Capcom made its first debut in the motorcycling games with the PS2 version of MotoGP 07 which was different in terms of physics and handling compared to the original game published by THQ for XBOX 360 and PC. Capcom tried a much more simulated approach to the series, while THQ continued its arcadish approach in order to attract new fans. Seems that the solution was not so good, so they left the franchise to Capcom. In an official statement they said that MotoGP 08 wants to combine these two different styles and to give the player the chance to choose the desired gameplay mode. We'll see!

Moto GP 08 comes with a new content package, giving up the Xtreme class (those fictional tracks, riders, and motorcycles) to the so popular, yet never recreated in a game: the 125cc and 250cc classes. Without bringing a complex interface or any other sophisticated gameplay mode, MotoGP 08 offers a variety of classic races based on Challenges, Championships, Time Trial, Single Races, and Career modes. While the first three are extremely common only by reading their names, the Career mode is the one that gives the 'juice' of this season's game, giving the player the chance to race in all three official classes. The first season starts in the 125cc classes, with half of dozen teams at your disposal. Based on a points system, you can unlock further teams and manufacturers along with upgrade points. Obviously you are not allowed to change your team until the end of the season, but you can upgrade your bike. If you drive like a champ you can maximize your bike based on all four attributes: Max Speed, Acceleration, Braking, and Traction. Every attribute has 10 levels of improvements, every level giving a significant boost to the bike. Some of you may not like the fact that you cannot create a unique rider in a unique team, but it's only a matter of taste. I suppose that by choosing an official team makes the player to be much more focused as he can be part of his favorite team.

125cc bikes are small and easy. Sometimes a fast move from one side to the other of the rider can cause the bike lose its front end wheel which automatically results in sudden fall. But these little beasts are quite stable if you let them cross any turn with constant speed. 250cc bikes are the perfect move for anyone that wants to race in the MotoGP class. With a much powerful engine than the 125cc class, these bikes provide adrenaline but also control unlike the MotoGP class. On Simulation difficulty level, the bikes in the upper class are hard to handle, especially the Ducati's. It gives you the feeling of overpower. You have to be extremely smooth. If you use a controller with analog stick the whole thing becomes much easier, as you can be progressive in every move. But with a keyboard the difficulty is increased because of its digital implementation. You need several actions per every single maneuver in order to get the bike in the right position and angle.

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But nonetheless, the game really sucks you in. All the official tracks of the 2008 calendar are recreated here to give the shivers of the original championship. The tracks are more realistic than the predecessor version, taking in account all the bumps and slopes, featuring animated crowds, detailed surroundings (buildings, grandstands, lawns, sand traps, vibrators, etc) and the first night race on Losail circuit. Rain has not been forgotten and comes with a new graphical style, much visible than in MotoGP 07. You can now easily locate every water patch on the road, but only as a visual effect. Unlike Gotham Racing series, here water has no effect in the handling or in the physics system. This time your view will not be distorted anymore by showers of water from the riders in front of you (although it was a realistic effect in MotoGP 07), giving you a clearer view while racing in the rain.

But what sense have all these without a good A.I.. MotoGP series have never shined in this field, featuring an extremely scripted A.I. which always followed the perfect line like a train. In MotoGP 08 the A.I. becomes aggressive using different overtake maneuvers including physical contacts with other opponents or with you. You actually feel that the A.I. is fighting for its position on the grid. The A.I. difficulty is scalable in four levels: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Champion. The only difference between them is the speed of the opponents, but their behavior is the same in all the four levels. This means that for an unexperienced player even the Medium level can be too much.

Besides the Career mode, Challenges and Multiplayer mode are the ones that can increase the playability of the game. In Challenges you have to unlock exclusive photos by completing special tasks: achieve the fastest lap time with a specific bike, race against a specific rider, win the race in three laps, achieve the fast qualifying time with weak brakes, etc. Multiplayer mode goes through the Gamespy third party application, delivering the same configuration problems as always. But at least after you pass the validation (or subscribe) step, the game runs smoothly with no major delays. Like in Singleplayer, in Multiplayer you have no option to create your own custom rider. So either you choose a default one or race with the one used in your career. But the last option is available only if the server allows you this option.

MotoGP 08 brings back the veridical touch of the series based on the 125cc and 250cc and MotoGP classes and on a more realistic approach regarding physics and handling. Though I'm not sure if this game can be truly considered a simulation, although the gameplay delivers a high amount of realism.

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Gameplay: 80

A game that proves to be addictive especially for the fans of the genre. Capcom decided to bring back to its roots the franchise, and to deliver a realistic experience similar to what MotoGP delivers for the fans in reality. The balance between arcade and simulation results in a scalable physics engine that can be loved or hated by newcomers and veterans alike. A plus for the addition of the 125cc and 250cc classes.

Graphics: 82

Extremely detailed bikes and riders models, with a big emphasize on surroundings details. Dynamic lighting and water effects with shadow mapping brings high-definition graphics and the result is similar in visuals for XBOX 360, PS3 and PC.

Multiplayer: 78

Multiplayer mode comes only with the online component with custom races. Unfortunately it lacks of any championship customization. The player cannot create his own bike, but he is allowed to bring his customized bike from Career mode if the server rules allows this option.

Sound: 78

This time every class and manufacturer has his own engine sound. This is the first time when you can actually feel the difference between a Ducati engine and Yamaha one. Thank god, they decided to give up the soundtrack implementation, so typically these days with the NFS series. Only some background songs are exceptions.

Hardware: 77

The game has not high requirements. It can run even on single core processor machines. This is the result of a scalable graphical engine which can deliver almost the same graphical quality on different video settings. Sometimes the textures tend to flicker, especially on the bike's models which cause visual deformation visible at long distances. As the view point gets closer to the model, it regenerates itself to the original shape. This effect is similar to one present in FIFA 07, where the players featured a different face at far distances compared to close distances.