• Moto GP 24: New or Old Fans?
• Moto GP 24: Realistic Handling & Aids
• Moto GP handling and PS5 DualSense features
• Moto GP 24’s AI and adaptive difficulty
• Limitations of the adaptive AI in Moto GP 24
• Moto GP 24’s career mode and new features
• New rider market in Moto GP 24’s career mode
• Stewarding decisions in Moto GP 24
• Overall impression of Moto GP 24

Moto GP 24: New or Old Fans?

Motorcycle racing fans are in for a treat this May! Indy 500 joins iRacing for officially sanctioned races, and F1 2024 is coming from Codemasters. Moto GP already has its 2024 edition out, matching the real championship’s progress.

Despite being made by a small Italian team, Milestone’s Moto GP series is well-regarded. But is this new version good for beginners or those new to motorcycle games? Will it also keep Moto GP veterans engaged?

Moto GP 24: Realistic Handling & Aids

A few days into playing Moto GP 24, it’s clear it delivers what you’d expect from an official motorcycle racing game. It has all the 2024 Moto GP, Moto 2, and Moto 3 teams and riders, along with all the planned 2024 circuits, including the new Sokol circuit in Kazakhstan.

Just like the F1 game, Moto GP 24 finds a middle ground between easy controls and feeling real. You get a sense of riding these powerful bikes, though some real riders might disagree on how realistic it truly is. Still, the series has always struck this balance well.

Just like past Moto GP games, Moto GP 24 includes special features to help beginners learn the ropes, on top of the automatic aids already built into the bikes. These are great for new players, but experienced gamers might choose to turn them off to get the full challenge and test their abilities.

Moto GP handling and PS5 DualSense features

Unlike Moto 2 and 3 bikes, Moto GP machines require sharp and smooth control. The PS5 version of Moto GP 24 takes advantage of the DualSense controller’s special features to give you subtle feedback. This helps you sense when you’re pushing your bike to the edge. Crashes are inevitable, just like with real riders, but mastering these bikes makes every mistake feel like your own fault.

Moto GP 24’s AI and adaptive difficulty

The fun of playing Moto GP 24 solo depends a lot on how well the AI performs. To help you find the perfect difficulty level, the game uses a new “adaptive AI” system. This system watches how you do against the AI riders throughout your play sessions and adjusts their difficulty to keep the races close.

While the adaptive AI works well after practice and qualifying in career mode, it can get tricky when you switch between modes. For instance, if you play Moto 3 in career mode, then struggle in a single grand prix, the AI difficulty might become messed up when you go back to career mode.

Limitations of the adaptive AI in Moto GP 24

The “adaptive AI” in Moto GP 24, designed to adjust difficulty based on your performance, has a weak spot. It doesn’t account for the type of tires you use. This means the AI might struggle to keep up if you use faster soft tires in qualifying, making it too easy to grab pole position. This shows the system works best for players who stick to career mode and gradually improve over many sessions. It’s less ideal for those who like to jump between races and modes, which is a shame because those players could benefit from the adaptive difficulty the most.

Moto GP 24’s career mode and new features

Moto GP’s career mode has always been a leader among racing games, and the 2024 edition keeps the tradition alive. After a taste of Moto 3, you can choose to replay the full season, climb to Moto 2, or jump straight into the top-tier Moto GP class.

One advantage Moto GP has over F1 games is pre-season testing. This lets you get comfortable with your bike and try out different setups, each with its own pros and cons. This year, there’s a brand new telemetry system that lets you directly compare lap data, helping you analyze your performance and pick the perfect bike setup for the upcoming season.

New rider market in Moto GP 24’s career mode

Moto GP 24’s career mode gets a big upgrade with the rider market. Now, AI riders can change teams or even classes on their own, just like real-life riders do (think Marc Marquez going to Ducati this year!). This makes each season feel fresh and unpredictable, mirroring the real world of motorcycle racing.

This is especially exciting for players who like to play career mode for a long time. Every season brings new faces on the grid and familiar riders in new teams. You can even choose how you want this to work: see changes right away, wait until after your first season, or keep the 2024 roster the whole time. There’s an option for everyone!

 Stewarding decisions in Moto GP 24

Just like Formula 1, penalties are a big deal in Moto GP, and Moto GP 24 tries to capture that. Along with existing penalties for things like jumping the start, there’s now a new system where virtual stewards review crashes and other incidents between bikes, just like in real races. You might get a notification with fancy TV-style graphics showing an AI rider getting a penalty, or you might be the one getting docked for a reckless move.

This can be cool and make races feel more real, but it can also be annoying and distracting sometimes. The system isn’t perfect either, and might penalize you for stuff that seems okay. Still, it adds to the feeling of being in a real Moto GP race, even with its flaws.

I added “docked” for a more natural way to say “receiving a penalty” and clarified “annoying and distracting” to better reflect the potential downsides.

Overall impression of Moto GP 24

Moto GP 24 brings a lot to the table with three racing classes and both classic and modern tracks. However, some long-time fans might be bummed. The game ditches historic bikes and riders, creating your own team, and even grabbing cool stuff from past Moto GP games.

There are other things that sting, like the AI being slow on straights and no pre-race lap to get pumped. You can still customize your rider’s look, but it’s not quite the same as riding a legend’s bike or feeling the rush before the start.

Overall, Moto GP 24 is a good racing game with tough competition and beautiful graphics. New players will have a blast, but veterans might feel like they’ve gotten better value out of past titles, especially if they’re not that into the current season or career mode.