Let me guess in one try how long ago you played any motorcycle racing games. A long time ago, right? Something outstanding and truly cool hasn’t come out in this genre since Driveclub Bikes. TT Isle of Man is a rare example of a game where I literally begged the editor to write a review. Moreover, in the end I bought it myself to prepare the material. The thing is that in the real world, along with many great car races, there is one no less great and, perhaps, the most dangerous motorcycle race in the world called the Isle of Man TT. It is held on the Isle of Man of the same name between Ireland and Great Britain. Its essence is very simple - six full circles around this very island. Each is 60 kilometers long. There is only one caveat - since the start of these races, 255 motorcyclists have died there.
It's strange that so far no one has tried to implement this race in a video game format. Now it has happened. On the one hand - literal delight. On the other hand, there is a bit of disappointment. Unfortunately, things didn't go smoothly for developer Kylotonn. We'll figure out.
Anyone who picks up this game needs to be prepared for a very high difficulty. The barrier to entry is high - TT Isle of Man is created for people who, for the most part, have gaming experience exclusively in racing games. Physics here strives for plausibility as much as possible. Jokes aside, at first I did only one thing - I dropped the bike. Just like in life.
The motorcycle slides along the road at the wrong angle of entry into the turn, the angle of inclination of the motorcycle and the wrong speed. I strongly recommend playing on a gamepad, as you literally have to tap dance on the keyboard to properly control the position of the motorcycle. In this case, you separately control the motorcycle racer, the weight of which can and must be transferred forward or backward, which can significantly improve the traction and predictability of the motorcycle. Or lead to a constant breakdown of the rear wheel in the direction of an uncontrolled skid.
A motorcycle can easily “rearrange” on the road - this is when in a split second you find yourself on the opposite side of the track. At the wrong time they began to “straighten up”—the fall. Tilt the bike too much - fall. Wrong angle - fall. If you unscrew the throttle too early, you crash. In general, the physics here simply inexorably destroys your nerves. The gameplay is reminiscent of a fervent attempt to pet a hungry shark. The very thought of it leaves you limbless. In TT Isle of Man, any wrong move or even thought will kill you. Virtually, of course.
Here I can only advise one thing - perseverance. The more you play, the better you understand the degree of manipulation required with the motorcycle. The more kilometers you drive, the faster you take turns and the more successfully you can correct the behavior of the iron horse. At first, you dream of not being overtaken in a circle. Then you dream about completing a lap without falling. Then you try to finish not last. Then - at least in the top three. As a result, you reach your victory for the first time. The achievement is shown, but you don’t care anymore. You are in ecstasy.
This is a huge plus of TT Isle of Man - hardcore, competitive spirit and an incredible challenge from the game to you. Don't forget that the circle here is 60 kilometers long. That is, you can easily spend more than two hours on one race. And all this time you need to maintain incredible concentration, endlessly tap the keys and sweat. But don't worry - there is more than one track here. There are many of them, and they are all famous. By the way, it is not at all necessary to complete the sixty-kilometer race. Start small.
If we compare the virtual track with the real one, then Kylotonn was able to make an almost complete and very accurate copy. And this is an absolute plus of the game, because many simply dreamed of driving the track, if not live, then at least “in the vastness” of their PC. Now there is such an opportunity. The route is very detailed. The houses, some columns, alleys of trees, natural relief, views and even places where spectators gather were copied.
And then the game begins to have quite objective problems. The main one is graphics. Yes, it is quite good, the picture can be pleasing to the eye. But the backdrops, which represent landscapes of the Isle of Man, can only cause bewilderment. Drawing distance suffers significantly. The spectators are too angular, the trees look like carbon copies. The picture lacks dynamic color correction and greater brightness.
For people who came not only for the track on the island, there is little content. There is also clearly little technology in the picture, especially in terms of lighting and shadows. Thank God at least the motorcycles are well detailed. The physics of the bike are plausible, but when a motorcyclist falls, he looks more like a sack of potatoes. There is no damage system. The accidents try to be spectacular, but they fail at all. Online is completely dead - there are no races at all. Apparently, motorcycle racing is only popular in my head. On the other hand, it is possible for eight people to play at one PC in turn, if there are so many people who are ready to train themselves for adequate driving in the local physics.
The list of minuses includes the absolutely monstrous interface, the absence of any musical accompaniment during the race, and the constant reset of the camera settings to standard ones. In the end, the game may freeze when minimized. And this despite quite good optimization, because during the game there are no technical problems at all.
It was a good attempt, but there are too many childish mistakes and shortcomings for a game whose scale is difficult to appreciate for motorcycle racing fans. Yes, all things being equal, the TT Isle of Man is still a great way to race super-fast motorcycles on the most legendary track. For amateurs, the listed disadvantages are just zilch, which they will not pay attention to. But for a wide audience the game is clearly ambiguous and will not justify its money under any circumstances.
