When you look at any game, a core eventually emerges, even more so when it comes to racing games. Even with Motocross titles, it’s not just about racing around tracks – it’s about the timing of the jumps, the navigation of the turns, the customization of one’s vehicles, and the sense of mastery that comes with perfecting your run. MX vs. ATV Legends seems to strive towards this this, but falters in almost every imaginable department. It stops just shy of collapsing but the overall core is rickety, and almost pitiable at times.

"The track design is actually pretty decent – each feels distinct in terms of the sections, which demand different techniques."

There are multiple different modes but you’ll begin the game in the new open-world space. This is where you’re introduced to the Compound and various characters. Don’t be fooled by the openness though. The hills aren’t as expansive as they seem; there are rollers, whoops, inclines and jumps for performing tricks along with some collectibles. But drive too far off into the horizon and you’re unceremoniously repelled back. It’s ultimately a barren landscape serving very little purpose.

After speaking to a few NPCs, you’re instructed to complete some tutorials, which will teach you about the various techniques (like how to lean when approaching corners). From there, you graduate to jumps and tricks – this is where things start to come undone. The left and right analog sticks can be manipulated to perform different maneuvers – holding back on the former will see you perform a wheelie. From there, it gets more complicated – hold L2 for mid-air control, manipulating both sticks and releasing the left at the correct moment for more air, leaning forward for more recovery time after a jump. Pulling these off is incredibly unwieldy, at best.

It only gets worse when you participate in actual races. Career mode, regardless of whether you’re pursuing MX, ATV or UTV events, is grouped into different segments like Invitationals, Trails races, Nationals, and so on. Of course, to unlock ATV and UTV races, you need to complete enough of the MX career first. The track design is actually pretty decent – each feels distinct in terms of the sections, which demand different techniques.

Whoops, for example, necessitate holding back on the right stick to quickly skip over them. Some big ramps require more height on take-off – others demand you ease up on the acceleration and stick the landing. Though these areas can be quite repetitive in terms of scenery, the rolling green plains and snow-covered mountainsides offer some gameplay differences. This isn’t to say they look amazing either and issues like texture pop-in or terrible rider animations certainly don’t help.

"Even if all of these gaffs were absent, Career Mode can still be very low-rent with its thread-bare plot and forgettable characters."

Of course, you’re quickly introduced to another issue with Legends’ gameplay – the other racers. Their AI is, to put it kindly, bad. Sometimes, they’ll constantly be ahead of you, skillfully navigating jumps without so much as a hitch. Other times, they’ll constantly slip, slide and crash but recover quickly and remain competitive. Given how random collisions can be, whether it’s with other drivers or the environment, this can turn some races into messy affairs.

The physics can also be very hit-or-miss. While navigating berms and ruts, the controls can feel precise when leaning with Motocross bikes. ATVs, on the other hand, feel heavier which makes sense given their weight and its distribution. UTVs, meanwhile, are almost like hockey pucks, ping-ponging around the environment, as likely to keep going after an absurd crash as they are to stop dead-cold on the most random of objects.

But while MX bikes and ATVs feel the most responsive, there are still plenty of instances where you will randomly crash, overshoot a turn, jerk around too quickly on a turn, and so on and so forth. Even the water can be your enemy – a shallow stream can sometimes cause you to outright stop and crash. Be careful on the beach as getting too close causes the water to suck you in, almost never to return. At least the tricks look nice, though they don’t really add much of anything to the overall gameplay.

Even if all of these gaffs were absent, Career Mode can still be very low-rent with its thread-bare plot and forgettable characters. Essentially, you win races to earn more fans and currency. You do have points where it branches off into different kinds of events, and there is decent variety, whether it’s straightforward lap-based races or hitting a certain number of checkpoints while having some freedom of navigation.

"One of the better aspects of Legends is the new Trails mode. Many of these tracks are far more open and sport various branching paths."

However, due to a constant crashing issue, I was unable to progress past a certain point in MX Career. And not advancing in MX Career means the ATV and UTV Careers come to a stand-still as well.

In terms of customization, the currency is used to either purchase better parts when tuning (which can make a ton of difference, even when going back to replay previous races) or customize rims, suspensions, and so on. Even by arcade racing standards, there’s a surprising lack of options – think along the lines of “upgrading acceleration at the cost of power” and vice versa, though the alternative can provide benefits to traction as well.

