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IGNSBK-07: Superbike World Championship
With a chest-shuddering rev of an engine, veteran Superbike developer Milestone returns to the racing circuit.
by Rob Burman, IGN UK
UK, April 20, 2007 - Within the motorsport world, motorbikes don't tend to have the best reputation. Dismissed as 'crotch rockets' by car enthusiasts and 'death-traps' by mothers everywhere, motorbikes are seen as potentially lethal speed machines that can accelerate faster than the Earth travelling round the Sun. Of course, in real-life it's easy to see why motorbikes are best left to the reckless. However, in videogames their unrelenting bursts of speed make them perfect racing fodder.
For motorbike fans, this is an excellent simulation.
So it was with high expectations that we approached SBK-07: Superbike World Championship, particularly as it's being developed by biking veteran Milestone, who previously made Superbike games for Electronic Arts. SBK-07 is the official game of the World Superbike Championships 2007 and, as such, it features official riders from the championships, courses from across the globe and licensed motorbikes. However, don't go confusing Superbikes with MotoGP - the two are very different sports. The bikes in SBK-07 are actually modified versions of those available to buy in shops, unlike MotoGP, which features specially built machines.
There are plenty of modified machines to unlock in SBK-07, by working your way through the game's different modes - including standard time trails and quick races. However, if you're a Superbike aficionado, your first pit stop is likely to be the Championship mode, which takes you through a season of Superbike action. This mode gives you a full Superbike experience, including pre-race warm-up matches, qualifying sessions and, of course, the actual races. These are particularly impressive, with 22 bikers all gunning for the top spot, and working your way through the pack is something that requires skill and patience.
Working your way through the pack of racers is a rewarding challenge.
If you fancy some quick fix action, however, you're best off diving into the Challenge mode. Here you're given tasks such as going through a checkpoint at a certain speed or only using your brakes a certain amount of times, much like Gran Turismo's licence tests. If you pass the challenge, you're rewarded with one of game's many unlockables, including those new Superbikes, pictures of pretty girls or staff ghosts for the time trials.
Challenge mode is definitely one of those 'just one more go' aspects of SBK-07, thanks to the fact you're awarded different grades for your endeavours, indicating how many unlockables you receive. That, and the fact it's genuinely very, very hard. That said, it's a great way to learn advanced driving techniques - in the absence of a true tutorial - because each challenge requires full motorbike mastery.
Thankfully, when you first start out in your Superbike career, you don't have to worry too much about biking skills. That's because the default setting for controls is set to 'arcade', making it extremely easy for novices to jump in and start racing. Initially, your only concerns are finding the best lines through courses, braking in time for bends and accelerating out of corners to leave opponents eating your exhaust fumes.
Riders bend and weave as you hammer around corners.
Of course, if you fancy an experience that's closer to a motorbiking simulation, then SBK-07 can handle your requirements equally well. Although the initial arcade settings make the game straightforward fun - if a little easy - there are plenty of different options to tweak until you're left with a full simulation. Elements such as bike damage and front and back brake control can be toggled in the options menu. Once all the assists are off, SBK-07 is a very tricky beast, fully recreating the perils and excitement of hurtling around on a Superbike.
Milestone has also paid plenty of attention to the bikes themselves. Although actual courses admittedly look a bit jaggy and lack detail, motorbikes and rider animations are much better. As you thunder around bends the bikes and riders tilt accordingly and even start to wobble if you're pushing the bike too hard. Plus, each bike sports appropriate sponsorship stickers and logos, giving them that extra realistic polish.
Motorbikes are extremely detailed, you can almost smell the engine grease.
So far then, it appears Milestone hasn't lost any of its shine in the years that it's been away. SBK-07 is shaping up to be a real contender against Climax's MotoGP series. Of the two, we reckon SBK-07 is going to be the better bet for casual bike fans, thanks to simple controls. Of course, the in-depth Championship mode means that hardcore Superbike fans are equally well catered for. We'll have more on SBK-07: Superbike World Championship when it's released on PC, PSP, PS2 and Xbox 360 later this year.
How it's made.
And a great video link that shows the making of the game. Tell me what you think or add any information you like to the thread as this game is released.
