MX Vs ATV Alive – Review (360, PS3)

written by gazzara on 20.5.11

THQ offers up their next title in the MX Vs ATV franchise.

THQ has taken a brave step with MX Vs ATV Alive.  It is one step that may define how games are sold in the future and one that ultimately defines this review.

You see, THQ have been battling the pre-owned demons for quite a while now and whilst combatting this with online codes etc have plumped for an ingenious way of delivering a game that sells cheaply enough at retail to tempts first time buyers of the franchise to have a crack at the game but also delivers a game that will tailor make and define your own personal experience of MX Vs ATV Alive but offering you a vanilla version of the game at retail with the option to buy tracks, game modes, clothing etc online to suit your taste and therefore bolster out the retail price tag.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is quite a few things to go through in the game itself but when you stack the initial experience against that of the grandeuose MX Vs ATV Reflex you begin to see exactly how much is lacking in the game contentwise.  Although this may sound like a dig towards THQ, it really isn’t.  Content wise, there is enough there to keep you happy for quite a while with some free dlc to get down for those of you that buy this new which will pad the game out even more.

The control system itself remains intact from Reflex with steering being performed and the bikes movement is controlled by the left thumbstick, the right thumbstick is utilised for shifting the rider’s weight around to get into corners a little more easily and also giving you a chance to recover a potential crash by moving the thumbstick in the required direction shown on screen if things go a little wrong.  It was a great system in Reflex and remains a great system now with a new Bar2bar system also implimented for close racing and a way to stop you from getting thrown off at the slightest of knocks.  With an already intuitive control system in place this new feature is hardly noticeable but does provide and even more solid grounding to what has already been achieved.

Presentation wise, MX Vs ATV looks very polished and what amazed me was the how the frame rate didn’t drop at all, even with a tonne of things going on.  The draw distance too offered some fascinating action going on around you as you pick your spot to cut into a corner and see to your left other riders jumping over the dirt jumps and whoops that make up various tracks.  The terrain deformation system also makes a return and is as impressive as ever.  Seeing the dirt rut up lap after lap and the effect that it has on your bike is nothing short of stunning.

One of the great things about Alive though is the way that the XP system has been included.  The stagnant way that cheap storylines have been introduced in the past which controls the way you progress through the game has now made way for an XP system that presents a game based around just PURE racing.  Games like the MX Vs ATV franchise have never really been about storylines and such.  It has always been about getting stuck in as quick as you can and race, race, race.  National and standard events as well as free ride areas make up the guts of the single player modes with extra areas and competitions being unlocked as you level up.  Certain skills and customisations can also be unlocked and applied as your level gets higher too providing a simple but effective system that keeps you coming back for more.

Online is as competitive as ever but unfortunately, as you have to purchase content, the modes have been dramatically trimmed down to short track, national and free ride events which hopefully can be added to further down the line.  It does provide the pure racing that you desire with the option to explore and stunt for points XP and bragging rights but I feel that certain modes that were present  in Reflex would have bolstered a somewhat anorexic offering.

Overall, MX Vs ATV Alive remains highly addictive and very hard to put down.  Those of you that were expecting a feature busting title like MX Vs ATV Reflex will be disappointed but the initial content that you receive for the price you are paying remains good value.  Although I applaud what THQ are trying to do with this game and perhaps future titles in terms of supplying a vanilla disc that can be built upon through digital transaction and customised to your taste , MX Vs ATV Alive will obviously live or die by how long term fans, newcomers to the game and the gaming public in general take to this new way of doing business.

The initial content is there, ther handling is definitely there, the presentation is slick and online as exciting as ever.  Is this a game that is worth the asking price? hell yeah!  Is this a game that will stand the test of time?  Well, the paying public will decide but it could instigate a revolution in how we pay for gaming in the future.