MotoGP '06 follows the tradition of the highly acclaimed Xbox predecessors with improved photo-realistic HD visuals and unprecedented gameplay. The officially licensed game of the MotoGP championship boasts an up to date season mode, featuring the 2005 and 2006 season data, which makes it incredibly accurate to the real sport and moves the franchise one step closer to superbike racing perfection.

MotoGP '06 features licensed riders, bikes and tracks from the 2005 and 2006 MotoGP season. There are now a total of 17 Grand Prix tracks to race on. If you’re new to the MotoGP franchise then no doubt your first few hours will be spent screeching around corners and ultimately crashing in devastating and painful looking ways. The Extreme mode is back, which is much more newbie friendly than the Grand Prix mode. The only problem is, it’s a bit backwards; you must complete the much more challenging Grand Prix season before you can crash and burn in the Extreme mode. Which is a shame, because no doubt many a new user will at times find the GP mode unforgiving; if the Extreme mode was available to speed on from the get go, then you could let off some steam and burn some rubber before jumping back into the Grand Prix season. Once you have unlocked the Extreme mode you can then have a saved season for each mode, you will probably end up spending most of your time in the Extreme season mode as I did; I find it much more inviting if you want a quick race with no stress. But nothing beats a good old competitive Grand Prix race now and again either.

Players can crash and burn on Xbox Live with a total of 16 players and a total of 34 tracks to race on (17 GP tracks and 17 Extreme tracks). Unfortunately there are quite a few bugs in the game, which can affect your game play as well. The major hindrances are the Xbox Live functionalities; after you return to the lobby from an online race a pop-up message often appears telling you that the scoreboards could not be updated - you can not get rid of this message, you have to quit out of the lobby and re-join. Another major bug is also linked to Xbox Live and that is tied in with the scoreboards as well; whenever you go to compare your best lap times with your friends the game freezes and locks up; the console must be powered down, then on boot-up it will run fine again. The main problem I found during play is the frame-rate. THQ boasted about the game’s stunning HD visuals and the game running in 60 frames per second, which the HD visuals are incredibly realistic and I'm sure the frame-rate is 60 frames per second, at least on a straight road. This fault appears primarily during corners, and appears as a faint line running down the screen and is generally distracting when your trying to concentrate. Call it what you want; bad frame-rate, tearing or v-sync problems; whatever the problem is its sad to see it in the game; though I've gotten used to it now, so it doesn't bother me as much as it used to do.

These faults were also evident in the MotoGP '06 demo which was released on the marketplace around the time of E3, some weeks ago now. So I was expecting them to be flushed out and am a little disappointed that these bugs were left in, hopefully we can get a patch to fix these errors at a later date. Personally I think the game should have been delayed to get these errors out before its release, but regardless of these errors, nothing can deny the fact - that this is the best and most realistic racer to appear on the Xbox 360 thus far.

Gameplay

The controls in MotoGP '06 are not typical of an average racing game, as I'm sure many fans of the franchise will agree on. The controls truly make you feel like your driving a two wheeled power house of a motorcycle, with dedicated front and rear brakes to help you around those awkward corners. The weight of the bike can be shifted by shifting your riders’ weight back or forth; shifting your weight forwards results in you gaining much more speed on those straight parts of a track, where as shifting your weight backwards results in you slowing down but lifting the nose of your motorcycle up and ultimately performing the much loved wheelie! Just remember to put the motorcycles nose down and slowdown, all before you get within a hundred yards of the next corner; otherwise you'll be lying in the gravel again!

Graphics

I can't emphasize any more clearly than this: This is the most realistic racer to hit the Xbox 360 thus far! The HD visuals are just stunningly close to the real sport. This is more evident in the games fantastic spectator and replay modes, which feature many different camera angles and they all look fabulous. My two favorite angles would have to be the TV and Helicopter angle; which of course both closely resemble the footage you would see on a live event on television. The helicopter angle is especially useful for learning a track and ultimately helps you plan your cornering strategy before you race. When viewing your fancy replays or watching your mates race whilst you wait in an Xbox Live lobby - just try squinting your eyes a bit at the television, you won't be able to tell the difference between the game and the real thing!

