PGR4's got motorbikes!

By Robert Purchese Published 10 July, 2007

Bizarre details the beasts.

Bizarre Creations has finally confirmed that Project Gotham Racing 4 will feature our favourite robotic friends, motorbikes.

But these won't just be any old two-wheelers, the developer was keen to point out on its website - instead they will be special PGR4-styled machines. This means they'll have the same lavish amount of detail the cars enjoy, with a heavy emphasis on fun rather than realistic and difficult handling.

So, yes, you'll be able to wheelie irresponsibly, or brake too sharply and thrust your rear in the air. In fact, just pulling off dare-devil bits and pieces like this will actually reward you by giving you Kudos points. Power-sliding through corners and hitting the ominous "Stunt Button" will be the best ways of racking this up.

And don't worry about the effect motorbikes will have on the overall game. Bizarre is still insistent that cars are the real first love, although there won't be that much difference between the two vehicles if they're both top of the range - you'll be in for a tough race whichever you choose.

However, should you be a little fussy, then cars might handle better through tight corners and bikes sometimes display better acceleration.

Bizarre plans to show off the robotic horses of the 21st Century in new videos over the coming weeks, once it gets the all clear from publisher Microsoft. Included in these will be a look at the iconic machines in the line-up - each selected for its historical impact, so no scooters allowed - as well as a new game map in the shape of Chinese mainland city Macau.

Race over to our Project Gotham Racing 4 gallery for the latest motorbike screenshots.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (28) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • gamingdave #1 5 years ago

    Nice to see they are going to have a fun arcade style handeling, be interesting to see how the collisions work on them. Still anoyed about the spin outs resulting from shunting in PGR3

  • captainrentboy #2 5 years ago

    Wow! Some of those screenshots are effing gorgeous (The ones with the moody, dull weather)
    And yet some of them are quite crappy looking :/
    I'll be getting it anyway, I really liked the third one, and this one supposedly has a far better laid out career mode, which is good news as Numero 3's was fairly poor.
    Edit- Surely if bikes and cars are in the same race, and a rider gets knocked off his bike, the only way around it would be to make the rider a 'ghost' to everyone else in the race whilst he's dismounted. You can't have people mowing down the riders left, right and centre.
    How did it work in Test Drive?
    Edited by captainrentboy at 10/07/07 @ 16:46

  • IAmBatman #3 5 years ago

    The weather effect screenshots on Bizarre's website look friggin' lovely.

  • kangarootoo #4 5 years ago

    Oooooooh, pretty.

  • Tomo #5 5 years ago

    Poor EG, poor.

    A missed opportunity for /\/\0+0]231|{e5

  • souljacker2000 #6 5 years ago

    I thought they were Bizzares own designed bikes, aint tht an Augusta?

  • kangarootoo #7 5 years ago

    They all look like adaptations of existing bikes. One of them looks very much like a Honda CBR 600RR.

    They might just be tweaked enough to avoid licensing costs (or they may of course actually be licensed but the final decal schemes are worked out yet).

    Does PGR normally license real cars or do they make up their own?

  • souljacker2000 #8 5 years ago

    Im sure they are all licensed they look like they should do

  • CyberClaw #9 5 years ago

    according to Bizarre, car on bike collisions will be Hollywood style. The biker will be able to hold his bike straight. Even biker on barrier collisions will be arcadey (you won't fall easily), but shove yourself too hard against a barrier and you will eventually be thrown of.

    They said their motto is "If it's your fault, you fall, if it's not, you don't" (according to cars shoving bikers).

  • agparrot #10 5 years ago

    That shot where the guy in blue and white is holding up his hand... surely he has extended too many fingers?

    How is this going to work then, in terms of collisions and speed and handling differences?

    I mean, Motorstorm seemed to get away with it from what I've seen on x-league TV, but that is all in the mud-thrashing spirit.

    Can we expect to see people in races who have chosen cars batting pesky motorcyclists out of the way? Will there be multiple class races?

