Reviewed On: PlayStation 3

Available For: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PlayStation Vita, OnLive

Publisher: PQube

Developer: MileStone

Genre: Racing

Age: 3 (PEGI)

Price: £24.98 from Zavvi (correct at time of print)

I can see why many people succumb to the allure of two wheels instead of four. The speed, and element of extenuated danger must be an adrenaline rush like no other. Why gamers would however want to race on anything other than four wheels is beyond me; motorcycle video games have never really excited as much as their quad-wheeled counterparts - let’s hope MotoGP 13 can change all that.

The MotoGP games over recent years have all packed an incredible challenge, and MotoGP 13 is certainly no exception. It's far from being an arcade racer, and is stricter than a fruitarian’s diet. There's unforgiving call for pin-point accuracy when handling, especially when it comes to cornering - slowing down on bends is crucial.

There's a lot to think about, and a lot to consider in split-second timing. Players need to know how to lean their rider to reduce drag and which of the two brakes to use. It a steep learning curve, and even with all of the many racing assists enabled, it's still an asphalt staged battle.

What's more, there's a further challenge in the progression of class. Moto3 provides a great entry level for learning, but things get a little harder when moving up to Moto2, and likewise with the jump to MotoGP.

Rewinds are a god send; there's nothing worse than racing perfectly for almost three gruelling laps before flying off the road because of a slight lapse in concentration and the incorrect use of the tricky breaking system. This could easily spare a controller or two from air-to-wall obliteration.

The Career Mode is quite sterile and suffers from a lack of flare or personality, being merely a basic way to string together races. Your racer can be customised and the mechanics tweaked, but the options are more limited in comparison to many other racers.

The Grand Prix mode takes players through a weekend of racing, the World Championship mode sees them through a season, and the Time Trial has them battling for better times.

Carrying on the clinical and sterile route are the courses themselves. There is variation in the many tracks available, but they're incredibly lacking in detail and depth. Consequently there's not much to fall in love with on any particular track, and therefore little to make you want to revisit a particular track Lacking in frills and extras, it's a good job the handling works well, and whilst it's a challenge to get to grips with, MotoGP is satisfying to master.

SCORE: 6 / 10

PROS: Petrol heads and fans of MotoGP will no doubt enjoy taking to the tracks. It's a good challenge .

CONS: A huge amount of patience is needed to get to grips with the handling and braking.