Reviewed: January 12, 2008
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Publisher
THQ
Developer
Rainbow Studios
Released: December 17, 2007
Genre: Racing
Players: 1-2
8
7
8
8
8.1
Supported Features:
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
Rainbow Studios knows what goes into a great racing game whether you are driving dirt bikes, ATV’s, off-road buggies, animated stock cars, or even watercraft, although you won’t find much use for a Sea-Doo in their latest game, MX vs. ATV Untamed. This is the third racing game to be published by THQ in a series that got its start back in 2004 with MX Unleashed, which was quickly followed up the following year with MX vs. ATV Unleashed.
We’ve all been patiently waiting for nearly two years for a next-gen off-road racing title and it’s finally time to slip on the gloves, helmets, and goggles and get down and dirty in what is easily the biggest and best arcade dirt racing title currently available on the 360. Not that all that much has changed. Rainbow has been doing this for nearly a decade now, and they’ve long since perfected the formula.
Veterans of the genre will certainly spot a few new touches, new modes, events, stunts, and this year’s new X-Cross presentation is surprisingly inventive, but it all boils down to quality core gameplay and control, and Untamed delivers all that and much more.
Rainbow keeps adding new vehicles and race modes to the mix with each new release, so regardless of what you like to drive (bike, ATV, buggy) and how you like to drive (stunt, speed, style) there is something here for everyone. The intuitive controls are easy to learn and fun to master. I prefer racing to stunts and score combos, but there is just something subtly addictive to nailing tricks and combining stunts into multiple combos that give this game an almost Tony Hawk appeal.
The physics, while certainly leaning on the side of arcade, are still distinctly original across all vehicles ensuring that the same track offers a totally unique experience depending on your choice of ride. And as it has been in previous games, it’s all about the mastery of the preload and popping the clutch; skills vital to winning races, as the computer AI has never been tougher. Track memorization has, and always will be, another integral part of winning races whether you are trying to master the rhythm section of a Supercross track or plot your best course between waypoint gates on the wide open outdoor tracks.
The big new feature in this latest installment of MX vs. ATV is the X-Cross Tournament, which is sort of replacing the standard Career mode. The X-Cross is basically a giant flowchart of events with each box representing a different race series that features specific vehicle types and race types like speed or stunts. As you complete these events you unlock new events, earn gold cups, and face off against special rival racers. It’s a lengthy game mode that might leave you feeling a little trapped, since you are ultimately forced to endure modes you might not like as much as others, and when you factor in that each round in the tournament can have four or more multi-stage races with 5 laps each…well, plan on spending a month or more finishing this mode.
For the more casual racer, you may want to opt for the Custom Event where you pick the track, the ride, and the rules, or let the game randomize these options and choose for you in the Quick Event mode. Both modes offer events in numerous race modes like; Free Ride, Nationals, and Supercross, Freestyle, Opencross, Supermoto, Endurocross, Waypoint, and Minimoto. There is also the Event Series mode that presents a series of challenges spread across all vehicle and event types and dares you to earn a gold medal in all of them.
There are numerous multiplayer modes that support split-screen, system link or take the racing action online with full 12-player support on Xbox Live in ranked and unranked matches. And if you get burned out on the actual racing there are some fun and challenging mini-games like Section Race, Graffiti, Snake, Tag, and an ATV version of Hockey for split-screen gamers only.
Snake is my personal favorite as it is a variation of the TRON lightcycles only your trails are in true 3D giving you some strategy in the Z plane. Graffiti is another favorite, even if they did rip it from Tony Hawk. Everybody stunts off a ramp and the high score gets to “tag” it until somebody can beat your score. Best of all, all of these online mini-games as well as the more serious racing events all play out flawlessly, with no noticeable lag, plus, there always seems to be a fun group of people eager to play.
There really isn’t much to complain about with the gameplay or the presentation aside from the lengthy X-Cross mode that will test your patience far more than your driving and riding skills. I would have also liked to have seen some sort of garage feature where I could enhance my rides, giving them better handling or faster speed. I’d much rather install new shocks or a tighter clutch or knobby tires for better grip rather than simply jumping up in cc class or choosing a new color for my ride or clothing.
While technically sound, MX vs. ATV Untamed remains a fairly boring visual experience, and it’s really only a minor improvement over the Unleashed on the Xbox from 2+ years ago. I was hoping for better textures and some sort of depth to the torn up tracks. After seeing what is possible in games like SEGA Rally Revo and even MotorStorm on the PS3, Untamed feels…well…tame.
The physics look and perform well and there is some nice rider animation, especially for the stunts. I didn’t like how some of the stunt animation took so long to play out. It was far too easy to hit a few too many buttons and lock yourself into a preloaded sequence of moves that wouldn’t play out before you hit the ground.
There is an excellent opening movie that will really get you pumped to play the game, and there are also narrated fly-throughs of each race venue. All in all, it’s a solid presentation, lacking only in the subtle next-gen touches we’d expect from a game we’ve been waiting two years to play.
MX vs. ATV Untamed rocks the house with a massive soundtrack featuring plenty of rock, grunge, alternative, and even a dash of techno that fits perfectly with the racing action. There is a jukebox feature that allows you to deselect any songs you might not care for and if you get tired of the built-in music you are free to add your own custom soundtracks.
Other than the music you are left with some short announcer speech before each event, but there is still no in-race commentary. In the stadium events you’ll get to hear the cheers of the crowd during a spectacular jump or hear them groan when you nose dive into a banked turn.
There are numerous vehicles types and sub-classes within those types and each manages to offer a quite distinct sound. In the mixed events where all types are racing at once these engines can generate an interesting harmony of RPM’s that can be overpowering. The Dolby Digital mix allows you to hear racers sneaking up on either side of you.
I’ve been playing MX vs. ATV Untamed for a few weeks now and am only halfway through the X-Cross. I’d estimate it will take at least 30-40 hours to finish this tournament ladder alone, and probably another 10-15 hours for the Event Series. Factor in a great multiplayer selection of race modes and mini-games and Untamed has unlimited playing value.
There are 42 Achievements ranging from finishing the various paths in the X-Cross to playing all the Free Ride courses and collecting all the hidden sprockets. There are also objectives for performing certain stunts like a 500-point wheelie as well as a few online achievements. Most of these can be earned through dedicated gameplay, but you’ll probably have to make a concentrated effort to earn a few of the harder ones.
I love racing games, and I’ve always been a big fan of the MX vs. ATV series as well as just about any other racing game Rainbow Studios has put out in the past ten years. While Untamed is a solid installment in the series I would have liked to have seen Rainbow step up, not only the visual quality, but also the core gameplay. Sure, the games keep getting more polished and refined from year to year but nothing has really changed.
If you are looking for a down and dirty racer your options are still rather limited on the 360. I hate to recommend any game simply because it’s your only option, but at least in the case of MX vs. ATV Untamed, your only option is still a fun and challenging game, both online and off. It might wear you down before you finish, but you’ll be back sooner or later.