While advertised as having a "new improved handling for all skill levels," basically all Climax did was smooth out the cornering (barely, a new player will still spend more time off the track than on the track for their first few hours) and have the back of the bike shimmy a little before you are about to lose control. Of course, if you are completely lost on how to regain control, all that does is give you the sense of the bike waving good-bye as you cartwheel off of it.
The training mode is a joke, and not the funny ha-ha kind. Little arrows pop up telling you which way to turn but not how to turn -- and it sounds easy, but no, it's really not. Really not easy. Ridiculous in its not-easiness. Even moving your entire body into the curve does nothing and no matter how hard you press down on the d-pad, forgot to brake and it's crash, bang, splat. That said, pushing down on the d-pad induces wheelies, which is an entertaining way to get your pit crew mad at you while you lose the race.
The scoring system at the beginner levels is basically a cheat -- the computer will adjust drivers' standings in order to guarantee you keep your overall spot in the competition. It's a cop-out, basically -- it's easier to have the AI cheat then it is to actually teach the game mechanics to new players.
Crash and Burn
There's a feeling that same parts of the game weren't really ready for release -- a slapdash feel to the loading screens and cut-scene graphics and the fact that some of the modes aren't explained anywhere (and the ones that are, not very well). Add to that the fact that it is mostly tweaking issues from 06 and MotoGP 07 feels more like an expansion than a sequel.
With limited customization available for riders (only eight!) a lack of any real explanation on how to actually play the game, a non-existent soundtrack (exactly how many hours of "vroom, vroom, vroom, screeeech, crash" can a person be expected to take?), and a limited sense of fun that other racing games like SSX and BurnOut (or even Forza 2) excel at, MotoGP 07 is a serious, hardcore game that demands a high skill level and a certain amount of earnestness from its players. For those who are about to race, we salute you. Tighten your gloves and rev your engines, and watch for that taillight shimmy.
