SBK-08 - Hands On Preview

With only the MotoGP games from THQ, Namco, and most recently Capcom to choose between, motorbike fans haven't had a lot to choose between in comparison to the more traditional four wheel racing games available.

So when Black Bean and Milestone's SBK-07 turned up last year on the PlayStation2 and PSP we were quite surprised at just how impressive their first attempt turned out to be, although given their pedigree in the racing genre perhaps we shouldn't have been too astonished.

Twelve months later both Milestone and Black Bean are back with the annual sequel, this time making an appearance on the Xbox 360 (PS3 version following later) alongside a return on the PC, PS2, and PSP. Like last year's version, SBK-08 is shaping up to offer a faithful replication of the motor sport - perhaps the most realistic motorbike experience you'll find this side of Donington.

Based around the Superbike World Championship license, SBK-08 offers the customary update of riders, teams, and tracks from the 2008 season. Six different modes cover the usual scale and scope, including Instant Action, Quick Race, Time Attack, Race Weekend, Championship, and Challenge, while the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC versions should all offer online play this time around. The introduction of Instant Action and Time Attack options should go a little way to opening up SDK-08 for a quicker blast amongst a more casual audience, although the same niche reservations still apply - we can't really see too many people switching from their Forza's or Gran Turismo's.

Maintaining the strengths of last year's version, SBK-08 once again presents an almost overwhelming recreation of the sport. The depiction of the rider's movements and how these affect the handling of the various bikes is unmatched, while the sensation that you're riding a 1000cc beast is exceptional; just watch that front wheel rise off the ground when you floor the accelerator or twitch wildly if you're a bit too quick on the throttle coming out of a corner. Attempting to control these bikes is hard enough even without other competitors on the track, it really captures the feeling that you're in control (or not) of a vehicle that doesn't want to be grounded and is liable to flick you onto the asphalt with any fleeting lapse in concentration.

Five different realism settings should ensure SBK-08 doesn't require exquisite knowledge of the inner workings of a superbike to enjoy the game, although in reality we can't really see that happening. That's not to say it's a bad game, quite the opposite, it's just such a niche title that it evidently has to put its priority on offering a sophisticated simulation of the real thing that will appease the fans.

So in-tune with racing titles and SBK in particular, the scrutiny with which Milestone have lavished upon the game is evident throughout. Whether it's enlisting tips from your engineer about aspects such as spring stiffness, or the differences between an already complex Standard tuning setup and the daunting Advanced configurations - suffice to say you're knee deep in terminology that would make a Team Alstare Suzuki engineer look at you quizzically. Fortunately the game appears to do a good job of catering to novices in this regards, easily allowing you to choose predetermined setups depending on whether you're trying to qualify or actually out on the race track.

Covering all of the practise, qualifying, warm-up and race events of the real thing, the Championship mode should keep SBK fans happy until SBK-09 arrives. With a real-time clock counting down the time to qualify the Championship mode appears to portray the spirit of the race weekend, the only thing missing is the smell of burning rubber. Selecting a team is based upon Experience, Knowledge, and Reliability attributes, with the promise that individual team skills will also feature in the Xbox360, PS3 and PC versions - forgive us for our lack of SBK knowledge prohibiting us from making a call on this specifically.