MTX: Mototrax – XB – Review

Still, only one conclusion
is made whenever Activision announces the development of an extreme sports
game: either it’s a Tony Hawk sequel or a Tony Hawk spin-off.

Kragen Lum, Associate Producer, told me that MTX: Mototrax is definitely
"the furthest step away from previous action sports games released by
Activision."  It took less than 60 seconds to confirm his statement: from the
very beginning, MTX: Mototrax feels like a different kind of game.  It’s not
the Tony Hawk spin-off you’d expect.

In a dramatic change of
pace for Activision, MTX: Mototrax doesn’t play like Tony Hawk at all.  What
it could be described as is another variation of the Splashdown/ATV Offroad
Fury-style of racing.

Let’s start with the
trick system.  Gone are the days of grinds, half-pipes, and the crazy number
of tricks you can perform in conjunction with them.  You have a number of
tricks to a perform (over 100, actually), but the way in which you execute
them mirrors the trick system in Splashdown.

To perform a trick, all
you have to do is press and hold the directional pad (or the analog stick if
you prefer) and tap the Y or B button.  The direction that the D-pad is
pressed, as well as the number of times that you press it, is what determines
the type of trick that will be executed.  Holding the buttons makes the trick
last longer, increasing your point total for every additional second that the
trick is held.  But MTX: Mototrax appears to be shooting for more realism than
the typical extreme sports game.  It only takes about two seconds to switch
tricks mid-air, but those two seconds feel like a millennium when you’re
trying to gain as many points as possible and reposition yourself quickly
enough to land.  As with any game, points are only gained from tricks that are
landed.  You crash, you lose.

The law of diminishing
returns also plays a role in MTX: Mototrax’s trick system.  The more you
perform a particular trick, the less useful it becomes.  The number of points
earned drops immediately after the first performance of each trick.  This has
been a part of most extreme sports games, and is an easy way to make lazy
gamers pay attention to the many tricks that are available to them.  Whether
you want to or not, you’ll have to learn as many tricks as possible to beat
the high score challenges.

The courses are short and
sweet; the controls have a short radius and are somewhat clunky.  This was a
bit surprising at first.  Most of Activision’s games have big levels and
really smooth controls.

While I can’t explain the
control issue, I was able to overcome to the point where I was able to enjoy
the game.  And to make up for the short courses, MTX: Mototrax has several of
them.  There aren’t as many as MX Unleashed has to offer, but keep in mind
that many of that game’s tracks felt the same.  MTX: Mototrax’s 20+ tracks are
mostly different from each other.  Races end pretty quickly, which keeps the
game from becoming stale.  In addition to that, there are goals to complete in
between the levels.  Nothing major; nothing along the lines of Tony Hawk
Underground.  But it does add a little something for players to conquer.

Graphically, extreme
sports games haven’t been looking as hot lately.  Why I’m not sure – good
graphics help sell video games.  While MTX: Mototrax’s visuals are in no way
groundbreaking, they are much closer to Tony Hawk 4, or even Splashdown, minus
the gorgeous water.

Realistic shadows and
great background lighting are the most notable effects.  Among the tiny
details, it’s the bikers themselves that deserve a second look.  You’ll see a
lot of trees and a lot of dirt – typical motocross racing stuff – but the
texturing on those is not on par with what the Xbox is capable of.  It’s
disheartening that I find myself saying that more than I can say something
like, "This [Xbox game] has amazing graphics that surpass the competition!" 
Come to think of it, I haven’t been able to say that since I reviewed Splinter
Cell.

Gameplay: 8.1
MTX: Mototrax is
the first Tony Hawk spin-off that doesn’t play like Tony Hawk.  Rainbow
Studios’ excellent racers have clearly had a much greater influence on this
title.  The result is a mostly fun stunt-racing game.

One of
the cooler features in the game is the Dirt Wurx Track Editor.  Dozens of
track pieces are available, like bridges and ramps, and the track can be
altered to fit the size that you desire.  It can’t go on forever (we’ll have
to wait a decade or two for something that massive), but it is very expansive.

The
controls feel like a major drawback at first – and believe me, if there’s one
thing that could have boosted this game to a 9.0 it’s better controls – but
they don’t take kill the gameplay experience.  You almost have to unlearn what
you know, and learn to compensate for the game’s wider controls.  It’s not
possible to make sharp turns at the last minute.

Graphics: 7.5
Fast frame rate
(60fps), detailed bikers, great lighting.  What’s missing?  That special
something that makes an Xbox game look like an Xbox game.  (The “special
something” being polygons.)  It could have used more of them.

Sound: 6
MX Unleashed had
a great soundtrack with horrendous technical issues.  MTX: Mototrax has a
mostly repetitive soundtrack but is free of all technical issues.  I could
scratch my head all day trying to figure out which drawback is worse.

It is important to note
that in terms of sound effects, MTX: Mototrax has MX Unleashed beat.  While MX
drove me nuts with its ridiculous engine sounds, MTX: Mototrax is much more
subtle, and thus a lot more realistic.

Difficulty: Medium
If you’ve
mastered Splashdown or Tony Hawk, MTX: Mototrax will be no match for your
gaming skills.

Concept: 7
MTX: Mototrax
plays like a Rainbow Studios game.

Multiplayer: 8
Split-screen
multiplayer for gaming parties with your local friends; online multiplayer for
competitions with gamers from all around the country.

Overall: 7.9
MTX: Mototrax is
the best motocross racer you can buy right now.  The fun that’s received for
performing tricks and winning races is worth the small effort it takes to do
so.  Gamers on a budget should stick with their favorite rental shop, however,
those of you who have a little extra cash (and a love of motocross racing)
will be happy to have MTX: Mototrax in their collection.