SBK14 Review

Developer: Digital Tales
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 1.1.2
Device Reviewed On: iPad Air

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When it comes to racing games, you’re either an arcade enthusiast or a simulation fanatic. Both sides have their merits, and it’s totally okay to prefer the fidelity of Gran Turismo to the craziness of Burnout. However, the problem with a sim like SBK14, the official mobile game of the actual Superbike World Championship series, is that the quality of its professional motorcycle racing doesn’t justify its overwhelming dryness. It’s good, but not that good.

To unlock everything the game has to offer, players must pay to upgrade, but even the free initial download comes with enough to do. Players can choose between plenty of real-world racers and compete in everything from one-lap quick races to sprawling, global tournaments. However, they’ll only have access to three courses in Australia, Aragόn, and the Netherlands. And after taking in their sights, players will want to see more. SBK14’s visuals are by far its strongest attributes. The sweeping vistas, exquisite lighting, detailed environments, and smooth character animations definitely reach console quality, all without sacrificing an impressive sense of speed.

However, everything great about SBK14 is mostly technical. When it comes to the actual soul of the game, there’s just not much there. Racing feels fine thanks to the wide variety of control schemes, including a generous auto brake, but the act of racing itself feels bland and lacks the depth other sim racing games use to make up for their sterile presentations. Even the graphics, which again are technically stunning, quickly become unexciting with their abundance of flat pastures. It may be realistic, but it’s kind of dull.

SBK14 is a game geared towards a certain type of player. It’s someone who already knows what the Superbike World Championship is and is stoked to see racers like Sylvain Guintoli and David Salom make the cut. Fortunately, those people will probably enjoy it. But beyond pretty sights, it doesn’t offer much to us plain folks.