One of the best things in the game are the customization options of the riders and motorcycles. It reminds me a lot of Xbox's Forza Motorsport's customization options. Much like Forza, time is needed to be spent creating logos and art to put on your rider and motorcycle. A good few hours in here should have you coming out with a half decent looking bike. I had a go at creating some basic art for my bike, I didn't spend as much time as I'd like to designing it, but still not a half bad looking bike in less than 90 minutes. Things can get a bit awkward if you want to create specific characters faces and logos as you don't really have the room to do it on like you did in Forza Motorsport. There is definitely plenty of room though to create some funky art. Click here to check out some images of my custom made motorcycle.

Sound

MotoGP '06 boasts improved sound effects over the previous Xbox incarnations. The incredible engine noises from your own bike and from others that often whiz past you is immensely convincing, not to mention the crowd cheers from some of the packed out grand prix stands. So, it's not just realistic HD visuals then, its got realistic sound effects to boot; get in there! However I found the engine noises way too loud as I couldn't hear my music, so I turned down the sound effects a few notches in the settings. I'm not going to mention anything on the game’s soundtrack other than just thank MicroSoft for custom soundtracks! The combination of the game’s irritating soundtrack and the at times off-putting screen tearing on busy corners will likely put you off, the combination of the two made me want to throw the controller out the window! So the following is good advice; put your own custom soundtrack on straight away and save yourself half the pain!

Longevity

As you progress and win races your seed number decreases, which in-turn gives you un-lockable items, there is plenty to unlock as well. Throughout season mode you have the opportunity to do challenges, which if successfully passed enables you to increase your riders’ abilities. During season mode you will also have the opportunity to enter Training and qualifying on the track that you're about to compete on, which helps you to know the track before you compete and if you get a faster lap time, it will give you a better position on the starting grid.

As with all games that feature Xbox Live multiplayer - it is and always has been the key defining feature that keeps gamers coming back for more. It is also fun and a break away from the game’s serious Grand Prix tournament, most importantly it supports 16 players online and you can use the Extreme tracks and bikes online as well! Nice one.

Overall

MotoGP '06 is another stellar Xbox 360 title to add to your collection. The game should not have been released with the faults that are in it, though the Xbox Live errors are typical of some faults you might find in other games. The most annoying one is the tearing that appears as you go around the corners; sure there are other games that have similar problems, but not quite to the same extent as this game. That one fault alone should be the main concern for a patch followed by the other Xbox Live related bugs being fixed.It has currently stopped irritating me as much as it did at first, perhaps I've gotten immune to it now and am enjoying the game regardless? I am sure others will find the tearing fault irritating at first, but once you get used to it and try to look past it, you will see MotoGP '06 for what it truly is; A phenomenal racing sim for hardcore enthusiasts and the like. It attempts to gain the interest of a more general demographic who just like their speedy arcade racers, with the inclusion of the Extreme mode; which as I said earlier is most definitely a blast and gives some good practice for the challenges that lie ahead.

If you can look past the bugs in MotoGP '06 and are a fan of the Xbox predecessors then this game is a must buy. If you are new to the MotoGP franchise and just want quick bursts of fun, then the Extreme mode is ideal and is playable online from the start. The Extreme mode is not available in single player though until you complete a season of the Grand Prix mode. If you are unsure about purchasing MotoGP '06 then at least download the free demo from the Xbox Live Marketplace and give that a test ride before you make your decision. The faults mentioned earlier are in the demo as well, so you can use that to see how distracting you find the tearing and you will probably come across the Xbox Live multiplayer related leader board faults as well. Try the demo out for yourself and see how you get on with as I am sure with time and perseverance you will ultimately have a new found love for high octane motorcycle racing and with any luck you'll have a new found interest in the real-life sport.

The Pros

The Cons