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MX Unleashed
Score: 88%
ESRB: Everyone
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Rainbow Studios
Media: DVD/1
Players: 1 - 2
Genre: Racing

Graphics & Sound:
I've always found motocross games to be fun. Even though I have not real time experience with the sport (the extent of my knowledge stems from seeing the movie 'Motocrossed' on the Disney channel), the games usually offer a fun experience. At the top the heap has always been the MX series from THQ. MX Unleashed, the latest in the series, offers a fun experience that should appeal to both MX fans and people who have only seen 'Motocrossed'.

MX Unleashed looks great. Texture-wise, the game is a little blurry. Granted a majority of the environments are made up of dirt roads and pits, and dirt is by its very nature blurry, this is acceptable. A few special effects are thrown in to make the dirt look more like dirt. Other environmental aspects look good and give the game a feeling that more is going on around you than just your race. This is especially true when playing in the freestyle portion of the game, which is loaded with ambient structures like mountain lifts and buildings. The biggest complement goes to the look of the riders. Their looks are as varied as they can be with all the pads on and they animate fluidly. Riders aren't static atop their bikes, which helps to sell the rough-riding feeling of the sport. In addition to just looking pretty while riding, riders also look fantastic when pulling off tricks. Crashes are just as impressive as the slick moves thanks to the rag doll physics of the riders. Some of the crashes look outright painful and make you wonder just how much those pads are protecting. Remember to thank the intern. All of this detail comes at a price though, since the load times are on the long side. While not long enough so you can go into the kitchen and make a sandwich, I did find the time to check out some Final Four action.

Sound is standard for the series. Engines roar with the appropriate amount of power behind them, and other sound effects blend well with the entire game. During races you can hear that guy who has been lagging behind you the entire race suddenly roar to life and catch up on you, instead of having him just pop up beside you. The soundtrack is made up of hard, 'racing' tunes that get you in the action, featuring bands like Cinder and Trapt.


Gameplay:
The game is broken up into two categories: freestyle and racing. Freestyle is the more open-ended of the two play types. Here you are given a set of objectives to complete in a given level. These objectives include things like performing specific jumps, pulling off a series of tricks in order or meeting a specific score. This mode is reminiscent of the pre- THUG Tony Hawk series. Each freestyle course is broken up into events. 'Hit' and 'Run' events share the same basic structure; you are given a start point and have to hit a certain sequence of jumps. 'Hit' events differ in that you're pitted against another rider, adding a race element. 'Stunt' has you completing a series of tricks in order to meet a certain score. This mode can be the easiest of all the freestyle events, depending on how quickly you master the controls. After completing all of the challenges in a given area, you unlock 'Machine Race'. One of the hardest of the competitions (although 'Hit' and 'Run' can be a challenge), 'Machine' puts you in a race against another vehicle, such as a dune buggy, monster truck and even a plane. Once you complete each race, you can unlock the vehicle for use in the free-ride mode.

The racing portion of the game doesn't require much explanation since the name pretty much says it all. Here you race in various tracks against seven opponents in three, five and ten-lap races. In total there are about 40 plus, both indoor and outdoor, which make up the Supercross and Outdoor Nationals competitions. You start with an average bike and a few tracks. As you progress through the game, you can purchase new tracks and bike parts in the store.

Also offered is a two-player split-screen multiplayer mode. As expected, this mode lets you challenge a friend on any of the courses you have unlocked. You can also play with a friend in Freestyle mode. Depending on how creative you are, you can spend hours in this mode making up all kinds of crazy tricks and stunts. Unfortunately, online multiplayer isn't available, which is a shame considering how much fun Rainbow Studio's ATV Offroad Fury 2 was online. This is one of the few blemishes in the game.


Difficulty:
Although fun, I usually find motocross games difficult. A big part of this comes from a general misunderstanding of the sport, in particular how to set up pre-loads and time tricks. In order to make the experience easier for people like me to understand, MX Unleashed offers a series of training videos. Each of these short clips explains nearly every little aspect of the sport and tells you how, and more importantly when, to perform certain actions. A fast lap option is also offered, which serves as a guide to the best way to tackle racing courses. Overall, the game offers some nice challenges once you get the hang of things. Races aren't too hard, nor too easy and the freestyle events are doable with a little practice. I did, however, find the 'Machine Race' a little too hard.

Game Mechanics:
What ease of play you find is due in large part to the excellent control scheme. The entire system is very responsive, and rarely can you blame a poorly executed trick on some control flaw. A focal point of games of this type is always the trick system. MX Unleashed uses a very easy to understand three button trick system that is based on hitting buttons together in combination. Pressing directions on the D-pad and add a little extra sparkle to moves. Performing moves gives you points, which can be multiplied by stringing a series of tricks together and nailing a flashy landing.

The biggest challenge with the entire control setup is getting used to pre-loading your jumps. Getting the timing for these actions just right is more on the user-end than a control issue. Pre-loading, for the group that only saw 'Motocrossed', involves shifting the rider's weight during jumps. The idea is that if you can get the balance just right, you can gain more air during jumps. Pre-loading in MX Unleashed is a little more intuitive than previous games, but still requires work and timing.

MX Unleashed is a nice follow-up to the MX series. The play styles offer something for everyone and make for a fun game. The lack of online options and some minor gameplay issues, as well as a few graphical hiccups (load times being the most major) keep this game from breaking out into AAA territory, but the series is certainly getting close. Here's to hoping for an even better follow-up, but until then MX Unleashed should do nicely.


-Starscream, GameVortex Communications
AKA Ricky Tucker

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