I’m not a bike fanatic in real life but I’ve become acquainted to the MX/ATV series on many occassions since back in 2005. Back in the glory days of the Playstation 2, ATV Quad Fury was one of my favorite games but after MX Unleashed was introduced, and soon after merged with the ATV franchise, my interest shifted towards other racing titles. While my time with Untamed two years ago was well spent, changes and tunings were needed to bring the franchise to the next level since I never felt like the series had yet to make the leap to next generation gaming. Not only does MX vs ATV Reflex address most of my complaints and answer the wishes I had for the dirt bike racing genre but it also exceeds my expectations to the point where my interest has suddenly skyrocketed.

Using both the left and right thumbsticks, Reflex introduces a brand new driving and control scheme that is not only intuitive but also delivers a much more enjoyable and realistic experience compared to previous series offerings. When you’re driving a bike or an ATV, the left thumbstick is used for simple steering while the right thumbstick controls your rider’s body position, both laterally and forwards and backwards, for precise cornering and jumps. The right thumbstick can also be used as a jump recovery tool. In past MX vs ATV iterations, failing to land a jump would often place you in situations where restarting the whole race was your only option. Here, if you find yourself off balance after a landing, an indicator will show up giving you the chance to recover your balance by flicking the right thumbstick in the direction where your weight needs to be shifted. The right thumbstick can also be used to pull off tricks while in the air. To initiate this sequence, all you need to do is hold the left bumper after take off and move the right thumbstick to one of three different positions to pull a move.

To further enhance your racing experience, the developers over at Rainbow Studios have also introduced real-time terrain deformation. As the race progresses, whether you race on snow or dirt, each driver leaves a trail on the track, which wears away a trail over time. This will have an obvious impact on your driving, putting the use of the right thumbstick to the test. The terrain deformation engine is certainly my favourite aspect of the game because learning a race track by heart is almost impossible. Instead, your success will be based on how quickly you can adapt on the fly and the controls. You may start at the back of the grid but you could easily win the race if you manage to use the new control scheme to your advantage. Being able to win at any time also makes the game incredibly accessible and fun for the less experienced, who, up until then, usually tired quickly of constantly losing to their hardcore racing fan buddy.

Aside from the bikes and quads, which you can both customize and tune to your own likings, Reflex features seven different sorts of vehicles including sport buggies, UTV’s and sport trucks. The vehicle variety is welcomed but unfortunately, the fun inherent in the new controls is simply not there. The driving mechanics aren’t the best either. The vehicles lack weight; they feel incredibly light while driving them. They can also get damaged (which is cool) but it is purely cosmetic. It was nice of Rainbow to include other vehicles but don’t feel bad if you end up spending most of your time playing with the bikes and ATV’s.

The offline career mode (MotoCareer) is composed of six series (Waypoint, Freestyle, Champion Sport Track, Omnicross, Supercross and National), each carrying its own set of races.There’s also a Free Ride mode in which you will get to explore the massive environments and complete challenges. The offline part of the game is extensive and should keep you entertained for a good amount of hours. Reflex also sports an online component that supports up to twelve players. The same events from the offline career can be selected with the only difference being that only a few are available at start. You will need to unlock them in your career to get access to them online. The most interesting part of the online world is that the game lets you create playlists, allowing you to make your choices first and then enjoy your events one after another, without interruption. Finally, mini-games such as Tag, and fan favourite Snake mode, from Untamed are also available. If you do not remember what Snake was about, it was the Tron-like mode where your rider would leave a long coloured trail behind him. The goal is to avoid the opponent’s trails. The last man standing wins but if you get eliminated, you will get to stay on the race track and fool around even though you won’t create coloured trails. Very addictive.

Graphics & Sounds

Visually, MX vs. ATV Reflex is a huge improvement over Untamed. The new terrain deformation engine brings something truly unique to the experience but the exterior environments are also bigger and much more impressive compared to what we’ve seen in past MX vs ATV. Heck, there’s even wacky waving inflatable arm-flailing tube men standing in the crowds! Indoor events are also impressive but in a different way. The crowd roaring and the lighting truly captures what the sport is all about.

Soundwise, aside from the cool environmental sounds and the roar of the engines, there’s very little worth pointing out. The rock/punk soundtrack is an obvious choice and fits the game very well. However, the cool part about the music is that you won’t hear it as you begin the race but it dynamically swells as you progress through it. It does bring a little something extra but the visual experience is so immersive that you’ll hardly notice it.

Value

For the price of admission, the game does offer plenty of replay value; whether its the online choices or the offline career mode. The presence of more vehicles than just bikes and quads might take you away from the "reflexive" controls addition but, with the exception of the Omnicross event, you can totally play the game without even looking at them. You could even look at it as a free expansion pack if you’d like. The game has been built to please both the newcomers and the hardcore MX vs ATV crowd and that’s a very tough balance to strike. Rainbow and THQ can be proud of their most recent offering and there’s no way anyone could complain.

Conclusion

Releasing the game this late in the year is a double edged blade: either you take the chance to release it during the busy time of the year and go completely unnoticed or release it later and face the fact that people might skip it. Still, hardcore riders won’t want to miss the rendez-vous but newcomers (and those who have heard of the game but are still unsure if its worth it) should definitely keep a few extra dollars aside. The game is worth every one.