The first thing you'll notice when comparing the versions side by side is that their menu systems are nearly identical. Unfortunately, this means that the in-game menus don't have PC-specific options, such as the ability to adjust your control setup and graphical configuration. These functions are all handled by the game's launcher, so you have to exit the game and then relaunch to make any changes. The game does all this with short load times and very little fanfare, but it's still a pretty clumsy setup.
Otherwise, MotoGP 2 is a detailed re-creation of the 2002 MotoGP series, and with the changes it makes to last year's title, the experience is a spot-on match. The roster has been updated to match last year's series, with riders such as Valentino Rossi, Max Biaggi, Sete Gibernau, and Daijiro Kato. The track count has gone up to 16, representing all of the series' courses, from Suzuka and Sepang to Brno and Valencia. The 500cc two-stroke machines now share the starting grid with 1,000cc four-stroke bikes such as the Yamaha M1, the Suzuki GSV-R, and the Honda RC211V. The single-player mode provides a wide variety of modes to play in, such as the quick race mode, for those who want to jump right into the action, and the stunt mode, which is an arcadelike game in which you pull off high-speed stunts to score points and unlock new riders. Other modes include time trials to polish your cornering lines on the tracks and a slew of multiplayer modes.
The heart of the single-player game is the career mode, in which you create a rider to compete in the full MotoGP series. In addition to choosing a bike and leathers, you'll distribute attribute points into skills such as cornering, braking, acceleration, and top speed. Additional points are won by completing challenges and winning races, so if you're successful you'll have a pretty skilled racer by the end of the season. Each circuit is run in a sequence and presented as a two-day race event. The first day is for practice and qualification for grid placement, and the second is for the race itself. True to life, races are held rain or shine, and the lines you chose on a sunny practice day might be thrown out completely in the pouring rain of the actual race day. At the end of each series, you can choose to go back and race on any of the previous tracks again or complete any challenges you may have missed to improve your attributes, or you can move on to the next season.
In the end, MotoGP 2 for the PC falls short of its potential. If the developer had spent more time refining the control scheme and graphics to make better use of PC hardware and had added more functionality to the game's menus and multiplayer options, the PC version of MotoGP 2 could have been as good as the Xbox version. To its credit, the game is selling at a budget price, but as it stands, MotoGP 2 for the PC is a simple port that lacks good multiplayer and in-game options, and doesn't re-create the highly functional and rewarding control scheme of the original console game.
System Requirements:
Pentium 450 MHz,
128 MB RAM,
Windows 98/ME/2000/XP,
DirectX 9.0,
DirectX-compatible video card,
DirectX-compatible sound card,
10X CD-ROM drive,
and 615 MB hard-disk space
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