MXGP 2020 is the latest official Motocross video game published and developed by Milestone S.r.l. Get ready for some adrenalin filled motocross action that is both challenging and rewarding. You can become the world champion through the campaign, or just enjoy the ride in one of many different game modes.
Create your own track or explore the vast freeride map; a great choice for a nice chill ride, or to cultivate your skills to be the best, or make use of the multiplayer function to test your metal against others around the world.
The first thing I noticed about this game is that there is no tutorial as such, so it is very much a case of learning as you play the game. You start by choosing your character’s details like your name, nickname, and competition number. Of course, my brilliant and completely original sense of humour chose sixty-nine as my number. Once all is said and done, you’re straight into the first race, and after trying to complete it more times than I cared to count, I finally completed it.
The controls, especially turning, take a bit of getting used to, but the best mechanic of this game is the rewind. This means that if you stack it, make a bad turn, or anything else that slows you down, you just hit R1 and go back in time to correct any mistakes. I use this a lot, and by a lot, I mean an embarrassingly high number of times, but once you complete the first race, you can then try out the different game modes.
Once your first race is completed, you can continue the championship campaign, earning prestige, credits, and unlocking sponsorships that allow you to buy equipment for your bike and rider. This is made quite a bit easier with the rewind feature, not that I had to use it, being a pro gamer and all that… In all seriousness though, I was having a difficult time with this game at first, but now I am enjoying it a lot more. I still get frustrated with the handling at times, but with the ability to turn back time, it’s fine.
MXGP 2020 also features several quick matches to take part in, which are Time Attack, Championship races, and Gran Prix. Time Attack is pretty straight forward, with you trying to get a good time and earn experience. This is my least favourite mode since you cannot rewind for obvious reasons. Grand Prix is just that. Race in a Grand Prix match using your character or one of the many famous Motocross riders. Finishing off with the Championship races, you choose how many races you want to take part in, and the best part is you can rewind.
The Free Ride allows you to traverse a beautiful landscape giving you a more freeing experience where you can just cruise around, take in the sights, and get in some practice. If you are in a creative mood, you can even make your own track the way you want it. I do intend to spend a little more time making some big jump tracks. Tracks are not the only things you can customize; you can modify your bike to suit different tracks and play style. It is a little unfortunate that these changes do not show on your bike, but the options are there.
I played on the PS5, and it looks pretty amazing, especially when you’re taking your time to enjoy the ride and take in the sights. Getting distracted during a race could cost you the win, but I was really impressed with how it looked. The music in the game is so amazing that you could even party to it. I did have one issue with the sound while I was cycling through the skins you can purchase; the scrolling did not stop and was constantly in the background. It was a little annoying but became white noise until I focused on it.
I’ll admit that I had a lot of trouble getting into the game at first. It is the type of game where you need to spend the time to get better. Once you start learning the ins and outs, it becomes a lot more enjoyable. I will probably even continue to play it. Not every day, but certainly now and then, which is more than I can say for most race games.
The Good
- Looks great and sounds amazing
- A real sense of achievement when you start getting the hang of it
- A lot of customisation options and skins to try out from multiple brands
- Sense of accomplishment when you win
The Bad
- No real tutorial on how to control the bike
- One sound issue but only a minor annoyance