MotoGP 26 review – A small improvement over last year’s release

Last year’s MotoGP 25 from Milestone marked the introduction of its Arcade playstyle, perhaps making it the most accessible entry in the series yet. And the good news is that it makes a return in MotoGP 26, alongside some new features and improvements that make this one of the best entries in the series so far despite it not doing anything revolutionary.

In terms of modes, the offerings here are pretty much the same as last year, albeit with some tweaks. Jump into Race Off mode, for example, and you’ll find you can now race using production bikes as well as flat track, motard and minibikes. No matter which mode you jump into, even Career, you’ll also find that you can now race as one of the many MotoGP stars rather than your own avatar, which some will no doubt appreciate.

Career mode is where you’ll find the most changes, in fact. It remains mostly the same as in previous years releases, with you able to jump in at any level, be it Moto3, Moto2 or MotoGP, and then trying to meet your objectives as you partake in race weekends. The main change here, though, is that your objectives are now mainly derived by your answers during interviews. It’s just a shame that there’s no voice acting during these, which makes them feel a bit flat.

Add in the usual Career mode elements to consider, such as occasional Race Off events to keep things interesting, rivalries to manage, the development of your bike, and of course, your trajectory as a pro racer, and you have a enjoyable time sink, even if it still lacks some of the depth found in racing games elsewhere. I suppose all that really matters is that it feels a bit more exciting and inclusive that last year’s effort.

Whichever mode you jump into in MotoGP 26, you’ll find the racing action a little bit better than ever too. Milestone has employed a new rider-based physics system for this release, and it not only makes your rider a little more responsive on the track, but the additional fluidity in animation it provides also makes their actions look more realistic.

With the only other notable new feature here being the introduction of collectible playing cards, which don’t really serve any real purpose, there’s still room for improvement. But as MotoGP games go, while the improvements are slight here, they do indeed make for a more authentic and enjoyable experience on the whole, making it a solid package.

As ever, then, if you’re a serious MotoGP fan you’ll likely want to pick this up. It’s got all the latest riders and bikes, plays great, and has lots of options for you to tinker with to tailor the experience to your preferences. If you’re a casual gamer, it’s harder to justify when you can probably pick up last year’s release at a much cheaper price. While it may not be quite as good, you’ll find mostly the same experience, especially outside of Career mode.