On the verge of life and death
Speed deserves special mention. What do you think is the average speed at which you can drive a highway full of turns, on the sides of which there are houses, walls, trees and a bunch of other objects ready to kill you? The record for average speed per lap is currently 218 km/h. This means that in some areas motorcyclists accelerate over 300 km/h. Technically it's still riding a motorcycle, but many people often compare the experience to flying. For unprepared drivers, accelerating to such a mark will be scary even on a straight and safe section, but in the Isle of Man TT, pilots must keep dozens of factors in mind.
The Isle of Man TT pilots are desperate guys for whom racing has become like a drug. Participants note that it is simply impossible to live without these competitions. The pleasure received from racing is difficult to compare with anything else, and against the background of general euphoria, the fear of death and other experiences fade and remain somewhere “out there”.
Unfortunately, the death of participants is also an integral part of the competition. Since 1907, the race has claimed more than 250 lives, and the number of injuries is incalculable.
Among the participants, who seem to be not afraid of anything, there are also their own record holders. The overall winner is driver Joey Dunlop, who has 26 wins to his name. Despite all the experience, his life was cut short during one of the races, and not even on the Isle of Man. The Dunlop surname means a lot to TT: Joey’s brother Robert also took part in competitions several times. He never managed to become a winner, although he climbed to the “bedside table” 14 times. Robert died while training for other races. Joey's son William also died - he was within steps of winning 5 times. Only Joey's second son, Michael Dunlop, survived. He is a little behind his father: he has 19 wins to his name and has climbed to the top spot another 30 times. This amount of merit is possible due to several classes of competitions: currently 7 are relevant, among which there are races on electric motorcycles.
As deadly and dangerous as the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy is, it has attracted a ton of participants and spectators for over 100 years. And even now, with the 2021 season cancelled, the timer on the official website is counting down until next year.
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Trips
This year I spent my holiday driving 6500 km along the route "Germany - Netherlands - England - Isle of Man - Ireland - France - Spain - Andorra - (France again) - Italy - Switzerland - Austria - Germany." I would like to share a small part of my impressions of my visit to the iconic island of Isle of Man for everyone close to motorcycle culture. In my story I will try to justify why you should visit this island, even if you are far from the motorcycle theme 
Let's start from the beginning, namely: how to get to the island with your two-wheeled friend? As has already been noted by several authors on BP (for example, here and here), you can come to the island on your own motorcycle in several ways, but first you need to get to England (if you are coming from the east, of course). Several ferries depart from the Netherlands (Amsterdam or Rotterdam), and there is also a car-car train through the Channel Tunnel. Unfortunately, you cannot drive through the tunnel on a motorcycle under your own power. From England to the island there is a high-speed ferry from Liverpool (2.5 hours) or an old ferry from Heysham (4.5 hours). I chose the Rotterdam - Hull - Heysham - Maine route as I didn't want to trudge across England and wanted to see idyllic countryside views rather than big cities where an unattended bike could be stolen (yes, several sufferers appeared in the official group on FB who were left without horses on the way to the island, so these are not empty fears). Many people write that ferry tickets need to be purchased a year in advance. It is possible that for the week when the race itself takes place, this is indeed the case. But during qualifying races you can buy tickets a week in advance, although this will cost much more than early booking. I bought tickets for all ferries 5 days before departure.
Of course, motorcycles will have to make room on the ferry, and their owners will have to get used to the idea that, most likely, the panniers will be scratched by their neighbors if they don’t wrap everything in foam rubber. In crowded but not mad!
Campsites are also usually free during practice. Typically, the island's campgrounds are fairly basic, but usually have a small bar with a shop, a place to charge gadgets, toilets and showers. Some allow placing a motorcycle next to the tent, others do not, others formally prohibit it, but turn a blind eye to such violations if the neighbors do not complain. I chose a campsite in the village of Kirk Michael, with its own beach, and was pleased with the choice.
The easiest way is to book your camping spot through the office. website of the island's tourist office. If you want action, then you need to be located closer to the capital, Douglas, but if you want peace and quiet, then it is better to choose the opposite shore of the island. Then you can shoot amazing sunsets and barbecue on the beach, if you’re lucky with the weather
So, you've arrived on the Isle of Man and checked into a hotel or campsite, what to do next? To get started, download the dedicated smartphone app, which has a complete list of what's happening on the island during the TT days, as well as race results, live streaming and many other useful features. If you don't find anything suitable, it doesn't matter. Visit the motorcycle village in Douglas (Bushy Park), where the paddocks are and most of the partying takes place. For culture, there are many museums on the island, of which two are motorcycle exhibitions, 1 is a local history museum, 1 is a museum of military history and aviation (free!), 2 museums of railway equipment, 1 museum of a mine. You can save on admission by purchasing a special badge (price £10 this year) which gives entry to all museums and public transport for the duration of the race (i.e. approximately two weeks from late May to early June)
Below are a few photos from various museums:
1. Murray Museum
2. Motor Museum
This museum displays the motorcycle of one of the local residents, on which they tried to set a speed record on the famous salt lake. A local resident sits next to him in person and tirelessly tells everyone about his adventures and plans to build a new, even faster motorcycle. A living exhibit, so to speak.
