Valentino Rossi: The Game Review

As if this wasn’t enough extra, you can even get in a car, as the game features the ability for you to take part in a number of rally stages at Monza. These are particularly poor, with none of the control nuance of Milestone’s Seb Loeb game – you can’t even have a cockpit view as far as I could work out. On top of all this content is a wealth of other modes, from a basic time trial, to racing against Rossi’s own ghosts – the amount of things to do is simply staggering. Fans could easily spend a hundred hours or more going through everything the game has to offer. But I found that many of the elements were too throwaway, suffering from too many little frustrations in terms of control, AI or difficulty. A smaller, more focused game would have probably worked out better.

Multiplayer:

Milestone also adds in online multiplayer into the veritable kitchen sink of modes. It’s the epitome of the rest of the game. Functional, done on a budget. It works, but don’t expect amazing matchmaking or a wealth of options.

Presentation:

Milestone have always clearly operated on a certain budget, and it probably shows up more in their Moto GP games than in their rallying offerings. There’s a lack of any kind of TV-style coverage or attempt to create a race-day atmosphere at any point, with the development team instead focussing upon a functional recreation of the tracks and bikes. It all looks fine, but the painful loading times and occasional frame-drops just highlight the fact Moto GP 16 is hardly a reference title in terms of looks.

It’s also lacking the licensed soundtrack, pit wall talk and general slickness you’d expect, with monotone voices droning on endlessly, especially at the start of your career. Rossi seems excited enough to be on camera in interviews, but his voice-over is completely phoned in, which is disappointing for a game named after the great man.

Conclusion:

Valentino Rossi: The Game suffers from many of the classic flaws that plague Milestone’s simulations. The limited budget can be felt in the limited production values and lack of a race-day atmosphere (which Forza Horizon shows the importance of), whilst the brainless AI detracts from the otherwise competent simulation. I’d have rather had a much more focused game, offering a decent career mode and little improvements to the overall experience than what is actually presented: a hugely expansive game, but one that provides an incoherent and inconsistent experience lacking in true excitement.