MotoGP 24 Beginner's Guide: All the Basics You Need to Know to be a Pro

MotoGP 24 will be welcoming back plenty of returning experienced players, but we were all rookies at some point. For those who are new to MotoGP and/ or motorbike games, this is the guide you need!

Even experienced players may learn a thing or two in this guide, as MotorGP 24 introduces new features that change how the game plays compared to MotoGP 23.

MotoGP 24 Beginner's Guide

As much as we love the MotoGP games, they have a steep learning curve. This is especially true for gamers who are used to car racing rather than bike racing.

In general, contact between two cars ends with you rubbing the barriers or dipping a wheel into the gravel. However, on two wheels, contact will usually end with you flipping the bike over or losing a heap of time in the gravel.

Credit: Milestone

In response to these complaints, Milestone has worked hard to make the handling model more accessible to less experienced players in MotoGP 24.

That's something that immediately jumped out to us when hitting the track for the first time in MotoGP 24. Don't get us wrong though: you'll still need to be very skilled to set a competitive lap time on higher difficulties.

Now though, you can race around most tracks at a good pace without fearing that one mistake will have you somersaulting over the handlebars like before.

Baby steps...

Speaking of difficulty, you'll need to ensure you're on a lower difficulty setting to find your feet in MotoGP 24. Thankfully, just like last year, the game does a great job of setting you up for success during the intro.

There are four preset difficulty settings: Simplified, Intermediate, Advanced, and Pro.

Here's a summary for these four options:

• Simplified - Easy AI, Neural aids = On & Semi-automatic transmission.
• Intermediate - Medium AI, Neural aids = Moderate & Semi-auto gears.
• Advanced - Hard AI, Neural aids = Off & Semi-auto gears.
• Pro - Realistic AI, Neural aids = Off & Manual transmission.

For reference, "Neural aids" consist of in-game assists to make the bike easier to ride, such as automatic brakes and computer-aided throttle control.

If you're unsure about any of these options, you can take part in a Time Trial around Mugello to see what the bike feels like around a qualifying lap.

We strongly recommend you do this even if you're an experienced MotoGP player, as the game has changed markedly since last year.

Keeping on top of the right difficulty for you, though, is easier than ever. Thanks to Adaptive Difficulty, the AI's speed will adapt to your pace to aid the immersion and challenge in the game.

MotoGP Academy

Just like in previous games, the MotoGP Academy remains one of the best places to go to improve your lap times. You can choose any of the tracks on the 2024 calendar to test yourself against the clock.

You can even break the tracks up into their individual sectors if there is a particular corner or sequence of corners that's causing you trouble.

Setup for Success

Diving into MotoGP can be a steep learning curve, even for experienced racing gamers. This is especially true when it comes to setups. If they aren't optimized properly, they can severely hinder you.

You can be the fastest rider in the world, but if the bike you're on isn't set up correctly, you'll be off to a bad start.

While the presentation of the setup screen is different for MotoGP 24, functionally, it's largely the same as in MotoGP 23.

However, the bikes' handling has changed, allowing you to choose a more responsive setup and reduce understeer. The bikes are also more stable this year, meaning you're less likely to get thrown off when running wide or making contact with another rider.

For a more in-depth look at how to set up your bike in MotoGP 24, check out our full setup guides article.

Musical Saddles

Something new to the MotoGP game for 2024 is rider movement between seasons in Career Mode. If you haven't been following the latest developments, this new feature may have passed you by.

There's now a Rider's Market allowing riders to change teams between seasons, keeping the grid fresh.

Credit: Milestone

While this isn't something that's going to affect you until your first Career Mode season has been completed, it's something you'll need to bear in mind.

It's best to look for riders who aren't performing, especially those in a seat you want to poach. Instead of focusing solely on your race, you'll now need to look at the competition, too.

For more on MotoGP 24, check out our review to find out our verdict on this year's official MotoGP game.

Have you tried MotoGP 24 yet? Let us know what you think of Milestone's latest bike racer in the comments below!

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