Videogames make lots of things possible in a virtual world that would in no way ever be possible in reality. Even simulation games, no matter how real they may seem, are never quite able to approximate the real world. For instance, while I may be outstanding as a superbike cyclist in SBK X: Superbike World Championship, were I to actually get on a superbike in the real world, I would end up with numerous broken bones and an utterly destroyed sense of pride.
Truth be told, I got said destroyed sense of pride the first time I played SBK X in its simulation mode, where I not only wound up dead last, but did so in embarrassing fashion. That was the first thing I attempted in the title and it convinced me instantly that I needed to step back and go to the game's arcade section where not only is the driving more forgiving, but you're given a handy dandy racing line as well.
SBK X packs a whole lot of different items into the single title, there are the aforementioned simulation and arcade modes, and a multiplayer section (up to 16 people can compete online at once in several different race types) as well. Simulation allows you to create a career in which you'll have eight seasons to work your way up the ladder. You create a rider, choose a team, and compete in race after race after race. There are smaller objectives as well and, of course, the ability to tweak your bike setup to best accommodate you. It's a relatively full career mode, provides hours of enjoyment, and the fact that the game doesn't solely hinge on it certainly helps the overall title as well.
Arcade mode lacks the ability to play through a career, instead opting for a story track. Here, rather than going through grueling practice sessions and qualifiers, you are given a short mission goal (pass another driver, move up "x" places, etc.) and thrown into the middle of a race. You can earn bronze, silver, or gold cups for each mission and thereby unlock more races and move up from the most junior level, Superstock 1000; to Supersport; and eventually Superbike classes.
The arcade mode, as you would expect, is far more forgiving than Simulation (which, to be fair, has three "levels of realism"), and it is a lot easier to get up to speed in Arcade. But, if it's realism you're after, the simulation mode does allow plenty of different tweaks to the bike and a whole lot of control over your ride. Of course, if you're like me, "a whole lot of control over your ride" is going to mean that until you get up to speed you're going to be a disaster. Whether that speaks well or ill of the game is up to you to decide, but know that you're not going to pick the title up, jump into simulation mode (even on a low difficulty setting), and blow your opponents out of the water. If you opt to play on the most realistic setting with a full length race (you can run races at a percent length of the real-world length), you're going to be in for a true challenge. The story mode eliminates a lot of the choices given to you in Simulation's career section, but makes it significantly more easy to feel good about yourself without just handing you a bunch of wins.
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