Cosmetic customization is similarly boring and limited, whether you’re changing outfits and helmets for the rider or having to spend currency to change the colors of your seats, handlebars and whatnot. I know recoloring isn’t free in real life off-road racing but I refuse to believe my own in-game garage is that stingy when it comes to paint jobs. At least they provided new parts and vehicles for free while progressing through Career Mode.

One of the better aspects of Legends is the new Trails mode. Many of these tracks are far more open and sport various branching paths. These offer actual, impactful choices and learning them for the most optimal run time can be entertaining. It also doesn’t hurt that the overall design and look of these environments is nice, graphical quality notwithstanding.

"I really hesitate to call MX vs ATV Legends an outright disaster. It’s not great, by a long shot, and yet, it’s sort of enjoyable at certain points, in certain instances, in small doses."

Aside from the lackluster Career Mode and Exhibition for selecting different types of events and tracks, there’s multiplayer. When queuing online in Quick Play, I was placed in a race with no other drivers. Why I didn’t win by default continues to haunt me to this very moment. Suffice to say that I didn’t revisit the option later. You can also matchmake with other players to explore the barren open-world together for some inexplicable reason.

As you’ve no doubt gathered by now, MX vs ATV Legends isn’t a very good game. The visual quality is rough, falling below average in terms of effects, textures and animations. Sound effects, notably the engine sounds, are similarly low-budget and the soundtrack is either an acquired taste or downright annoying (even if you’re a Bring Me the Horizon fan). This could all be forgiven if the gameplay was on point but wonky AI, inconsistent and at times incomprehensible physics, unintuitive controls and various bugs just keep getting in the way.

Despite all of this, I really hesitate to call MX vs ATV Legends an outright disaster. It’s not great, by a long shot, and yet, it’s sort of enjoyable at certain points, in certain instances, in small doses. If you’re looking for an in-depth Career Mode, an extensive open-world to explore or compelling Motocross gameplay, then you’re better off looking elsewhere. Even with the lowest expectations, MX vs. ATV Legends barely passes muster.

This game was reviewed on PS5.

In 2005, both brands crossed over in MX vs. ATV Unleashed. It would receive three more titles published by THQ before its bankruptcy; Nordic Games would then take on publishing duties for MX vs. ATV Supercross in 2014. After the formation of THQ Nordic, MX vs. ATV All Out would be released in 2018. Now, more than four years later, the series is making a comeback with MX vs. ATV Legends.

It’s out on June 28^th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 and PC with Rainbow Studios once again at the helm. Let’s take a look at 11 things you should know before picking it up.

Large Open Environments

One of the biggest ways that MX vs. ATV Legends departs from its predecessors is with the addition of large open environments. Rawlings Farm is a good example. It offers a variety of different terrain, including a mountain that can be explored if you find the path. You’ll also discover a variety of different roads, landmarks, tracks and much more while exploring. Don’t worry though – traditional Supercross tracks like Atlanta Supercross are still here and thanks to the refined physics system, you’ll have a higher degree of precision when navigating the various berms and ruts.

Career Mode

The large environments also play a role in the new Career Mode. Dubbed Legends, it sees players working their way up to becoming a pro rider, undertaking different sponsorships and competing in special invitational events. You may also come across NPCs in environments that can offer their own help. Be careful though as different choices can lead to different paths in your career. It’s also confirmed that the Pro Motocross 50th Anniversary Season will be available at launch for those wanting a real-world tie-in.

Dynamic Weather

Traversing terrain in the great outdoors is easier said than done, especially when trying to stay ahead of the competition. But MX vs. ATV Legends makes races even more challenging with the addition of dynamic weather. Rain and snow are two confirmed conditions that can affect your chances, likely causing reduced visibility and affecting steering and maneuverability. Whether other conditions exist is unknown but you should always be prepared for the inevitable.

Racer and Vehicle Customization

Customization is key in a racing game…and sadly, there just aren’t enough details about how MX vs. ATV Legends handles it. You can customize the various ATVs, UTVs and bikes in the game with different parts from various manufacturers but beyond that, we don’t know much. Your racer can also be customized, likely with different helmets, gloves, boots, logos, outfits and much more. As always, we’ll have to wait for more information.

Trails Mode

If you’re looking to make your own path, then there’s Trails Mode. The basic gist is that you’re charting a path based on the shortest distance to your destination, rather than following a set road. This means taking branching paths – which can require split-second decision-making at times – and navigating ravines, forests, beaches and much more. Not only is this a great use of the game’s large open environments but it also encourages taking the road less traveled in hopes of beating the competition. Some paths may take you on narrow cliffs overlooking the sea though and it’s a long way down so be prepared.

