Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame (PlayStation 4) Review

By Athanasios 03.03.2018

Review for Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame on PlayStation 4

Still, after all these years, there is no "definite" representative of Supercross/Motocross, as these tend to mostly be titles that cater to those fans who don't mind playing something that's generally a little rough around the edges, as long as they can experience the thrill of the sport in the comfort of their living room/mother's basement/man-cave. The good news is that Milestone's 20+ experience with racers means that genre aficionados should not be afraid that the developer is a stranger to it all. Unfortunately, the result is far from the perfect specimen that some are probably waiting for, and Cubed3 is here to explain why, with the review of Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame for the PS4.

While not a simulation game, Milestone has tried making this as authentic and "deep" as possible. It's also a title that doesn't spend any time holding your hand, as it throws you in the deep end from the get go, and expects nothing short of perfection. Thankfully, while certainly aimed at complete newbies or casuals, Monster Energy Supercross is relatively easy to understand and get the hang off. Moreover, a rewind button has been included, which will probably be your best friend for the first couple of hours or so - although a meaty tutorial mode would be more than welcome.

Screenshot for Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame on PlayStation 4

In terms of atmosphere and immersion (after all, this is a sports game), the Unreal engine does its usual wonders, managing to really bring this to life. From the special effects (especially pyrotechnics) and the lighting effects, to the podium celebrations, and voice acting by announcer Ralph Sheheen, this really captures the vibe of it all. As for the technical part, while it doesn't hit 60fps, it runs pretty smoothly - apart from a few occasions where the frame-rate plummets.

The AI is pretty solid, something that, besides creating no problems gameplay-wise, doesn't break the immersion by having riders behave as faulty automatons. The same can't be said about the physics, though, as they can often be quite strange, and that's not a good thing when it comes to a game that, in many ways, is all about physics, as Supercross isn't one of those racers that's just about keeping your foot on the pedal.

Screenshot for Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame on PlayStation 4

Moving on, after the create-a-character sequence, which, in all honesty, feels kind of limited, you get to pick a bike, but be prepared to stick with it for a while, as enough money must be gathered to start gaining new ones, not to mention new attire for your character. Rewards come, as expected, from winning races, but also by pulling off all sort of tricks, especially the ones that a sponsor wants you to perform. One thing that should be noted here, though, is that time should be taken to get comfortable with the menus, as they could definitely be a little more user-friendly.

Screenshot for Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame on PlayStation 4

In terms of modes, there's Championship, which recreates the 2017 Supercross season, and it's possible to create a custom championship and add a different set of courses. The "main" mode, however, is probably Career, which has a custom-made character racing through East or West 250 classes, before advancing to the 450 ones. As for the online experience, don't expect much variety, not to mention that there's absolutely no matchmaking - but, hey, at least the netcode is decent.

One of the greatest and, at the same time, disappointing parts of Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame is probably the course editor. The good? Besides the fun of it all, players can share their creations online. The bad? Sadly, the editor isn't as finely-tuned and flexible as it should be, with the lack of a sectional delete button being one of the biggest omissions, effectively meaning that, once stuck, it's time to hit that reset button - furthermore, the in-game tutorial isn't much help...

Screenshot for Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame on PlayStation 4

Cubed3 Rating

6/10
Rated 6 out of 10

Good

What is Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame? Well, the answer is that this is a solid, challenging, and authentic example of the Supercross racing genre that fans will definitely enjoy on their PlayStation 4 systems. However, in saying that, at the same time it also feels like Milestone has sort of left this release in a rather unfulfilled form.

Developer

MileStone

Publisher

MileStone

Genre

Driving

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  6/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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