Motorbike racing game back on track with 'meaty' MotoGP 13

What you need to know The latest in the MotoGP series of motorcycle racing simulation video games has been released in the UK. MotoGP 13 is being relaunched by Italian videogame studio Milestone after the series took a two year break.

MotoGP 13 takes players into the 2013 motorcycle racing championships through the eyes of a real MotoGP rider. Players view the racing action through a simulated helmet cam.

The game features all the tracks, riders and teams from the 2013 Motorcycle Grand Prix circuit, as well as the 2013 Worldwide Championship, along with a series of side tests and challenges.

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What the critics like Milestone gets what's great about MotoGP, and their return to the game is a successful homecoming, says Martin Robinson on Eurogamer. MotoGP 13 is a meaty ride that isn't just the best motorbike game around at the moment – "it's one of the best pure motorsport experiences on console for years".

MotoGP 13 is tricky to learn, but once you get to grips with the skills "it's an incredibly satisfying game to play", says Ryan King on Nowgamer. For fans there are plenty of bike set-up options, and for newcomers it's an engrossing challenge - realistic, difficult, but fair.

"This is a game that understands the hardcore racer," says Phil Iwaniuk in the Official Playstation Magazine. It's difficult, but if you're prepared toput in the practice, MotoGP 13 offers a convincing race with a terrifying first-person helmet cam that conveys 200mph most graphically.

What they don't like "It's a decent but uninspired update," says Sam White in Xbox 360 magazine. The courses are varied, but they're disappointingly sparse and lack character – MotoGP 13 goes just as far as it has to, but never feels essential.