16-Player Online Mode with Squads

To further facilitate the larger environments, online multiplayer supports up to 16 players with squad-based gameplay. What this actually means has yet to be detailed. Can your squad-mates help you out of dicey situations? Maybe each player’s position at the end of a race in Trails Mode contributes a certain amount of points to the team’s total pool. We’ll have to wait and see. Also, the Xbox Store listing confirms cross-gen multiplayer so Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S players can group together (which should apply to PS4 and PS5 players as well). No cross-platform play at this time, unfortunately.

Two-Player Split-Screen

Don’t want to venture online or just want to play with friends offline? Local two-player split-screen is supported, and should result in some pitched battles when competing in the larger races. Of course, if you want to have a clean 1v1 race, then that should also be possible.

Xbox Smart Delivery Support

The off-road racer supports Smart Delivery on Xbox consoles. You only have to buy the game once and it will be playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S with the latter being fully optimized. A free PS4 to PS5 upgrade should also be available, so you won’t have to buy into any Dual Entitlement nonsense.

4K Ultra HD

On Xbox Series X, the title is listed as running at 4K Ultra HD. Though it’s not specified whether 120 FPS is supported, 60 FPS is more or less confirmed based on gameplay footage thus far. And if the Xbox Series X version supports 4K, you can expect the PS5 version to do the same (though how close they’ll be in performance remains to be seen). As for Xbox One and PS4 versions, we’re still waiting for more details.

OEM Vehicles and Track Pass

MX vs. ATV Legends has a fair bit of DLC, both at launch and after. There’s the 2021 OEM Vehicle Bundle (included in the $80 Icon Pack) which adds 36 OEM vehicles from manufacturers like Polaris, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Polaris, Honda, Husqvarna, and KTM. These will be playable at launch.

There’s the Track Pass which adds 22 new tracks throughout 2022. Thirteen of these are official national tracks from the 2022 AMA Pro Motocross Championship. Six are part of the Supercross World Tour and promise some challenging races. Finally, the official compound from a famous pro rider, who’s still unknown, will also be included.

Collector’s Edition

In addition to special editions like the Icon Pack and Legends Pack, there’s a physical Collector’s Edition for $150. It includes an 8.5 inch 2021 Yamaha YZ450F motocross bike and rider along with a Motorbike Sprocket Keychain, five art prints, the pre-order Customisation Pack and the base game. However, this is only the PS4 or Xbox One version, which may be an issue for collectors hoping for physical copies of the current-gen versions.

You’ll also notice the lack of other DLC like the Track Pass and 2021 OEM Vehicle Bundle. It’s thus recommended only if you want the physical goods instead of all the content.

As you might expect for a monster truck game, much of Steel Titans 2 consists of grandiose competitions in arenas. Some of these are quick races no more than a minute around a small track. Others are trick-based, from normal freestyles to more unique ones, like the event where the only combos that count are ones that include two-wheeled tricks and the destruction event where you barrel through as many of the cars and boxes as possible in a certain time. These events aren’t treading any new ground from the first game, so they benefit from being as short-lived as they are.

"In many ways, Monster Jam: Steel Titans 2 captures much of the essence of why monster trucks are fun and transfers it effectively to a game in some unexpected ways."

It’s mostly enjoyable to do a race or trick event quickly for a quick shot of competition, but when you start to do more of them consecutively, the repetition becomes more of an issue. The number of tricks you can perform is limited, with the backflip being the most exotic trick there is, and the races inside the arena lose their luster after a while. Luckily, the career is split into series of three or four of these events at a time, so you’re rarely forced to do so many at once as to become stale. The Championship events are a different story, as they’re far longer, more tedious repetitions of the same few events, and are generally less enjoyable than any career event or exploring the world.

Where Steel Titans 2 differs from an actual monster truck experience is the events that happen outside the arena. When you’re not in a packed stadium, you’re in one of a handful of mostly dense open areas that are surprisingly fun to traverse. The environments are a mixed bag of creativity, ranging from a wide-open desert to a true dog park, but they all encourage exploration. You’re not required to find anything around the environments to progress the career, and there really isn’t that much to find in total. Regardless, the enjoyability of driving the trucks makes exploring that much more satisfying anyway. Even without looking for any collectibles, I was constantly trying to reach new heights or find new paths for the sole reason of seeing if it was possible.

