Ack! I’ve been away from here for far too long, but wanted to stop in with an update after finishing MX vs. ATV Reflex. It had been ages since I’d played a racing game and I was really getting the itch, so I tried my hand at this fun little motocross racer. Although there are a selection of vehicles to choose from including buggies and trucks, and some races require you to use those, the dirt bikes are the most fun since they allow you use twin-stick controls (one stick to steer and the other to lean your body) for more variety, tricks and subtle control. It made the game feel a lot more visceral and involving than just having to hit the gas and steer. The graphics still hold up well, there’s a nice sensation of speed, and timing jumps just right can feel pretty rewarding. There are also some nice touches like deforming terrain (which causes ruts that will affect your handling) and extra cheers from the crowd when you overtake another racer or pull off little tricks. The AI is pretty stupid and seems to have a complete disregard for human life, so it’s not uncommon for trucks to simply run you over, or for other riders to land on your head after a jump (which will usually knock you over, while they continue on their merry way), so I sometimes found myself restarting certain races over and over, since the initial start would often resemble a demolition derby. The tracks are also reused which limits the variety somewhat, but some of them were beautifully done, and I especially liked the outdoor wilderness maps which reminded me a lot of mountain biking out in nature. All in all, this was fun!
I’ve been in the mood for racing games lately and kept coming back to this game but decided to play Riptide GP2 instead. Will have to keep this one on my radar. What controller did you use? These games always have their flaws, but love the arcade feel to ‘em and generally a blast to play in short bursts. Glad it was fun overall, nice review! Hope you’ve been well. :)
Hey, Jaffa! :) I’m doing well, thanks. It seems that I’ve fallen in with a friendly Insurgency clan, though, so we’ve been playing a ton of that lately, and coupled with the recent summer events in Killing Floor 2 and Rocket League, the rest of my library’s been feeling a little… neglected. :P
Riptide GP2 always reminded me of the water racing parts of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (which is a super fun game that really shines with friends). Your description fits this game perfectly, by the way. It’s arcadey and could certainly use a bit of improvement in some areas, and marathon sessions would make it feel rather “samey”, but it’s simply fun to fire it up and bang out a few laps around a track, or go racing up a mountainside and come careening down again. The leaning mechanic in this one (where the ‘Reflex’ derives from) seems like a small addition, but it feels like it adds a lot to the game (through subtle steering input at speed, extra height on jumps, added stability when riding over logs, etc.) Since it’s already in your library, give it a try sometime. :D
Also, I use an old Logitech F510, which resembles the Playstation controllers. The vibration feedback motor barely has a pulse these days, but otherwise, it’s still serving me well. :P
I can never keep up all the mp events, sad I missed the KF2 one. :( Love the clown theme.
As long as you’re having fun I’m sure your backlog forgives you. Nice when you can find some pleasant people to play with! (as the bar is usually set quite low :P)