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1540390cookie-checkMotoGP 18 First Gameplay Video Features Smooth Bike Handling
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2018/05

MotoGP 18 First Gameplay Video Features Smooth Bike Handling

The very first gameplay trailer for MotoGP 18 was revealed, giving gamers a look at Milestone’s 2018 outing for the motorcycle racing title.

The video is only a minute long, featuring the player-character riding around around the asphalt circuit as Valentino Rossi.

The veteran takes tight turns, eases into long stretches and weaves around his opponents on the track with grace and poise. Most notably in the video are the animations. The riders lean, adjust, and shift their weight around the bike with every micro-adjustment made with the controller. We can see that the player is obviously edging in and out of each turn, prepping for the upcoming turn, and slowly going with the changes to keep maximum momentum and maintain top speed during the straightaways. You can check out the video below.

It’s only a minute long but it looks really good here. I like how smooth the handling comes across and how short bursts of speed affects the physics of the bike. You can see at the 14 second mark where the rear tire ever so slightly takes a bump while the shock absorber repositions the wheel to keep the rider stabilized. Small things like that go a long way in making the races seem authentic and compelling.

I don’t know how well the physics will translate over into the Nintendo Switch version of the game. And yes, Milestone is making the game for the Switch. Oftentimes a lot of games have to go through some serious downgrades to accommodate the Switch’s handheld mode, and so we’ll see what sacrifices will have to be made to get MotoGP 18 running clean and pristine while portable, but for now what little they’ve showcased looks good.

You can look for MotoGP 18 to launch for the PS4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch starting next month on June 7th. Hopefully we’ll get to see more gameplay footage leading up to the full release.

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