Developer: Rainbow Studios
Publisher: Nordic Games
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Tested on: PS4
MX vs ATV Supercross Encore – Review
Restart the engines of your motocross bikes and all-terrain vehicles with MX vs ATV Supercross Encore, the off-road racing video game developed by Rainbow Studios and published by none other than Nordic Games. MX vs ATV Supercross Encore is the sixth iteration in the franchise and is optimized for the latest console generation. The game includes more than double the amount of tracks than the original MX vs ATV Supercross game but we all know that quantity is not quality.
Story
Ever since you were a little toddler, you’ve dreamed of racing along those dirt tracks, sliding through the mud and leaving your opponents behind. The weapon of your choice? Literally anything that can handle the off-road tracks, anything ranging from motocross bikes to ATV’s to pit bikes, as long as the chassis can handle the weight of the tricks you’ll be pulling off while adrenaline is rushing through your veins. In all seriousness, MX vs ATV Supercross Encore does not have a narrative for the player to indulge in but one can certainly come up with some epic tales of how they became the world’s most famous racer.
Graphics
The visuals of MX vs ATV Supercross Encore are on par with the previous iteration of MX vs ATV, namely Supercross. In fact, they’re almost identical except for the fact that Supercross Encore has updated graphics for current generation consoles. The menu interface, gear customisation menus and the user interface are exactly alike. While the visuals are somewhat good but lacking for a console, you cannot help but feel like Supercross Encore is a revamped version of a game you’ve already played before with frame rate drops that will kill your game.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack of the game seems to contain a ton of rock and hardrock or metal songs, which is not everyone’s cup of tea, especially when playing a racing game but you can always turn down the volume of the music. The ambiance sound on the other hand is a lot better and sounds quite realistic but like the rest of the game, it feels lacking as the current generation of consoles can do a lot more than this, at least visually.
Gameplay
On the PS4, the game offers six preset controller settings which means that the player should be able to find one preset that suits their style. The original preset was rather okay to play with as the left thumbstick allowed steering of the bike while the right thumbstick controlled the driver itself but again, each player has their own style and feel.
The game offers a good variety of game modes to venture in, ranging from single race to career modes to online multiplayer races and local matches. Supercross Encore also comes with new modes for Open World Waypoint Racing and Rhythm Racing which means that there’s a plethora of modes but as a racing game, every mode feels somewhat the same on a large scale. I’ve mostly ventured in the career mode as this mode is incredibly easy to unlock rider gear and bike customisation items but other modes work perfectly too.
Customisation in this game is – to put it lightly – insane but in the end, it still feels somewhat lacking compared to other racing games. You can customise the driver’s jersey name and number as well as the skin tone. Aside from that, you can customise the equipment such as the gear set itself (clothing), helmets, boots, goggles, neck bracers and a plethora of silly butt patches. The motocross bikes and ATV’s have different customisable items but most items overlap and look pretty much alike on both. The graphic kits, handlebars, exhausts, tires, wheels, suspension, chassis, brakes and number plates are customisable on both. You can also customise the swing arms, bumpers, nerf bars and A-arms on the ATV’s and the hubs on MX bikes. It’s a pretty solid list and the gear is brand new and updated with 2015 apparel and gear to ensure authenticity but it still feels lacking even if you unlock more and more as you progress. The tracks themselves are great but not entirely authentic.
The game provides a long list of possible stunts that can only be done with some great physics. The physics are not bad, certainly not compared to the older versions of the franchise and the game is as close to the real thing as possible for a video game. By allowing the player to control the driver as well as the bike, the realism gets upped but the difficulty increases and can cause for some extremely annoying situations where you can lose control of the bike’s direction which decreases the realism again.
Conclusion
MX vs ATV Supercross Encore is in all seriousness a revamped version of Supercross, supposedly optimized for the latest generation of consoles but the entire visual package of the game feels like it’s a poorly updated port with some extra content and updated apparel and gear. The game feels lacking in every aspect, whether it is the ambiance sound, the visual aspect or the general gameplay experience. It simply lacks the spice that current generation consoles have to offer. It still remains a great game but veterans and die-hard fans of the franchise will be utterly disappointed while players new to the genre can certainly find joy in tricking their way through this MX vs ATV game.
MX vs ATV Supercross Encore - Review,
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