It’s been a long, long time since I’ve played a good Motocross game. As of this writing, I think it’s actually been about 12 years. Maybe I shouldn’t say that; EA’s Freekstyle bore as much of a relationship to the actual sport of motocross as SSX did with professional snowboarding. What can I say? Simulations aren’t as much my speed. But I appreciate a good racing game that allows the player to take to the air and develop a sense of rhythm for each track. So I was intrigued by what MXGP: The Official Motocross Videogame had to offer. In the end, I’m kind of lukewarm to it; there are things I like and things I don’t. And the balance between the two is almost exact.

Developer Milestone clearly made this game on a budget; it doesn’t look very good from any perspective. While it’s true that I’ve spent nearly all of 2014 gaming on a PC, a PlayStation 4, or an Xbox One, I’m still well aware of what the PlayStation 3 is capable of. Judging on those metrics, this is one of the PS3’s least attractive games. The dirt and mud covering the tracks becomes reasonably scored and gouged up over the course of each race, but nearly everything else is an exercise in texture blandness. In motion, the game is hit and miss. For starters, the framerate rarely, if ever, feels like it’s locked down. Racing games like these rely heavily on their physics engines. Just how much airtime you get until the earth pulls you back, the angle at which your tires meet the ground, and the proper distribution of weight to each component of the bike. All of it matters in a motocross game. Unfortunately, once your upward movement ceases, trouble tends to show up. More on that later.

MXGP: The Official Motocross Videogame sounds fine, when it’s actually giving you something to listen to. There’s no in-game music at all. While this baffled me at first, I’ve decided that it’s overall a good thing. It’d have been nice to have the option, however. But again, this is clearly a budget title, so I’m more inclined to forgive. Sound effects are pretty good, however; never having been in or even near a motocross race, the only thing I really have to go by is my knowledge of how the bikes sound on different consistencies of terrain. And on that front, I’m totally satisfied.

MXGP: The Official Motocross Videogame gives you exactly the amount of content you'd expect from a complete racing game. It neither goes overboard nor falls short. It meets expectations and calls it a day.

Firstly, there's a bit of customization you can play around with if you want to make your own unique rider and flesh out the illusion a bit. Most of these are superficial; nobody rides around without a helmet or protective gear on, so the best you can settle for is one of several pre-existing mugshots.

From there, you can dive headlong into the meat of the experience. Career Mode is where you will probably spend most of your time if you've got a thing for constant progression. Your manager (chosen by you!) is a superb administrator, and therefore capable of getting you into all sorts of events. You join teams, participate in races, and grow your skills (and reputation). And you can keep track of everything in a self-contained office (think the trailer from DiRT).

MXGP features all the rest of the modes you'd hope to find in a racing game. You can jump right into the action with Instant Races, settle in for the long term with Grand Prix or Championship, or take your game online. The multiplayer suite is solid, but if you're a newbie like me, prepare to feel the pain.

Here’s where MXGP: The Official Motocross Videogame finds the most success. Racing simulations are famous for their depth, and oftentimes that collective reputation is mistaken for inaccessibility. I would never recommend that anyone in their right mind plunge headfirst into a Forza game with all the assists off and the difficulty cranked up to maximum. But these seemingly-impenetrable racing systems are designed to be eased into. And such is the case with MXGP.

If you set the difficulty to the base level, MXGP plays like most other racing games, albeit with more traction and much more maneuverability than most of the others. But as your skills improve, you will want to check out the intricacies built into the control scheme. Fair warning though, the game gets pretty brutal once you do…

I’m spoiled on racing games that place the emphasis on preloading and manipulating the vehicle’s suspension in order to maximize speed and perfect jump rhythms. MXGP: The Official Motocross Videogame offers its own twist on controlling a motorcycle, and it’s a decidedly hardcore addition.

The Left Analog Stick controls the bike at all times, just like it does every other racer that hasn’t been ruined by SIXAXIS-exclusive motion controls. As you move it, you change the bike’s bearing relative to the ground; you turn and make minor adjustments just as you would in any other racing game. If you’re playing on the lowest difficulty level, that’s all you need to know.

However, if you’ve decided to take a ride on the wild side and see more of what this game has to offer, you may be shocked to discover that the Right Analog Stick is too important to be delegated camera duties. Indeed, the stick you don’t use quite as much controls the rider himself. Anyone who knows how to ride a bike (motor-powered or otherwise) knows that proper weight distribution is of paramount importance to staying in control of the bike. You can’t hurtle into a sharp turn and remain sitting completely upright. If you do, inertia will see your ass thrown over the handlebars and given a bruise – or worse.

MXGP takes this rule and runs with it, forcing you to juggle between controlling your bike and keeping your balance on it. Of course, it’s not (and never can be) as natural as the muscle memory that powers these actions in real life, but this is a good attempt at replicating the experience on a much smaller scale. Sadly, the physics engine doesn’t always keep up with everything; you’ll experience a handful of questionable spills and wonky moments. But, as with all things, you’ll learn.

MXGP: The Official Motocross Videogame will most certainly appeal to the hardcore. If you’re a motocross person who’s been let down by the sport’s representation in the gaming medium, you’d do well to give this game a shot. Everyone else will probably be put off by most of what it has to offer.