Many structured events take place in the open environments, too, usually in the form of longer races. Instead of the minute-long arena races, the outside ones are more familiar waypoint races that traverse larger parts of the world. The only twist to some events is the derby races, which face half of the trucks in the opposite direction and encourage ramming into each other head on. These outside races allow the gameplay to embrace its arcadeyness more so than the arena ones, which is why they’re more fun. In a lot of ways, it almost feels like a grown-up cart racer, and it’s clear that there are a lot of pieces of games like Mario Kart floating around here, even if it’s a bit more macho in this package. Everything from the precise drifting to the boosts and the simple feeling of total control over your truck invite the comparisons to the cart racers that came before it, and it puts up an impressive fight against the competition. I really enjoyed most of the time when I wasn’t constrained by the confines of the arenas because I had free reign to utilize the truck’s arcade-like feel.

"Where Steel Titans 2 differs from an actual monster truck experience is the events that happen outside the arena. When you’re not in a packed stadium, you’re in one of a handful of mostly dense open areas that are surprisingly fun to traverse."

The game falls short of truly meeting the expectations of its arcade racing peers, though, by not fully embracing it. Primarily, the game often feels internally conflicted as to whether it wants to simulate what a real monster truck would do or allow you to be as ambitious as you want with no regard for reality. In this case, the former often holds back the latter. It’s natural that it doesn’t want every truck to do any trick in the book, but I found that the game’s physics tended to punish you for trying to go for it all instead of rewarding you, most notably with the result of your truck flipping over.

In both inside and outside events, trucks flipping over becomes almost comically frequent, but it shifts to frustration when it feels like the game is trying to stop you from doing its most fun activities. I began to be afraid of gaining too much speed or even trying to pull off a normal drift because I couldn’t tell when my truck would flip, and in almost any event, inside or outside, race or skill, flipping meant almost certain failure or loss, especially in outside races, where losing any time trying to reset could put you to the back of the pack for the rest of the race. Some environments, especially the final two, suffer from being too prone to flipping as well, and despite being visually interesting to explore, I couldn’t wait to get out of there to avoid having to reset yet again.

A similar problem pops up with the signposting within races themselves. The game is often woefully subpar at indicating the direction of the race’s path, often showing arrows just a split second before you need to turn. This might seem unimportant, but it becomes all too easy to veer off the track because you had to make a sharp turn, which either flips you over entirely or makes you lose a bunch of time, and with races that effectively eliminate you from contention if you make such a mistake, it’s a frustratingly common occurrence that’s outside of your control.

"In both inside and outside events, trucks flipping over becomes almost comically frequent, but it shifts to frustration when it feels like the game is trying to stop you from doing its most fun activities."

Steel Titans 2 is, consequently, at its best when it leans into the arcadey gameplay and over-the-top tone that make its best moments. Many of the trucks themselves are ridiculously designed, from the Higher Education school bus to the new Backwards Bob reverse pickup truck, and there are countless nods to other games and media that show that this game doesn’t take itself too seriously. There are dozens of trucks to unlock, whether it’s through the career mode or through finding collectibles or completing other modes, and every new truck is as much a sign of progression as the percentage sign because of how much I enjoyed trying new vehicles. They don’t always drive as uniquely as the game would like you to think they do, but just driving around in a big ice cream van or a military jeep was enough for me. Its environments and models aren’t always the most visually striking, but they’re colorful and diverse enough to stay engaging throughout. It doesn’t always run perfectly, either, with framerate drops common, but when it does perform at its highest capacity, it’s generally a great time, and the ability to go online to race against others is just another welcome addition to the package.

Even if the real-life Monster Jams might be intense, the best parts of Monster Jam: Steel Titans 2 are what it takes from the arcade racers that influence it. The open worlds offer surprising depth and a lot of things to do, even if you start to create those things on your own. The single events are mostly fun interludes, especially those that happen outside the arenas, though the game starts to fall apart when it works against itself and inhibits the ambition that makes monster trucks exciting. I enjoyed Steel Titans 2 when it embraced the arcadeyness that make its best aspects, and while some seemingly minor flaws make a significant impact on gameplay, there are a lot of things going for it when it clicks on all cylinders.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

Those who preordered the new MX vs ATV All Out from Rainbow Studios and THQ Nordic already have access to the new off road racer that officially comes out on March 27, so while those players are enjoying the game, anyone who is stuck waiting on the proper release date can check out a new trailer instead.

