A few weeks ago, I reviewed a dirt bike racing game called MXGP2. With all honesty and integrity, I could not in good conscience reach a conclusion that justified it as an excellent game. Now we’ve been sent another game in the same genre, MX vs. ATV Supercross Encore. I reckon that a comparative review of both games could be informative and fair. With that mentality, I believe truly that MX vs. ATV is significantly better than MXGP2 in terms of playability and quality.
Unlike MXGP2, being an official MXGP game, MX vs. ATV is built on a much more casual setup. You don’t have to scratch your head trying to figure out what everything means. At the beginning, you are only given the option to customize rider and vehicle. Many larger displacement vehicles are locked and require completing races to unlock. It’s a much simpler and straightforward way to manage your racing profile.
Racing events are also clearly categorized in two sections. You may choose single race, which is what the name suggests, and select the track you desire and conditions you prefer, such as how many laps or what class of vehicles are allowed. The other category is career mode, a tournament scheme in which you participate in a series of races and earn medals and rewards based on your standing in the event.
I believe the game deserves the most praise in its diverse track environment. From desert canyons to snowy mountains, you may take your dirt bike where a mountain goat wouldn’t dare venture to. Also, there are other ridiculous tracks such as straight strip which features huge bumps allowing for tremendous air.
In case you are wondering, the graphics are great. Lighting and rendering are beautifully executed. Performance is stable and consistent throughout. I haven’t encountered any crashes or bugs during my review. The game’s UI menus are somewhat slow, but it’s within bearable limit.
In terms of maneuverability, MX vs. ATV is more like an arcade racer. You, the rider, possess mad skills that allow you to always be in control no matter how difficult the terrain is. However, you are not immune to the laws of physics. Certain actions can still cause you to fall off the bike. For example, if I keep the bike at full throttle in the air, I might raise the front wheel too high, which either leads to an awesome wheelie or my bottom touching the dirt. By the same token, if I nose dive too deep while in the air, I might just flip the bike. The game is much more forgiving when you veer off the track for a short period of time, you don’t get immediately reset to the track or lose huge amounts of time.
If I have to name one drawback of this game, it’d be that it still needs polish. Buttons are sometimes not very responsive in the menu and page switching time can be faster. Additionally, the graphics could’ve properly utilized current-gen hardware.
Summary
MX vs. ATV Supercross Encore is a great game even though it favors arcade mechanics more than simulation precision. It’s a lot of fun and gamers of all kinds will enjoy it thoroughly. While it’s still a little rough around the edges, it’s much better than the other motorcycling games available on Xbox One. If you want to get your biking thrills,
MX vs. ATV is the one for you.
Xian was a regular ICXM contributor between 2015–2017, publishing 162 articles across game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news. Their work focused on hands-on reviews, platform commentary, and breaking-news reporting during the Xbox One X launch year and Microsoft’s wider Play Anywhere / UWP gaming initiative.