MotoGP 24 Review: Endless possibilities!

I’ve played MotoGP video games for 20+ years now, starting on the PS2 with the iconic Namco games of MotoGP 3 and MotoGP 4. Progressing through the years on Xbox 360, PS4 & now PS5. So I was very grateful to be sent a copy of the latest game to try out and review.

I’ll admit it, MotoGP video games have been hit or miss in the past for me. But I can confirm that this year’s game, MotoGP 24, is a great addition to the series. Developed by Italian video game company Milestone, MotoGP 24 gives fans all around the world, the thrills of being able to race with their favourite riders around their favourite circuits from the current Grand Prix calendar.

When starting up the game and working your way through the main menu, the game modes are what you would expect. Quick modes like: Grand Prix, Championship or Time Trial are all there front and centre, so you can jump into a race straight away.

I selected Time Trial mode and my rider of choice was Marc Marquez onboard the Gresini Racing Ducati around the Jerez circuit. I struggled with the game handling physics in the 2023 game, but to my amazement the 2024 version of the game feels completely refined. The throttle delivery was particularly impressive, you have to be progressive with the throttle input, just like in real life (I imagine) because if you just send it, you’re going to crash.

There is a great sense of achievement when you string a lap together, hitting each apex and nailing your braking markers. The bikes look & sound incredible, something that Milestone have improved on year by year.

This year, Milestone focused on players' feedback, and spoke with real riders, technicians and experts to make the game more life-like. They’ve aimed to improve the learning curve, without sacrificing realism, with a particular focus on making braking, corner entry, and high-speed cornering more manageable. But don’t worry if that sounds too technical, this game is for everyone.

In addition to a refinement of the bike physics, the Neural aids system introduced in MotoGP 23 has been improved on. This year's Adaptive Difficulty will greatly help every player, from novices to experts. It calibrates the level of the opponents based on the players’ performance over the course of races and sessions to provide a tailored gaming experience; the more races and sessions that are played, the more precise the calibration is.

So if you’re winning every race by 5 seconds, you can expect the AI to start catching you and racing you harder in future races, vice versa. If you’re struggling to beat the AI, Milestone’s clever Neural aids system finds a way for you to get that perfect balance & most importantly, fighting up at the sharp end of the grid!

Another cool little feature along with the 2024 calendar, is the 5 Historical circuits that feature in the game. Getting to race around Donington Park or Laguna Seca with the current MotoGP bikes is very enjoyable & brings back great memories of those fantastic circuits.

Now onto the main event, for this year, in the career mode, both the Al and players might be proposed to change teams as the seasons progress, including promotion between classes. This feature was Milestone’s most requested when they asked fans what they would like to see in this year’s game & they’ve delivered it brilliantly.

The feature is based on a set of algorithms that generate transfers weaving the riders' performances with the prestige and aspirations of each team. Consequently, not only riders will be proposed to change teams based on their performance on the track, but the choices of Al-controlled riders will be influenced by the future potential of the other bikes on the grid and not just by their current value.

So for example, Marc Marquez could move from Gresini to the Factory Ducati team but then Pecco Bagnaia could incredibly leave his Factory Ducati seat to go and ride for Yamaha or Repsol Honda.

The possibilities are endless, as the seasons progress, riders from Moto2 & Moto3 make their way up into the MotoGP class, so by season 5 of your Career Mode, the grid will look totally different from when you started!

Importantly, the Riders Market adds to the turning points, rivalries, and the fictional social network introduced last year. For instance, the evolution of rivalries as well as likes and replies on the fictional social network will fuel rumours about possible future transfers, which players will be able to monitor through a dedicated menu in Career Mode.

For your Career Mode, you can start off in the Moto3 category and work your way through the ranks like Pedro Acosta or you can jump into Moto2 from the beginning. Personally, I started in the MotoGP class with my own custom rider, riding for LCR Honda, developing the Honda and scoring points on my debut in Qatar.

I was impressed even by the little details, for example the Tissot Sprint cutscene after the race make it feel much more of a complete experience compared to last year’s game. Even the user interface is complete with the 2024 TV graphics that you see each weekend, which makes it feel even more immersive for the player.

Dynamic weather and Flag to Flag races are very fun, the settings can be modified before you start a new race in Quick mode or Career mode. So if you want it to start wet and then dry up, you can. Rushing down pit lane to switch bikes with the majority of the grid feels really exciting, especially with the cinematic cutscenes. I tried it around the Red Bull Ring, with Brad Binder of course. Riding on slick tyres in the rain isn’t fun at all in the game, it was so stressful, so I can only imagine how Binder must have felt in 2021 doing it for real and winning!

The MotoGP Stewards feature has returned with even more authority in MotoGP 24. Players and AI riders will both be kept an eye on by the MotoGP Stewards, who will give penalties during the race if you’ve done something naughty. Also, some penalties received during Practices and Qualifying sessions (like impeding or entering in pit lane too fast) are meant to be served during the race, just like in the real sport. Players can choose the severity of the ruleset to be either Tolerant or Strict. Personally, I went for the Tolerant option….

But the detail doesn’t stop there, this year they’ve added a telemetry option for the hardcore players of the series. If you’re struggling in Practice or Qualifying, you can go out and try a setting that you and your engineer have worked on and then compare the data with previous laps. A very nice touch if you’re into that sort of detail.

The only disappointment I have with the game is that there isn't any classic bikes/riders in the game like previous titles. Jumping on and having a race on a 500cc 2-stroke or the early era MotoGP bikes was something a lot of fans enjoyed, I hope that Milestone bring it back in future titles. 

Overall, this game is a big improvement compared to MotoGP 23, I immediately noticed the difference when jumping on the game for the first time. If you’re a new or old fan of the series, I think you’ll really enjoy it!

For me it gets a solid 8.5/10.

MotoGP 24 is available to play now, on PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch™, and Steam.