Welcome to our review of MXGP Pro, a racing game out now on Xbox One and PS4, we played the Xbox version!
Create your rider and climb the ranks in Career mode. Jump in the Compound area: a bigger, wider training area with different terrain conditions. Test your skills facing 30 different challenges: a dedicated game mode to learn step by step the best motocross techniques in the most realistic way. This and much, much more thanks to the new, innovative PRO Physics.
Also featuring a new Bike Set-Up system, which will enable players to arrange and build up every single parameter of their bike based on real values and metrics. A real physics approach, to let the player race with spectacular movements without any limitations and with a reworked system of grips, collisions, and in air behaviors. Extremely realistic rider movements, integrated with the bike and affected by the impact of the bike on different terrains.
Sporting a higher learning curve, MXGP does provide a reasonably decent initial impression, though I was not so lucky. My first download of the game had to be removed and reinstalled. These things happen, just unfortunate it took me 2 hours of downloading (twice) before I could start playing. At a decent 15GB per try, my download limit did not enjoy this game, but luckily I did.
I tried out everything that I knew about this sport and I also purposely tried to fly outside the track. For this, I went to the Qatar track and used Cairoli as my rider. He flew and defied death a few times. But really, this part was not played the way the developers intended. I just went all out psycho and tried flying in the crowds and everything, the game did a marvelous job preventing any real visual damage from occurring.
While the game has a steep learning curve, it takes a while to book that first real victory. it felt great that I was able to really ride around without falling unlike my initial hour of gameplay. Once you get the hang of braking to fly into turns, move around corners and really soar the skies, this is when the game becomes worth it. Up till then… perseverance is needed in order to keep playing.
One more thing that I liked, the way you never felt like the game was impossible to beat. Despite its steep learning curve, you never feel like you will be dead last every time. In my first race, I ended dead last, I usually suck at racing games. I did not get doubled, which was in itself a real victory, but I knew what I had to do to improve. The ability to rewind bits and pieces of my run, it sure helped and once I learned to keep my eye on the track too, I knew what turns to expect and slowly but surely, I improved.
Comparing this game to some other titles of the same genre, I felt like the others did not compare. The realism of the tracks and the subtle use of crashes on top of the names of real racers, it just bumps it over the top. Though that be mostly by how bad some of them have been, seriously, this genre is in need of a great game that is really fun to play.
In conclusion, this game is just another motocross game and if you can look past the horrible tutorial, it might be well worth its money. If you are on the fence, wait out a sale, is my suggestion. My rating is 55%
