When it comes to motor bike racing games, Milestone is perhaps the go-to developer for the most comprehensive experiences. The studio has created games most of the key motorcycle racing categories over the years, from Superbike through to Motorcross as seen in MXGP 2020. The jewel in Milestone's crown is MotoGP, the premier Grand Prix motorbike racing class, and MotoGP 22 is the most recent video game in the series.
MotoGP 22 covers the official season for 2022's MotoGP racing, complete with all of the up to date teams and rider rosters. Alongside MotoGP, players can try their hand at junior formulas in MotoGP 2 and MotoGP 3, as well as take a look at a classic season from MotoGP history through the Season 2009 game mode. The game was already looking strong in the build showcased in a MotoGP 22 preview, and thankfully that quality pulls through to the final release.
A racing game like MotoGP 22 lives or dies by its ability to emulate the feeling of the sport through interactivity, and it's fair to say that Milestone truly excels here. Capturing the sense of motorbike racing is tough, perhaps harder than car racing, thanks in part to the vulnerability of the rider, but thankfully MotoGP 22 does succeed in this regard. Individual races are a joy to take part in, with the player needing to roll with the corners and gain a fluidity of movement unique to road racing, and the game's sense of speed is excellent.
It's something that Milestone has gained a strong knowledge of over the years, showcased in its unique intellectual properties such as Ride 4, but there is a refined sense of racing here that very much matches the tone of MotoGP as a sport. The game can be difficult if the player so chooses - ramping up the 'one mistake ruins the race' sense of danger that is a key component of top tier motorbike racing - but those less familiar with racing games will find the game more lenient on its lower difficulty levels. It's not as customizable as titles like F1 2021, but it still has enough to cater for different audiences.
The number of different race modes also gives players plenty to get involved with. The MotoGP season and the junior series are useful for those after a realistic take on the current crop of riders and teams, while the aforementioned Season 2009 game mode takes the player through a Smash Hits of one of the best MotoGP seasons in recent years and is particularly successful in the way that it splices together real world footage with in-game racing. Meanwhile, the split screen functionality available in this year's game does give players a chance to get a sibling or housemate involved in the action, which is always a nice feature to have.
The core game mode for single players, however, is certainly the career mode. This takes the player from MotoGP 3 through to the top grade of Grand Prix racing, and it's a genuine joy to play through all of its comprehensive sections. It can be a bit of a daunting process, particularly for new players, so thankfully the detailed tutorial that Milestone has for the basics of racing can help newcomers feel bold enough to take it on.
MotoGP 22 isn't perfect, though, and there are a few things that might hold back fans from truly diving into the experience. For starters the AI can be a little bit squirrelly at times, and although this leads to some humorous moments when riders outright refuse to avoid collisions, it does take the player out of the moment. Meanwhile, those who have been buying the MotoGP games year after year might not find enough to warrant upgrading from MotoGP 21, although for those who haven't played last year's entry or who are big fans of the sport will find plenty to love here.
As such, MotoGP is a very strong racing game that truly captures the feel of MotoGP as a series. Although it's not perfect and lacks the sheen that comes with a bigger budget, the minute to minute racing is fantastic, and its minor issues here and there are far outweighed by the positives.
MotoGP 22 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Screen Rant was provided with a PS5 download code for the purposes of this review.