OK, for the uninitiated this is GT4 with bikes. Only out in Japan at the moment.
My first impression is that it is a more accessible bike game than most. You can control the bikes almost like a car in a car racing game, though admittedly on the race series you have to shift your weight to avoid problems. You can go hardcore and have separate front and rear braking though.
I don't like third person view in any game if I can avoid it and also rejected the handlebar view as I found it distracting.
There are apparently 125 bikes and 37 tracks. 36 of the tracks are from GT4 with the occasional modification to the layout. There is one new track... Valencia which I had driven in Super Trucks on the PS2 (a badly neglected game in my opinion).
I am enjoying the game so far though I am still to get used to some of the tracks using the bike so that I can obtain more bikes to ride. Rather than buying anything, you do a Challenge (normally trying to catch up and get ahead of another rider for 10 seconds within a set number of laps) to get a new bike. You have to repeat the challenge to get another colour. The more powerful machines have to be unlocked mostly by doing a "Hot Lap".
Being based on GT4 it does look very good.
I have yet to drive all the bikes in my garage (over 70 now) and have only taken two of them onto the 'Ring so far. It is certainly an advantage that I know the majority of the tracks, though there is some learning as the bikes do seem to take longer to stop than the cars do. I think there are variations of handling between bikes. I was rather taken with the handling of a couple of 1200cc BMW road bikes I unlocked. Needless to say, the sound of the bikes is very good.
I have yet to take any pictures in Photomode but when I do, I'll probably add them to my Website (GT2/3/4).
Due to the polygon count of bike and rider I think you are limited to the number of bikes in the races (I have yet to try anything other than the normal bike series).
I completed the License tests fairly easily though of course not to Gold standard (so no prize bikes there).
At least in this game the Endurance races are only 8 hours (not unlocked yet).
Do you have to 'bad bwoy' your ride with additional shizzle like you do in GT4?
The handling sounds very very odd from your description. I'm struggling to get my head around bikes that handle like cars and it's just not working for me. Is it sort of like MotoGP? or more Radical Bikers?
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"For the next year most of the 360s will end up in the hands of the hardcore gamers because they are the most eager ones. So the first wave of software will reflect that." - Gerhard Florin, Head of EA Europe
You can adjust the settings for suspension and gearing. The only option is to fit a different exhaust to road bikes which gives a 5% power boost.
You can make the game handle in the same was as Moto GP with the brakes operated separately and the ability to shift your weight forward or back, this is the "Professional Mode" which is not the default. You can even adjust your rider's position on the bike, which will have an effect on the handling.
With default settings you still have to adjust your weight so that the bike does not go up onto one wheel when braking or accellerating, which is why I find it more accessible for someone used to car games. In "Professional Mode", the handling of the bike is much more unforgiving.
I think this may be the only bike game to feature tyre wear (which also has an effect on handling/stability).
There do seem to be some minor glitches in the handling (you can ride along against a wall on a corner for instance). I bounced of a wall on one track and still managed to keep control of the bike!!
Xbox Gamertag - RogsR34UK
Videogames Plus managed to get the American release of this to me by Friday last week (posted on Tuesday).
You get a stunning 7 extra bikes and one extra race series. I think there is some extra riding gear as well.
There is a new mode available as well, "Semi-Pro", though I haven't investigated exactly what this entails. Standard mode sees you "driving" the bike like you would a car as one button applies both brakes, though you can apply just the rear brake with another button, and rider position is not crucial to avoid falling off. "Pro" mode gives control of front and rear brakes separately and you need to move forwards or back to assist in controlling the bike. I am not sure what fits between those two modes in terms of controls. Maybe it is like standard mode, but with separate brake control.
Xbox Gamertag - RogsR34UK