Milestone’s track record has been solid over the last few years, with the Italian developer putting out a vast number of well-made motorcycle sims on a consistent basis. Their latest, MXGP 2020, launches not long from now, and represents the first step into next-gen for them- and they’re making plenty of improvements to the formula to commemorate that big step. To learn more about the game and what improvements fans can expect from it, we recently reached out to its developers with some of our questions. You can read our interview with lead game designer Alex Basilio.
"The track editor is a core feature of MXGP 2019 and we are very happy to improve it. In MXGP 20 I’m especially proud of the new environment that we have included in track editor."
Can you talk about the improvements being made to the track editor and what sort of fidelity the creation toolset will have following these changes?
The track editor is a core feature of MXGP 2019 and we are very happy to improve it. In MXGP 20 I’m especially proud of the new environment that we have included in track editor. This new virtual place allows players to create amazing tracks set on a realistic open air ambient with natural climbs and different terrain elevation. We hope that the players will have fun creating the most elaborate tracks ever seen in a motocross game.
Will MXGP 20 support cross-play, especially for tracks created and shared online?
This year, working on the game wasn’t easy at all. We are at an important generation turning point, but at the same time we had to deal with a complicated world health situation. MXGP 20 is our first next gen video game and we obviously have to build all the new structures for the game. In this scenario some feature like the cross gen support had to be left behind a little bit, but we definitely will work on it on the future titles.
Talk to us about MXGP 2020’s new Playground. What are the biggest ways it differs from and improves over the previous Playground?
With the incredible size of 1km x 1km, this playground is the biggest free roaming area ever in a Milestone game. This year we set the playground in a beautiful Norway valley with rivers, fjord, green hills, and three challenging new training tracks.
How soon after launch will Race Director mode be coming?
I can’t answer with a specific date yet, but we are currently working hard on it. We ask our players to have a little patience.
"With the incredible size of 1km x 1km, this playground is the biggest free roaming area ever in a Milestone game."
Wat sort of improvements are you making to MXGP 2020’s career mode?
Essentially the career mode follows the track of the previous MXGP game but has a new flavour thanks to the new consoles. The structure as usual leaves the player free to decide if to race with the most competitive official teams, or to found and bring to victory a brand new team sponsored by a real life sponsor.
Something that’s crucial in simulation games is presentation and authenticity- what can we expect from MXGP 2020 in that area?
The players will appreciate the new game physics and the terrain deformation, so I assure you we will give them an authentic motocross experience.
Many have been wondering why MXGP 2020 hasn’t been announced for Xbox Series X and Series S, though it has been for the PS5 (and current-gen consoles, of course). Can you give us some insight into that decision, and whether or not MXGP 2020 will eventually be releasing for the new Xbox consoles?
The transition between two generation of consoles, new digital platforms and the global pandemic that is requiring remote working for all our developers (safety of our people is a priority for us), caused a remarkable productive effort in our studio that forced our dev team to take hard decisions. The incredible power of the Xbox Series X|S will allow our players to enjoy an optimized version of MXGP 2020, even without a specific release.
What kind of improvements have you made to the game’s online structure and what kind of modes can we expect?
The online mode will be more stable and reliable compared to previous titles thanks to dedicated servers. It will also give some surprise in the future updates.
"The players will appreciate the new game physics and the terrain deformation, so I assure you we will give them an authentic motocross experience."
What resolution and frame rate are you targeting for the game on PS5? What about PS4 and Xbox One?
MXGP 2020 runs on PS5 in 4K dynamic resolution and 60 fps. This is a great improvement because the visual impact is amazing. All tracks, especially the playground, have a different feeling, and it gives to the player a more realistic experience.
Will MXGP 2020 implement the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on the PS5?
We use the full potential of the DualSense controller. With the haptic feedback we give the players the sensations of the motocross bike with the terrain surface simulation and very useful information like the loss of tire grip or the engine limiter. Adaptive triggers guarantee a realistic strength on the throttle, brake, and clutch.
The PS5’s SSD has been one of its biggest talking points- how has it impacted the game and the way you have designed the game?
The PS5’s SSD is a massive step forward for every video game. In the future, it will be impossible to come back when we will get to be used to zero loading times. Current loading times will become a very “old past”. I have experienced the PS5’s new loading times and quick resume, and I’m sure that these features will change our way to play video games.
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