Developer: Artefacts Studio
Publisher: Nacon
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
MXGP 26 – The Official Game – Review
While racing sims take up only a small chunk of our time when looking at all the games we review, we still very much enjoy playing them. It’s always nice to get that ‘need for speed‘ feeling with realistic settings and physics. Sadly, not every title in the genre proves to be enjoyable, as was the case with MXGP 24, a game that failed to impress. Now, MXGP 26 – The Official Game has been released, and we were wondering if this would be a redemption for the series, or if it would make the same mistakes as its predecessor.
Story
Just like in MXGP 24, MXGP 26 does not have a real story to play through. You can pretty much just choose to race single tracks or competitions, and that’s pretty much it. We honestly didn’t mind the absence of a story mode, but this time, we didn’t even get the impression the developers were aiming to add something along the lines of a career mode as they did in MXGP 24. We did find this a bit of a missed opportunity for a modern racing game such as this.
Graphics
Graphically, MXGP 26 looks a lot better than the previous edition. Everything feels more vibrant, more detailed, and simply put, more realistic. The bikes look great, the rider moves more naturally, and the wind flows better through their clothes. The overall interaction with the track looks a lot better too, with your bike and rider gradually getting dirtier as the races progress. It’s minor details such as this that make immersion a lot easier. That being said, the tracks themselves feel very static, and you don’t even create any real dirt tracks. You’ll get the impression that you do, but when you turn around, you’ll see there’s not a single tire track or imprint where you were driving. This is a shame, as it would have been nice to see the impact on tracks after a lap or two.
In terms of POV and FOV, some improvements have also been made. The different points of view allow you to tweak your FOV, giving you the choice to see more of the track or to focus more on what’s in front of you. The helmet first-person view was also a nice touch and certainly helped with immersion. We feel the series is once again taking necessary steps in the right direction.
Sound
In terms of sound design, MXGP 26 feels like a barren wasteland when it comes to music. You’ll get a single track playing in the menus, and you’re met by complete silence when you’re actually racing. This is not that uncommon for a simulation game, but outside of the sounds of your bike’s engine, you won’t be hearing much else. There is the occasional sound of a bystander and other environmental noises, but these are far and few between. A lot more could have been done here, as it made the game a bit boring at times. Granted, if you’re all in for the simulation component, you probably don’t mind the silence, but if you’re a more casual player, it might become dull really quickly.
Gameplay
MXGP 26 – The Official Game is a simulation off-road dirt bike racing game that’s all about the FIM Motocross World Championship. You start by designing your rider and bike (or you pick a premade one based on real riders), then you go from race to race, unlocking new decals the more you play. It’s all very straightforward stuff, and MXGP 26 doesn’t come with many bells and whistles. The only thing you’ll basically be earning are tickets, which you can trade in for cosmetics. While everything still feels fairly barebones, MXGP 26 is a fairly big step up from MXGP 24, which wasn’t a very good experience. MXGP 26 keeps things simple by offering Time Attack, Grand Prix, Championship, and Multiplayer as the available modes.
Let’s immediately start with the improvements, namely better physics. Bikes handle so much better in MXGP 26 than they did in MXGP 24. You’ll feel more in control; you can fine-tune a lot more settings; grip has improved, and overall, everything feels more realistic. The tracks can still feel slippery, and there is still an issue with oversteering from time to time, even on tracks that look ‘dry’. Even so, we did enjoy our races a lot more, and encountered a lot fewer instances where we lost time due to unfair or illogical physics issues. That being said, not everything is perfect just yet, as you still can lose time with random falls and wonky interactions with the tracks. The NPC riders are still immovable objects, like they were in MXGP 24. This is really annoying, as they can just ram you off the track, or when you accidentally hit them, it feels like hitting a wall.
Conclusion
MXGP 26 – The Official Game is a step in the right direction after the horrible previous iteration. You’ll be more in control of your bike, the graphics have received an additional layer of polish, and the experience has become somewhat enjoyable for simulation enthusiasts. Sadly, the developers are not completely there yet, as physics can still be a bit wonky, content is limited, and the price of entry is too high for a day-one purchase. That being said, if the team keeps improving the series, we are quite looking forward to seeing what the next MXGP game has in store for us.
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