|
By: Jason Giacchino
December 2009 - Off The Pegs
MX vs. ATV Reflex:
Another Strong Reason to Stay Indoors this
Winter
Oh, no! Talk about the double whammy. Not
only is the weather turning foul enough to keep
riders around the nation off their quads and
indoors, THQ has to go and drop what could
perhaps be the greatest ATV racing game to date.
I’m talking about MX vs. ATV: Reflex in case you
haven’t already figured; the latest in their
long-running franchise with roots that can be
traced back to the mid 1990’s.
Of course, the performance-ATV segment has
undergone radical change since those days and
honestly, video game console technology hasn’t
been sitting idle, either! This latest game will
be available just in time for the holidays for
the Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft X-Box 360, and
on the portables- Sony PSP and Nintendo DS.
While I don’t have the game yet, I was able to
spend some time with the demo, and here’s a
little bit of what gamers have to look forward
to:
1) Rider Reflex Control
Perhaps the biggest change from previous MX vs.
ATV releases happens to be the control system
itself. Gone are the days of simply pressing
buttons like a madman to pull off tricks in the
air. Instead players hold down a button (called
the “stunt modifier” here) and literally tap the
control sticks to control the rider’s body
motions. Combinations of these body movements
are how tricks and stunt combos are performed.
It may sound a bit complex, but in truth it’s
much more intuitive (and lifelike) than the old
method of button mashing. Stringing together
some wicked tricks is far more impressive and
rewarding.
2) Soundtrack
For many gamers the trend of louder and louder
squealing guitars and screaming singers was
simply detracting from the game play rather than
enhancing the experience. THQ has apparently
taken note as rather than simply overload the
game with song licenses, they grabbed motor
sports announcer David Lee and let him have at
real-time commentary as we’ve come to expect in
games like Madden NFL. Music will still be an
option, of course, and the commentator can be
shut off; however, if the finished game turns
out even half as impressive as in the demo, this
is a feature gamers are going to love. There’s
nothing cooler than busting out your own unique
signature tricks in Freestyle mode and having
that voice you recognize from television calling
out your every move.
3) Environments
Not that the environments in the previous
entries were anything to snivel at, Reflex takes
the concept up a notch by presenting tracks and
courses that actually change (wear) as you ride
on them! Hammering the throttle leaves ruts that
not only remain for the duration of the race but
actually affect the handling of your machine as
you traverse them on the following laps. Brake
slides cut grooves, jump faces become lined, and
rainy days result in ruts becoming filled with
water. Terrain deformation could very well be
the absolute coolest feature ever included in
this type of game as, just like in real life,
the track conditions are ever changing. Expect
your quickest lap times to come on the first lap
then steadily lag as rhythm sections
deteriorate, single line situations develop, and
loose dirt starts to pile up outside the turns.
Keep carving donuts and you can create a mound
high enough to catch air from. This feature
doesn’t just look amazing; it literally changes
the whole dynamic of the genre.
4) Crashes
Each entry of the series has improved upon the
crash sequences but prepare for quite an upgrade
once more. Now, rather than simply reappear
unscathed from a nasty get-off, players can
expect shattered plastic, dented panels, and
plenty of battle scarring.
5) Modes
Say goodbye to classes if you like mixed racing.
The Omnicross mode allows for head to head
competition with any vehicle in the game. Dune
buggies, trucks, quads--the sky is the limit
when it comes to sharing a track in MX vs. ATV
Reflex. Best of all, should you happen to master
a particular vehicle above all others, Omnicross
looks to be one of the multiplayer modes which
means you and your vehicle can take on up to 11
other racers (and their vehicles,of choice) from
all around the globe online.
In all, there’s a lot to be excited about in MX
vs. ATV Reflex. No, it isn’t a substitute for
the real thing, but for many riders, the long
months of winter can be made slightly more
tolerable by duking it out on the LCD from the
comfort of the couch. This is a must-have gift
idea for the rider on your list.
|
