MTX: Mototrax

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.