Review: Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame

Title: Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame
Platform: Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch and PS4 (reviewed)
Developer: Milestone S.r.l
Publisher: Milestone S.r.l
Release date: February 13, 2018
tl;dr: A fun, muddy off-road experience that caters to those familiar with the sport.
Price: PC – $60/Â£45
PS4 -Â $60/Â£50
Xbox One:Â $60/Â£50
Nintendo Switch: $60/Â£50
Family Focus: Click here for more information.

They say for us to evolve, we must step out of our comfort zone and try something new… I wish I had stayed in my comfort zone of JRPG’s and hack and slash nonsense as I totally suck at this game! It’s not to say that this is a terrible game because it isn’t, I had so much fun recreating those horrific bails from the various fail videos I see on YouTube… I’m not doing it intentionally though, I just suck super hard at this game.

Monster Energy Supercross is developed and published by Milestone S.r.l who are most notable for the MXGP titles in recent years that haven’t been too favourable with a few reviewers out there due to issues with load times, graphical fidelity and clunky camera settings. Unfortunately, the lengthy load times are still an issue but the graphics are definitely a step up from the MXGP games I took a look at. This is thanks to Milestone moving over from their in-house engine to the Unreal Engine 4, although the graphics on the faces are a little meh, everything else looks gorgeous but to be honest you’re not going to be seeing the faces often.

The customisation is incredible with so much variety, everything you think of is customisable. The rider and everything from their helmet down to their boots have a massive variety of makes. The clothing, much like the bikes and the components that can be equipped to them, are all officially licensed brands which I used to make my character, Hoshi Nakamura looks awesome. Also, you will be happy to find out that loot boxes do not play a part in the unlocking of items in this game, everything is unlocked using the in-game currency which is given upon completing races and amount is dependant on your finishing position.

The standout feature of the game though has to be the create a track option which provides the players with the chance to make all manner of courses using the expansive editor, giving you the ability to make death-defying courses with all the tight bends and the high flying jumps you can think of to send your biker to the nearest emergency room! Although, if you want to upload your track for other players to experience, you have to undertake the true challenge of tweaking your track so it flows nicely without a crash occurring every five seconds… so personally, I sucked at this – but I can’t make a competent level on Little Big Planet Racers…

Monster Energy Supercross from a gameplay standpoint, even on the early stages, has quite a hefty learning curve as you have to manage front and rear braking whilst knowing whether it’s the correct time to release the accelerator briefly to make it over the jump without missing the corner. For a good two hours, I still wasn’t understanding the two brakes system as I barely brake in ~~games such as~~ Gran Turismo and Need for Speed. I thought I was forever going to be a terrible player and that wasn’t far from the truth as I never finished within in the top three and sometimes barely making it in the top ten. You’d think this would deter me from the experience but I found myself wanting to try more and more even in the face of defeat.

Overall, Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame is quite an enjoyable experience but will be favoured more by the players who enjoy these sorts of games to begin with. The learning curve for newbies such as myself might be a little too much and with so many titles coming out in the coming weeks, this is best enjoyed by those that love these games. The customisation from the rider and their bike to the amazing track editor, this game will be a perfect addition to anyone’s collection who love games with noisy bikes.