    Why are there always more questions than answers?

    edit: I typed too slowly.
    Edited by agparrot at 10/07/07 @ 17:11

  • SBfistfun #11 5 years ago

    wow...how exciting...I can barely contain my excitement...woohoo, so exciting...oh my god the excitement is killing me....wow...welcome to tEh Next gEn....

    zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  • Floppy #12 5 years ago

    Considering every previous version of PGR you drive and collect cars that are fully licensed versions of real-life counterparts, it would make sense that the bikes are the same.

  • CyberClaw #13 5 years ago

    All the bikes will be fully licensed and will replicate even the smallest mechanisms (you'll see the chains working, clocks and meters, etc). PGR3 had working brake pads in the cars (as well as fully working car interiors, including stuff like Radio and gears).

    So far I've only spotted the MV Augusta, and I saw the "CBR" look-alive, but taking into consideration that 90% of nowadays racing replicas adopted similar headlights, I'm guessing that's not a CBR (the lights are also too far apart). Maybe it's a Daytona...

  • Jesus_is_my_airbag #14 5 years ago

    Ones an mv agusta for sure, so not exactly sure about this "chosen for historical impact" is about as they're pretty modern nice lookin bikes but nothing more imo.
    Being a bike fan i'll be p'd off if they make up bikes motogp extreme style.

    I want to see some old 2-strokes.

    that one with two head lights looks v honda like, the other two could be beemers?

    ahh proved...
    http://uk.media.xbox360.ign.com/media/85...

    http://www.motorbikestoday.com/reviews/A...
    Edited by Jesus_is_my_airbag at 10/07/07 @ 17:23

  • captainrentboy #15 5 years ago

    SBfisting, surely it was an exciting enough story to have you make that comment, or else why bother?

  • CyberClaw #16 5 years ago

    Okay I've spotted 4 bikes and identifyed 3.

    The black bike in most pictures is a MV Augusta F4 Senna
    The black bike in the same picture as the MV Augusta taking a turn, is a Triumph Daytona
    The black and white bike in the last picture, which we catch only a glimpse sideways, is a Honda CBR 1000 RR Fireblade (I dunno if that painting is avaialable for the 600 RR, that's why I'm guessing it's the 1000).

    I don't know what the 4th naked bike is though. Anyone?

  • Overlush #17 5 years ago

    Oh dear.

  • captainrentboy #18 5 years ago

    Oh dear, what Overlush?
    Have you messed yourself over the excellent quality of the pics? Don't worry, it happens to the best of us.
    Unless of course they're Killzone 2 pics of course :)
    Edited by captainrentboy at 10/07/07 @ 17:30

  • simiankid #19 5 years ago

    When did bikes become robots?

    /is confused

  • The-Bodybuilder #20 5 years ago

    >"SBfisting, surely it was an exciting enough story to have you make that comment, or else why bother? "

    Because it's cool to be a prat, apparently.

  • haowan #21 5 years ago

    I came in here expecting detailed pictures of breasts, and I must now register my profound disgust and disappointment.

  • armyourfists #22 5 years ago

    I'm pretty sure the silver naked bike alongside the Atom is either a Moto Guzzi or a Ducati and the other semi-naked silver and yellow bike is a BMW K1200R.

    The Daytona Cyberclaw is on about looks more like another CBR.
    Edited by armyourfists at 10/07/07 @ 18:37

  • septimus #23 5 years ago

    Ooh, old news.

    EG should read more IGN ;)

  • niz #24 5 years ago

    "Included in these will be a look at the iconic machines in the line-up - each selected for its historical impact, so no scooters allowed"

    I think Piaggio's Vespa is pretty much an iconic machine with historical significance:

    [link url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespa
    ]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespa
    [/link]

  • armyourfists #25 5 years ago

    But scooters would be utter rubbish.

  • TheRealBadabing #26 5 years ago

    But does it haev H0\/3l2b04l2dz ?

    If not the PS3 clearly w1nzorz!

  • stoopidgreg #27 5 years ago

    i love bikes but cars racing with bikes?? bugger off!!

    bikes whip cars in terms of speed, acceleration and handling.

    i guess this means they'll have to make the bikes slower than they otherwise would be...

  • armyourfists #28 5 years ago

    Nah, cars carry more speed through corners 'cos they have more wheels, which equals more grip.