It’s time to start your engines and burn some rubber because MotoGP 25 is back for another year. Milestone’s long-running motorcycle racing series is back with another iteration, which features refined physics, enhanced visuals and the full 2025 rider and team roster of the Moto2, Moto3 and MotoGP seasons. Milestone has pulled out all the tricks this year, and it’s starting to get harder to fault these games. 

For the first time in MotoGP, players will face unique challenges that reflect the diverse routines of real riders. They’ll explore two locations and race across four original tracks, expanding their experience by riding Minibikes, Motards, and Flat Track bikes—each offering its own distinct gameplay. Race Off events can be played as a standalone mode or as part of the Career, where players can improve their physical shape, enhance bike handling, and unlock exclusive goggles and off-road helmet liveries.

Milestone has added some cool new features to MotoGP 25 that show a little of the off-season what the racers could get up to if they wanted. Minibikes, Motards, and Flat Track bikes have been added, adding a new gameplay style that I’ll be perfectly honest, I was not a fan of. These races are all put into a new mode called “Race Off”, which is broken into two locations with four original tracks, which are nice and small, so they’re quick and a great little mode if you want to kill some time, but you need to get used to how the bikes handle compared to the race bikes we’re all used to.

I’m starting to see more and more titles creating freedom with the career mode, and MotoGP 25 is no exception to that rule. Choosing if you start in Moto 3 or Moto 2 or jump into the big leagues with MotoGP allows you to set your goals for where you want to be.

You need to build a reputation on the track and in the paddock, building rivalries and friendships. I found it amusing and competitive that you could start a little beef with your teammates to ensure you are beating them, which sometimes backfires, but it was a cool little addition.

Social media is becoming a bigger and bigger part of sports and racing games, and you need to watch how you answer things, or it backfires quickly. The new debriefing system is a major change to bike development and ride progression. After each race, you get to speak to your engineering team, and you can decide what needs improving on the bike after you’ve just finished your race.

The choices you make above with your reputation will decide how many development points you have to spend when it comes time. With this new implementation, the bikes are no longer performance-capped, so with enough points, anything is possible to have the best bike on the track.

The Riders Market has also had a substantial update, which allows Moto2 and Moto3 to move around and up to higher classes. It has also been implemented nicely into the main UI on the career mode and will show the rider’s performance and how it fluctuates between tracks. 

The developers have listened to the community and support full online cross-play across all platforms. This has enabled players to enjoy seamless online lobbies and take part in the ranked matches. I’m mostly flat-out-versing the AI, let alone jumping in ranked online matches. But that is now an option for you for the more competitive scene. 

If you are a returning player, you will be able to jump straight into the action quite easily, and if you are a new player, you will get used to the controls quickly. The developers delivered a realistic and immersive racing experience, catering to both new and past players.

I’ve always loved the controls’ responsiveness, as they’re huge factors in the game. If you are not a fan, you can customise the control scheme, but everything feels like it’s in place. The only things I changed were the brake controls, which were as simple as swapping the inputs.

The controls feel the same as last year, but one new addition exists. The new addition is “Arcade Mode”, which offers a more accessible experience for newcomers. This mode simplifies the complexities of bike handling. It makes the game easier for newcomers who are not familiar with the motorcycles, whilst still delivering the thrill of pushing the limits. You will notice a difference in things like acceleration and braking; the biggest factor is leaning. The Arcade Mode is available across all game modes, providing an exciting and accessible entry point for players of all skill levels.

Previous players will notice “Pro Mode”, which features more refined gameplay, so you straight away will notice a difference in how the bike and rider respond to the feedback and something you will find yourself switching to once you are used to the game so then you get a little more challenge to the ride and the win will be more rewarding. I was not a fan of the controls on the motards and mini-bikes. The bikes felt like they were thrown in and weighed nothing, and when racing on the flat track, your bike would slide and jump all over the joint, which made me not even want to touch them. 

I’m starting to sound like a broken record with these releases, but each year, it’s changed so much more than the previous, so it’s hard to say anything other than the facts. There has been a complete overhaul of the bikes’ sounds, which, being a game about racing motorbikes, is quite a big point.

The developers have used an on-site, custom-made sound design, which was recorded, sampled and post-produced in partnership with Dorna and Audio Technica, and it’s made the bikes roar to life. MotoGP 25 also features official commentators whose adrenaline-charged calls and live-action energy make you feel like you’re trackside and in the thick of the action. 

I’ve been impressed with what developers are doing with the current generation of gaming. Milestone has now implemented Unreal Engine 5, and the difference is immediately noticeable from previous years’ titles and with the implementation of Lumen technology.

The game feels levels above the previous games with how lifelike and dynamic the lighting is, regardless of whether you are racing under the lights at night or racing around in the rain; everything looked so natural and real with the different reflections of different environments and different weather and times. I loved the details added to the bikes and riders, and most importantly, the tracks have given that sense of realism like never before, and bringing the game to life is something the developers have succeeded with.  

MotoGP 25 offers a comprehensive, immersive racing experience, blending advanced technology with deep, immersive gameplay features. Thanks to Unreal Engine 5 and the introduction of different bike types and small tracks, the enhanced visuals make MotoGP 25 an experience for those seeking a full simulation feel or more of an arcade feel. 

Written by: Hayden Nelson