SBK 22, officially announced last June, has recently become available and brings the WorldSBK Championship back to the gaming world. The Milestone studio, at the origin of the title, simultaneously marks a return to the sources. Long before the MotoGP license was overhauled, the studio has indeed released a whopping ten games on the Superbike championship. Ten years after the release of SBK Generations, we were curious if SBK 22 had real qualities to show off, or if we were just dealing with a MotoGP skin.

Back to basic

Building on its experience of recent years as a key studio in the genre, Milestone has therefore brought the SBK Championship up to date. All the drivers, bikes, teams and tracks from the 2022 calendar are available in the game, allowing players to explore tracks like Donington, Estoril or even Laguna Seca.

In addition to the powers present, it is also the race format specific to Superbike that is faithfully offered. A weekend revolves around some very specific sessions.

If we find the classic free practice, the qualifying on the other hand is done through a superpole and a special race to determine our place on the starting grid; There will be two separate races that differ from the F1 model, followed by the MotoGP Championship.

This three-start format offers more excitement in the game and the more condensed races require a greater investment of time and concentration. This is all the more true because the ANNA AI is also involved in this. The races are therefore quite competitive, but we always find it a shame that our opponents make few mistakes.

déjà vu

Unfortunately, outside the roster and out of this clean race format, SBK 22 still feels quite warm. From the menu to the different game modes, everything is almost identical to the latest MotoGP games. The career takes place in exactly the same conditions, with the management of the staff and the development of the machine over the trials. Our achievements make it possible to attract more prestigious teams, while also creating your own structure with the usual customization options.

If we could easily understand that the MotoGP and SBK championships can work in the same way, we would still have appreciated an extra effort in the staging and in certain specifics of the category.

A historical mode that particularly reflects the big moments in the history of the SBK championship, such as the NINE mode of MotoGP 22, for example, would have been welcome.

Multiplayer and 22 player lounges allow players to get away with it in good conditions. The game is cross-gen, meaning Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S players can play together seamlessly while enjoying gameplay that is accessible to as many people as possible.

The Superbike for everyone

In reality, the WorldSBK Championship requires the use of production bikes and not factory prototypes, as is the case in MotoGP, which inevitably has an impact on handling. If MotoGP players are not disoriented by the gameplay of SBK 22, there are still differences in the behavior of the bikes. Overall, the machines seem a bit lighter and less twitchy. They are a bit more tolerant and fans will certainly be happy to play with more “accessible” motorcycles on the market.

This more affordable aspect of the discipline could allow neophytes to find a game that is a little easier to learn, that also offers many tutorials to easily understand piloting techniques.

In general, we find the same tools as in MotoGP 22, as well as the dynamic setting of electronics such as TCS and anti-wheeling during races. Braking and overshoot always require agility, while changing angles is easier to tackle. At the level of the feel controller in the hand, we regret once again that the Xbox controllers do not offer more precise vibrations, especially to evaluate the grip. The most knowledgeable will still enjoy a more demanding experience in managing fuel consumption and tire wear during events.

Please note, however, that the option to run and get back on the bike after a crash, introduced in MotoGP 21, is not available in SBK 22.

A cross-gen game at heart

Visually, the game is not really surprising and here we find the touch specific to Milestone games. The tracks and their surroundings are quite empty, while the riders and motorbikes are neat. It lacks life in general and what we emphasized in our MotoGP 22 test also applies to SBK. With the title running stably at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X, it’s time for the studio to step up a gear by offering games that take advantage of Unreal Engine 5 technologies.

This observation is generally the same for the sound environment which remains quite bad apart from the appropriate sound of the motorcycles. There are a few additions here and there such as noise on contact or when leaving the track, but it is now time for Milestone to reconsider its sound requirements.

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that the game is available at a discounted rate. Indeed, SBK 22 is sold for 39.99 €, well below the price of any new part of the MotoGP license. This price placement is important because it can attract players who are not necessarily motorsport connoisseurs, who want to enjoy a complete game at a lower cost. For our part, we hope this timid episode is just a first attempt at the return of more ambitious SBK games.

Tested on Xbox Series X.