MotoGP 13

MotoGP 13 brought an officially licensed motorcycle championship to PlayStation Vita, including the lower classes, so a player could start in a junior category and gradually work their way up to the premier class elite. The career mode is built on the classic path from offers from smaller teams to a seat with the front-running outfits, with bike setup tuned and team objectives fulfilled between races. Besides the championship, there's also a quick race, time trials, and bonus challenges that emphasize precise riding more than wheel-to-wheel duels.

Riding a motorcycle is more sensitive than in car games, since it involves leaning, weight transfer, and the risk that opening the throttle too aggressively coming out of a corner will send bike and rider alike into the gravel. The game offers several levels of assists, letting complete beginners manage the first laps, while more experienced players can turn off braking and stability aids and ride in an almost simulation-like fashion. Visually, the handheld version is somewhat more modest than on the big consoles, but the circuits are faithful, the riders recognizable, and the sense of speed close to the ground is convincing. The engine sound is among the best things the game offers, since the difference between the classes is audible immediately. It also helps that you can rewind a few seconds after a crash, so a failed attempt doesn't ruin the whole race, and the player can push the limits of risk without having to start over from the grid.

Reviews were mostly favorable, noting that this was a solid, honestly made effort that doesn't pretend to be more than it is. Reservations concerned the repetitive career structure and the fact that the game doesn't offer much beyond the track. Still, for fans of road racing motorcycles, MotoGP 13 on Vita remains one of the few ways to play this sport in a handheld format, and that's where its value lies.