So stop complaining about salt on the roads until your chain looks like this
3. mine museum
Don't feel like sitting indoors in good weather? At your service are several castle ruins, picturesque lighthouses, rides on unique retro locomotives, kayaks, horse-drawn trams, as well as the opportunity to observe local nature, including killer whales and seals. Observation can be carried out either for free from the cliff or for a fee on a rented boat. Don't forget about the famous Maine Coons - a breed of cats bred on the island. Maine. On one of the farms, a couple of hundred representatives of this harsh breed live in contentment. After visiting, all the city’s “cat cafes” will seem like an insignificant detail to you.
Also, in the eastern part of the island, you can use a drone for filming, with the exception of racing times, when filming is carried out from helicopters. Sometimes you get good shots. There is an airport on the western part of the island, where planes with passengers arrive almost hourly in the summer, so you can fly a personal drone there only with the permission of dispatchers. Below are some drone footage.
1. Peel Castle Ruins
2. And the city of Peel itself
Port Erin is the best place on the island for kayaking and wildlife watching. If I go to the island next time, I will definitely spend 2-3 nights here!
From here you can walk to the lighthouses and towers along marked routes
Cape near Calf Sound. It seems that everyone who is not currently practicing their skills on the slopes has gathered here
Where else will you see so many people standing and lying in the sun in full leather gear, frozen with cameras and binoculars, and at the same time photographing NOT motorcycles?
Everyone is waiting to see what the seals will do, and they are happy to pose
As far as I understand, the largest seal nest is on two small islands to the west, which can only be reached by boat
I wouldn’t try kayaking on my own without a knowledgeable guide - the current is too strong
And, of course, the island has wonderful motorcycle trails. Outside of racing, the official track is open to everyone (provided they adhere to traffic rules). The only relaxation is the so-called. Mountain Road, which is made one-way on race days and turns a blind eye to speeding. But if you try to go in the opposite direction, you will have a conversation with the police, who are closely watching what is happening. If you prefer a leisurely ride with many stops for photos, then there are suitable routes for you.
Back to racing. There is no point in buying tickets for paid stands: along the route there are a lot of observation posts erected by local residents, where they are willing to let you in for free. It should be remembered that during the races the main route on the island is blocked, and moving anywhere from the chosen place can be problematic, as well as moving from the outside of the ring to the inside. This can only be done through a tunnel in exactly one place along the entire length of the 60-kilometer route. If you are not a very experienced photographer, shoot on a smartphone and do not have a quick reaction, then it is better to take places on sharp turns, where participants slow down at least a little. Otherwise, the photo will only show blurry shadows rushing at a speed of 300 km/h
These are the photos I got on Quarterbridge
Yes, a smartphone is not a DSLR, and I won’t post too many photos of the same type out of respect for your sense of beauty
People in orange vests are the so-called. Marshals are volunteers responsible for the conduct of races, discipline, safety, etc. These people have nerves of iron, considering that motorcyclists are rushing by just a few tens of centimeters from them, not separated by anything.
Despite the inconveniences associated with road closures and inflated ferry prices, the island's residents treat motorcyclists kindly, and not only because racing and related tourism are a significant contributor to the island's budget. TT seems to be in their blood. On race days, the entire local press is devoted to only one topic: here someone fell, there an electric motorcycle caught fire in the pits. Veselukha!
Alas, sometimes sad news comes. On average, 2-3 people die each year during qualifying or racing, making the TT one of the most dangerous events in the world of motorsports. The race takes place on ordinary city streets, and it is simply impossible to equip sufficient protection here. But the participants know what they are doing, this is their conscious choice, and it would be stupid to try to prohibit them from doing anything. This year, as many people know, two people died and two more were seriously injured.
In newspapers you can find not only motorcycles for transporting, but also very exotic ones, such as a motorcycle hearse
People come to tie ribbons at Fairybridge in memory of those killed. They say that if you throw a coin into a stream, good luck will come
But even without a coin I know that I will come back here again! (I wish the same for you)
PS It’s a pity that I had to leave the island so early that I didn’t even get a glimpse of the actual racing. But I was tied to a strict schedule, including the ferry schedule. For example, a ferry from the island. Maine goes to Belfast only once a week, and I haven’t been to Northern Ireland yet.
