Crack open a Monster and get ready for some high octane action! Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 2 is the newest entry in the series by Italian developer Milestone S. r. l. If you enjoy dirt bike racing of any type, then this will be right up your alley. It’s time to gear up and get on the track!
If you like to challenge yourself, then the Time Attack mode is a good place to start. You are able to choose between either the 250 East, 250 West or the 450 class. There are a multitude of tracks you can pick from various cities across the US. Once the location has been chosen, next up is the rider. Again, there are plenty of choices here, so you shouldn’t have an issue finding your favorite one. There are a few race options which are found in pretty much any type of racing game. One last thing you can do before the race begins is tweak your bike settings. Depending on the type of track, the motorcycle can be adjusted in a variety of ways. The preload, springs, compression damping, and the extension damping can all be changed to what you think feels the best. You can also save these settings for future use. If you really want/need a particular build, there’s even an option to save 20 different types of setups.
Once out on the track, you can race to your heart’s content. The only goal is to try and beat your previous time. This is a good place to become one with your bike and learn how to control your motorcycle, such as leaning, speed/break control, and really honing your skills. Of course, you can jump right into another mode, but this would be the best way to start, especially if you’ve never played a game like this before.
Next up is career mode. Here is where you can make a rider of your choice. Once you’ve stylized and named your rider, you can choose which sponsor to go with. After that, you get to pick what kind of outfit to wear out on the track. You can focus on customization in this game as much as you want. If would like to just get right to the action, you can do that as well.
There are three classes to pick from, the previously mentioned 250 East, 250 West, and 450. In order to race in the 450 class, you are required to finish at least one season in the 250 tier. After a class has been decided, you get to start your race week, with each week planned out day-by-day. The weeks alternate between three activities and the race or two activities and the race. Some of the activities include training, media appearances, and interacting with fans. Doing those things earn you a variety of points, which allow you to gain fame. If you’ve achieved enough fame at the end of the season, you are allowed to graduate to the 450 class. Some of the training includes practicing your ability to land correctly, leaning into turns, scrubbing your bike, testing your reflexes, and perfecting cornering speeds. It’s an enjoyable activity to break things up in between races. I’m a perfectionist, so I really enjoyed trying to perfect my abilities.
While loading into the races, the music stuttered pretty badly. I feel like that’s a pretty big oversight for a title of this size. Once the race begins though, it consists of 45 racers and the battle to finish first. How fast are you able to adapt to a new track? That might just be the difference between victory and defeat. I had a few hiccups during some of the races though, one of them being how the out of bounds area was really inconsistent. At some points during the race, I would barely cross the barrier and still be considered out of bounds. Another time, I could ride completely off the track and have to ride back in because the game refused to pull me back. Aside from that, the races are very intense, and I always felt like I was one bad move away from being passed by three or four riders. I love the pressure and found it to be a good challenge. Your penalties should cost something, even if it feels a little unfair at times.
The Career Mode is full of options, and you are able to customize pretty much every aspect of the game mode. Everything from your riding gear to your physical appearance, to the brand of bike you ride and how said bike handles. This was well done, and I can see this holding my attention for quite some time.
My personal favorite race mode was Championship. Essentially, you just jump right in and do a series of races. There’s a point system in place to determine the overall winner. Just like the other modes, you can pick between the three classes, but unlike in Career Mode, there’s no training or weekly activities. You just go straight to the racing. That’s why I play these games, so that’s why this is my favorite mode. A lot of extra fluff usually doesn’t make or break a game for me. If the main feature of the game is done well, then that’s enough for me. The rest is just extra. There is a spot in the game to do your “official” training. This is more of a playground though. I still prefer the Time Attack mode to improve, but if you wish, you can always do it here.
For all you multiplayer fans out there, that itch can be scratched as well. It’s a pretty basic feature though, and it almost feels like an afterthought or something they felt obligated the put in the game. Nothing fancy here. I’m not even sure if there’s matchmaking. I joined at level 5, and I was playing with level 100 players. Either way, if this is something you desire, then you have the option.
If you feel up to the task of creating your own track, then this game will fulfill this desire and more. You are able to pick your starting point, twists, turns, and even the amount of jumps you want on the track. Once you’ve made your selections, you are able to upload your track so other people can race on it. This mode was not for me. I found it a little tedious to map out a whole track, turn by turn.
If you’re familiar with the motorcross or supercross scene, then you’ll feel right at home here. Also, if you’ve never seen a dirt bike before, it won’t take long to get familiar with how they handle. This game is very intuitive, and the physics feel real enough to get the point across. Monster Energy Supercross 2: The Official Video Game is full of high-flying supercross action while keeping you grounded just enough to not get in over your head.
Developer: Milestone S.r.l.
Publisher: Milestone S.r.l.
Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Release Date: 8th February 2019