The trailer shows off the custom multiplayer modes within the game, with some examples like Tag or Infection being quite a bit more substantial than just a normal race. Players who want to take a break can choose to spectate another online game as well. It’s great to see that Rainbow Studios didn’t gloss over the online and multiplayer modes like so many titles do these days.

MX vs ATV All Out launches on March 27 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Check out the trailer just below! Are you going to try the game? Let us know in the comments.

THQ Nordic has been quite busy lately, and one of their next titles, off road racing game MX vs. ATV All Out has just hit us with a brand new gameplay trailer, which shows off the game in new detail.

There’s nothing particularly standout about the trailer, cutting back and forth between the high flying stunts of the Motocross bikes and the wild terrain that the ATVs manage with aplomb. There is a brief shot from the first person mode, which just makes me drool over the idea of one of these games eventually going to VR. The overview that THQ Nordic provided through press release boasts of the Freestyle stunt system “testing your limits” and a personal compound where you can show off all your customized vehicles.

Physical preorders will grant players a huge boost in gear, vehicles and upgrades to the tune of 100,000 Moto Coins, and should players choose to digitally preorder the game, they’ll get in four days ahead of the official launch of March 27th. The game will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.

Which brings me to MX vs ATV: Supercross, the first entry into what is supposed to be a revival of the franchise. And see, the thing about revivals is that they should be something to get excited about. Unfortunately if fans of this series still do exist, I really don’t think they will be pleased with what Nordic has put together here.

"Unfortunately if fans of this series still do exist, I really don’t think they will be pleased with what Nordic has put together here. "

If you’re going into this game expecting unique game modes to shake up the typical racing formula, I have bad news for you. Supercross consists of a few career mode options, some standard fare multiplayer modes and 17 tracks, most of which are completely interchangeable in locale. There isn’t a lot here to play, and I say this as someone who honestly couldn’t wait to be done playing this title. I suppose this is supplemented by having each race be 5 laps.

At 5 laps by default, the races feel too long because there is really no sense of speed at all. Most of the time the game makes you feel like you are trodding along like those little race tracks we all had as kids. You know the ones, the car has a little needle thing on the bottom to keep it on the track, and no matter how hard you squeeze the trigger the cars just don’t go any faster. And that’s the problem, there is nothing fun about feeling like you are on a set railway, just going through the motions pretending to have a good time.

"There is nothing fun about feeling like you are on a set railway, just going through the motions pretending to have a good time."

Not to mention that all of the tracks look largely the same. Maybe that is inherently the case when you are making a game based around a real sport, but I just can’t seem to see the appeal. It would have been better if there was a track editor or something but nothing like that exists in this game and I feel it would have gone a long way to making it feel less drab and rudimentary.

So here’s a weird thing. During 3 of the races I participated in, the AI cheated. Okay, that sounds crazy right? I thought so too, but it’s true. On most of the tracks, you are kept in-bounds by foam blocks that will move when you hit them. This allows the player to skirt some corners if you want to get cheesy, but the game will usually reset you back to a previous position on the track when you go too far. On not one, not two, but 3 occasions the AI not only skirted the barriers, but blatantly drove right through the middle of the track ignoring them in order to gain the lead.

"On not one, not two, but 3 occasions the AI not only skirted the barriers, but blatantly drove right through the middle of the track ignoring them in order to gain the lead. "

I assume this was just a pathfinding glitch but the fact that it happened more than once makes me wonder if it wasn’t part of the AI’s clear rubber banding tendencies. For the uninitiated, rubber banding in racing games is when you have a clearly defined lead and the AI miraculously catches up to you or passes you. This happens a lot in Supercross. I suppose it is to build tension but when the races are overly long and plodding, it is super annoying for the AI to pull ahead (or cheat) when you are about to finish for no real reason at all.

The fact is that this genre was elevated past this sort of drudgery years ago, and you have to wonder why Nordic would bring it back just to do nothing with it. In fact, the previous entry into the series, MX vs. ATV: Alive, even looks better graphically and the UI and HUD elements are much sleeker. That’s not even taking into account that it has more modes and variety. I can’t even do the standard review thing of saying “Fans of the genre will like this”. I can’t recommend this game to anyone really. Maybe you would be better off hunting down a copy of Alive if you need to scratch the Motocross itch. There’s something admirable about bringing back a once dead franchise, but not when it amounts to, well, cynical shovelware at best.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.