Get ready for realistic motorcycle racing with SBK X Superbike World Championship for Xbox 360 and PS3 (360 version reviewed here). The best way to describe SBK X is it’s like Forza Motorsport with motorcycles. The game uses all the racing licenses and teams, so fans of Superbike Racing should eat this stuff up.

The best way to jump right in is with Arcade Mode. Here you don’t have to worry about crashing or taking turns at the wrong speed. And just like the most recent Forza Motorsport game, you can opt to have a line on the track that shows you the best path to take, as well as changing color to let you know when to brake. You can do a Quick Race, Time Attack, a Quick Challenge, or try out Story Mode in Arcade.

If you want even more realism (and even more challenge), you can also try Simulation Mode. Here you have to be extra careful to not crash as it could ruin your bike and you’ll be written off for the rest of the season! There are more modes in Simulation, though, and include such things as a full Race Weekend Mode. You can also tweak your bike in the garage and see the effects of your upgrades and changes. Both Arcade and Simulation modes let you create your own racer and unlock photos for your gallery, as well as try Time Attack. And of course, you can race against others online via Xbox LIVE, too.

Probably the most impressive aspect of SBK X is the realism, in both graphics and gameplay. If you accidentally roll in the grass, you can see a green tire stain on your bike for the next few seconds. And as you race, the track will evolve based on how it’s been ridden on. Weather effects and wear and tear on the track can affect your steering in different ways.

Personally, Simulation Mode is way too hard for my level of expertise, and Arcade Mode is pretty challenging, too. Only die-hard motorcycle racing fans will really get into this. But then, that’s who this game was made for!

Kid Factor:

SBK X is rated E-10 for Everyone 10 and up with ESRB descriptors of Lyrics and Mild Suggestive Themes. The songs in the background are nothing worse than what you hear on the radio, depending on your tastes in music. And I guess the Mild Suggestive Themes come from some of the pictures of the pretty racer girls you can unlock in the gallery.

SBK X is probably best enjoyed by older kids and teens anyway, because of the high challenge level. If your teen loves tinkering with motorcycles, but you don’t want them riding a real one (can’t blame you), then this game might be a good alternative. SBK X might even be considered educational as you can directly see the differences in how your bike performs depending on how you tweak it, with lots of cause and effect possibilities. Plus, the loading screens have interesting facts about the history of Superbike Racing and motorcycles.

Tags: Game Reviews