MX vs ATV Unleashed Review

Modes

The icing on the delicious cake that is MX vs. ATV Unleashed is that not only does it have a ton of vehicles and levels, but it also gives you a ton of different things to do with all of them. You can race supercross, motocross, short tracks, waypoint races, hill climbs, open class (where all of the vehicles can be on the track at once), and supermoto (combination of dirt track and asphault racing). You can compete in freestyle events that include high score challenges, combo challenges, and follow the leader. The game also includes 42 challenges that unlock new vehicles and rider jerseys. The challenges are usually one race shootouts against the vehicle or rider you are trying to unlock and they usually provide a good fun challenge. You get to race against legends such as Mike LaRocco and Jeremy McGrath and future legends Chad Reed and James “Bubba” Stewart so you know these challenges are something special. There is a ton of stuff to do in MX vs. ATV Unleashed and every mode and race type has been tweaked and polished to perfection.

Multiplayer and Xbox Live

In addition to the single-player game you can also take on everything that MX vs. ATV Unleashed has to offer in multiplayer both in splitscreen, system link, and on Xbox Live. As you can probably imagine, taking the huge number of vehicles and modes online sweetens the pot even further. Racing a MX bike against a trophy truck or monster truck doesn’t seem fair, but like I said each vehicle has different things to offer and you have to drive them in different ways so seeing how everyone tries to race with the different vehicles online is a lot of fun. The game runs pretty smoothly online and is just a whole lot of fun to play overall. Going out and goofing off with your friends and just trying insane jumps and tricks is a blast and that really is the whole point behind a game like this.

Graphics and Sound

Graphically, MX vs. ATV Unleashed is a good looking game but it isn’t jaw dropping. The bikes and ATVs and vehicles are all detailed and look nice but the textures on everything else are pretty bland and boring. The game does definitely look better than MX Unleashed, though, thanks to adding in more details to the environments and better use of color and lighting. Like I said, the game looks good but it won’t blow you away.

The sound is also pretty good. The vehicles sound like you would expect and are nice and loud which I really enjoy. MX vs. ATV Unleashed’s soundtrack is pretty much what you would expect – lots of rock and radio friendly metal. The selection of music isn’t all that bad, actually, but the game features a custom soundtrack option so you are better off listening to your own tunes in the long run.

Bottom Line

MX vs. ATV Unleashed is hands down the best dirt bike / ATV racing game yet. The gameplay is nearly flawless and the track design is realistic and really well done. Fans of Rainbow Studios’ past games will be a little disappointed with the freestyle levels since the lovely cliffs are gone, but the levels overall are still very good and a lot of fun to play around in. Not only do you get outstanding MX and ATV racing, but you will also find trophy trucks, sand rails, dune buggies, and much more to use. A wealth of modes and race types seal the deal and ensure that you’ll be playing this one both on and offline for a long time to come. Fans of real life racing will love it. Fans of the MX or Offroad Fury series will obviously love it. And I think that newcomers to offroad racing will find a lot here to enjoy as well. MX vs. ATV Unleashed is highly recommended for a purchase.