After the announcement that an official game of this season’s FIM Superbike World Championship is on the way, entitled SBK 22, now the first gameplay has been revealed.
The third-person viewpoint is set at the Algarve International Circuit, near Portimão, and follows 2021 champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu on his Yamaha YZF-R1.
Developed by Milestone, the Milanese studio also creates the yearly MotoGP game, and while the motorcycles used are very different, both MotoGP 22 and SBK 22 share the same Unreal game technology and in this case, circuit.
Differences between the two games are hard to spot at this point. Of course, there is an updated heads-up display for the player, with WorldSBK-themed position graphics at the top left, and uniquely styled bike data at the bottom right.
How the game simulates riding assists looks to be near identical to MotoGP 22, with traction control, anti-wheelie control, engine braking system and power mode all selectable.
For all intents and purposes, the track model looks to be shared between the two games, but trackside banners, run-off areas and furniture have been altered.
The superbikes do have a unique engine sound to them, reminding us of the sounds from the top bikes in Ride 4, also by Milestone.
Exiting Torre Vip and through Turn 6, Razgatlıoğlu appears to move his arm more than in previous titles by this developer, indicating a potential tweak to the rider animation system.
How the title delivers feedback to the player is a key element of SBK 22, and this work-in-progress gameplay clip doesn’t provide a clear understanding yet. We hope we can go hands-on with the game ahead of its 15th September 2022 release date for PC, PlayStation and Xbox.
