PlayStation 2

MX vs. ATV Unleashed

Not since those lanky Rastafarian Predators fought HR Giger's horrific Aliens have we been made privy to such a monumental match up. Tonight's bout: MX vs. ATV. Both corners are fighting for the unified heavyweight championship of the world. Ironically enough, both contenders are probably going to win it.

Off-road racing games have been very popular for quite some time now. The first game of this nature that comes to my mind is Excitebike for the NES. A lot has changed since that game was released, including more realistic gameplay as well as other forms of off-road games (meaning different games based on certain vehicles). THQ has released a monster of an off-road game that goes by the name MX vs ATV Unleashed. This game has so many features it boggles the mind and becomes a game that will not leave your Playstation2 for a long time. Read on to find out why this is the case.

I will not claim to be a die-hard fan of off road racers or freestyle trick based games (Tony Hawk et. al.) nor do I claim a working knowledge of off road sports or an internal encyclopedia of tricks. I have no expert opinion when it comes to this particular subject matter, but I do know a thing or two about physics. Apparently so do the developers of MX Vs. ATV Unleashed because this game handles like an absolute dream. Or is it an absolute reality?

You know, there's a tactic used often in the gaming industry. It's a common procedure recognized as undergoing the whole rinse, wash, and repeat of milking a brand name. Companies find the makings of milking a franchise useful to be progressive, rich, and ultimately lazy. THQ is one of the many publishers to bombard gamers year after year with the same standard franchises that further build upon the namesake of a label. With their wrestling and with their off-road racing subjects, THQ is known for their particular niches. Last year for the first time, THQ published a game from Rainbow Studios, the original development team behind Sony's popular ATV Offroad games. This was an odd play for them to do this then, since Rainbow Studios was picked up by THQ two years earlier.

Ultimately, what matters most of all is that MX Vs. ATV Unleashed is fun to play and packed with content. There's something innately wonderful about a game that lets you take a dirt bike onto a track and perform stunts, while simultaneously trying to win a race against an ATV, a monster truck, and a golf cart. Furthermore, between buying extra outfits and vehicles from the in-game store and unlocking all of the new tracks and events in the single race events, it'll take most players a good 30 hours to unlock everything that the game has to offer. When add up all those plusses, the minuses really don't matter all that much.

MX vs. ATV Unleashed plays much like any other motocross racing game (or any other “structured” racing genre for that matter) – pick a rider, pick a bike, pick a racing series, pick a track, then race. Racing series’ circuits consist of sixteen races each, and take place on either outdoor nationals tracks, or indoor supercross tracks. This is all standard for motocross games. Well, except for the whole vehicle thing, that is. You see, MX vs. ATV Unleashed also has you picking the type of vehicle to race as well; four-wheelers, motocross motorcycles – even sand rail dune buggies can be raced (not in a series, however).

I loved MX Unleashed, which was the first land-locked union between THQ and Rainbow Studios. To put that into perspective, the only other MX game I ever loved was Excitebike on the NES. Now, ATVs -- which Rainbow is familiar with from developing the first two ATV Offroad Fury titles -- get added to the mix in an attempt to wrangle every off-road-savvy gamer out there, no matter how many wheels they prefer to roll on. It's again a great title, but misses one of the biggest draws from the predecessor.

MX vs. ATV Unleashed is a game that gives fans of off-road racing practically everything they could want in a two- or four-wheel dirt-racing game...and more. The "more" part of the equation, however, doesn't always ring true to the arcade racing series that has built a reputation for itself with a blend of fast action and responsive control.

There are a number of other problems that start to grate after a while, such as the excruciatingly long load times and the need to perform tricks to earn points needed to buy new tracks, riders and other things from the store. All problems aside, MX vs. ATV Unleashed is an enjoyable game. It takes a while to get into the groove, but many of the outdoor tracks are rather thrilling to race on. You have to wonder why all the other vehicles were included as they really don't add anything to the game. If you stick to the ground vehicles there is a lot to enjoy.

There’s no shortage of off-road racing games out on the market today. There is, however, a shortage of off-road games that feature biplanes and golf carts. After years and years of angry emails from golf cart fanatics, THQ has finally answered their prayers. Sarcasm aside, MX vs ATV Unleashed is a decent game for fans of the genre, and will certainly give them plenty to do.

There's only so much you can do with racing. At the end of the story, it's always the same intrinsic elements: going fast by whatever means, in an attempt to reach the other end before the other racers or within a certain time limit. Even when you tack on gimmicks like weird vehicles, a space setting, power-ups, or whatever, it's still the same basic concept underneath it all. MX vs. ATV: Unleashed hits that rule head on and gets concussed for the effort.