I failed the tutorial…
There are two things in life that are guaranteed. There will be a new motocross game, and it will most likely come from Milestone. After taking a year off, Milestone is back with another entry in the appropriately titled series, Monster Energy Supercross. This is not the first of these that I have played, and to an outsider it probably begs the question what can possibly be added to make it more Monster-Energy-er? All kidding aside, these games are heralded as some of the most realistic motocross games out there, and for good reason. They really dig into the physics and skill of the sport, which also makes them extremely, extremely difficult.
The Monster Energy games are based on the very popular AMA series of motocross events that take place in the USA. These races take place on smaller courses with lots of jumps, hills, and turns. It is surprisingly popular and considered the Nascar equivalent of motocross. The game includes all the licensed drivers and tracks, of which I knew none of them. Tracks are also licensed, but again my unfamiliarity with them means it could have been fabricated, and I would have never known.
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $59.99
One of the biggest changes to this year’s game is the upgrade to Unreal Engine 5. This is likely why we had an off year. While the models and such seem pretty similar, the devil is in the details. The track deformation, particles, and such are much improved. It really adds a lot to the overall presentation. It looks fantastic in action and much more realistic thanks to the combination of the track changing per lap and all the little details. It also holds the same frame rate and feels great to play.
Alright let’s talk about the difficulty. One thing these games are known for is their realism. I grew up playing ATV and MX games from Rainbow Studios, which had more arcade-style physics. These games are extremely aggressive in their realism. The tutorial even broke me a few times. There are so many mechanics that I was constantly falling off my bike. It is definitely built for hardcore players. There are customizations that make it easier, but it never reaches the approachable levels of something like the classic MX vs. ATV series. This is realism.
That said, the AI from the previous game has been greatly improved. The racers take different lines and try to run you off the road. It is quite fun at times and simply infuriating at others. This game will challenge even the most hardcore of players. I watched a few videos of people who play these games religiously and it is akin to watching pro-level fighting game players. The amount of micro-managing they do is simply impressive. Milestone has done an outstanding job of capturing that challenge, so casual players be warned.
The one area the game struggles with is guiding the player. It feels like they expect everyone coming in to know all the nuances of motocross racing. The tutorial shows the moves, but not the reason they should be used. The career mode is hard right from the start that will turn off some players. Even toning down the difficulty doesn’t alleviate all issues; the game is still hard and seems to cater to hardcore fans of the genre. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but one worth knowing before diving in.
Customization is also extremely in-depth. Players can trick out their rides with tons of liveries as well as their racers with new outfits and helmets. There is even a track editor for players to play with, which has some nice updates to it. The game really lets players make it their own, and I appreciate that.
Monster Energy Supercross 25 is a terrible name for such a finely crafted game. This is for the hardcore fans of the sport and Milestone has gone the extra mile to make sure all the realism is intact. They could have done more to ease in casual players, but everything else is fantastic. The new engine levels up the visuals and the customization is very appreciated. You just have to know what you are getting into before diving in. This game takes commitment and practice to fully enjoy it. Once you get past that though, it is one of the best in the genre.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
