of your bike, slavishly sticking to their path without taking the player's moves into account. They provide stiff opposition, but not always in a totally convincing way.

But then, if convincing opponents are what you're after, Xbox Live is the place for you. MotoGP's online options owe more than a little to Forza, and that's by no means a bad thing. Races in the career mode can be played against online opponents, and a seeding system helps match players against similarly skilled opposition. The tougher learning curve of MotoGP also helps shield players against some of the usual silliness to be found on Microsoft's online service -- antisocial players looking to spoil everyone else's fun will choose an easier game to learn.

All told, there's little to dislike about MotoGP 3 -- it's a fine addition to an already strong series. It's no arcade racer, but if you're looking for that sort of thing there's thousands of them on the market already. Extreme mode might be horribly named, but it's a great addition. Online, it's excellent, and the only things that move faster than MotoGP's visuals are the real bikes themselves. MotoGP 3 is another win for Climax.