MX vs. ATV Untamed

"This series really needs to evolve"

It's probably safe to say that anyone with a passing interest in MX bikes or ATVs is already well acquainted with this series. As for myself, I haven't actually picked up one of these games since MX Unleashed, and I quit playing then because I was essentially playing the same game, year after year. Now that the franchise has made the jump to the Xbox 360, I thought it would be the perfect time to see if things have changed. Unfortunately, the game feels the same as it always did.

GRAPHICS
This is probably the area where I expected the most improvement, and also the area where I was most disappointed. Granted, graphics aren't everything but in some genres (such as racing) they do add a lot to the overall experience. While the graphics aren't bad, they just aren't up to par with what could have been done. Particle effects, in the form of dust clouds or plumes of mud are paltry and typically unnoticeable.

The environments are similarly unimpressive, made up by a bland color palette and unexciting details. In a game centered around off-road vehicles, I think Rainbow Studios could have come up with some places that actually felt like they were rugged and off the beaten path. Where are the disgusting mud pits and rocky hills? Surprisingly enough these features don't figure into the open-world environments but are present in one of the indoor race variants.

On a more positive note, the rider and vehicle models are exceptional (at least compared with their surroundings). It is easy to pick out every little detail, such as suspension and exhaust, on the vehicle. The rider also seems realistic when moving during stunts, although some of the animations seem a little stiff.

SOUND
You can take your pick of how to describe the high whine of a bike or ATV; you could say it sounds like a chainsaw, a jar of angry bees on steroids, or one of those incredibly obnoxious Honda Civics with a cannon sized exhaust attached to it. Any description is apt and entirely accurate. Just like their real-life counterparts the whining drone of the in-game vehicles is annoying and grating on the ears.

The soundtrack is mostly made up by overplayed radio rock (Disturbed, Mudvayne, My Chemical Romance), but it does work with the subject matter. On the other hand there are a few tracks that are entirely out of their element, such as the Celldweller song originally written for Need for Speed: Most Wanted. It feels really strange to be riding around in the wilderness and listening to a song about cop chases…

GAMEPLAY
Judging from the opening video, it would seem that Rainbow Studios wanted this game to go in a different direction. It depicts MX bikes, ATVs and a monster truck all racing on one track which consists of everything Mother Nature has to offer; gorgeous river-side vistas, deep mud pits, jagged rocks and steep mountains. Each vehicle displays its advantages on the treacherous terrain as they fly from one jump to the next, all while ducking and dodging around the others. Unfortunately the rest of the game doesn't deliver on this glint of awesomeness. Never, throughout the entire game, will you see a MX bike racing side by side with a monster truck and all the environmental hazards are nowhere to be found. What you will be treated to is the same stuff these games have been doing ever since the first ATV game was released – Racing through some open dirt tracks, some indoor Supercross dirt tracks and some freestyle events.

The career mode is addressed by way of the X-Cross Tournament. This consists of twenty-seven events that slowly progress in difficulty. Each event is typically comprised of several races through a number of locations. What strikes me as strange is the fact that the game makes you go through each race at least twice (three times if you want to qualify for the first race). This quickly becomes monotonous as some of the tracks are especially long.

Throughout the duration of the tournament, you'll end up driving MX bikes, ATVs, sand rails, dune buggies, trophy trucks and monster trucks. For the most part the vehicles control nicely, but for some strange reason they all feel almost identical. Other than the fact that the monster truck is much bigger than an ATV, there isn't any real difference between their handling. Then there are times when the controls spaz out for no reason and become extremely squirrelly or reluctant to do anything.

There are a few new additions to the familiar formula that end up turning out to be criminally underused. The newest racing type is called Endurocross. In this mode, you'll be driving an MX in an indoor track. Unlike Supercross however, this mode strives to recreate the hazards of the outdoors. The tracks boast water pits, boulder strewn straights, giant logs placed in the apex of turns and my personal favorite, huge tractor tires for jumps. Unfortunately, this mode doesn't even make an appearance during what passes for a career mode. What really irritates me is that the developers proved that can work environmental hazards into the rest of the game by doing this, they just didn't.

There is also another interesting event mode (which does actually figure into the career mode). It is basically a conglomeration of dirt track and paved road, but it somehow manages to become something to look forward to. This is probably due to the fact that the tracks are a wild mix of confined speed sections which rapidly turn into dirt track sections littered with bumps and jumps.

It's also worth mentioning the Freestyle mode. In most games, I enjoy any chance I get to bust out some amazingly insane tricks that defy all logic, sanity and rules of gravity. Unfortunately, attempts at superhuman feats typically end up with rider and vehicle on separate sides of the track due to a thoroughly aggravating trick system. While basic tricks are easy enough to pull off (press Y or B), the fancier tricks take far too much time to do. Riders take forever to actually get into position and get back on their ride. This typically leads to a face plant and a lot of lost time. The trick system itself also feels archaic, with just three buttons and a lot of luck employed in the whole task. There's never any certainty about what is going to happen when you try and it's easier to just ignore the whole affair.

The last thing worth mentioning is the load screen. When loading an event, you and your vehicle of choice will be dropped into an indoor arena filled with every sort of terrain and jump imaginable. For someone who despises loading and typically channel surfs during load times, this was really cool. I think more developers would do good to give players something to mess around with during load times. Hell, I'd settle for playing Pong as long as I don't have to stare at a blank screen!

THE VERDICT
With all the different vehicle present in the game, and judging by how heavily they are integrated into the career mode, it would seem that Rainbow Studios wants this series to change as much as I do. It is easy to see that they are making slow progress towards blending the classic MX vs. ATV action with the likes of Motorstorm and DiRT. I would suggest that they take these first few baby steps in that direction and go wild with them in the next entry. For now, this game only merits the attention of the truly devoted but if you're really desperate it will provide a serviceable off-road racing experience.

HIGHS
- Extra vehicles are actually fun to drive
- Best load screen ever!

LOWS
- So-so graphics
- Having to race every event at least twice
- Bland environments and tracks
- Fundamentally the same game these guys have been releasing for years

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 07/28/08, Updated 05/05/09

Game Release: MX vs. ATV Untamed (US, 12/17/07)