Video Game Review: MX vs ATV Alive

Last time, I reviewed a motorcycle game that was bad. Now I'm going to review a motorcycle game that's actually pretty decent.

MX vs ATV Alive is the latest in the MX vs ATV series of racing games which pit motorbikes and quad bikes against each other. I don't recommend this game for casual gamers, since it has fairly complex controls. You need to use both analog sticks for steering, one for the bike itself, and one for the rider. Also, many of the advanced techniques such as high-speed turns and making bigger jumps aren't explained in the game itself. Once you learn how to best handle your bike though, you'll be having a fun time racing.

One aspect that many motorcycle games have is that hitting other racers often ends with you falling off your bike and wasting many valuable seconds. MX vs ATV Alive doesn't adhere to this aspect. Colliding with another racer will only knock them off-balance, if not making them take a tumble. Also, if you get hit and are about to fall off your bike, you're able to regain your balance with a properly timed flick of the analog stick. This system makes races less annoying overall, since it doesn't heavily punish you if you make a mistake.

Much like in an RPG, races will earn you experience points and earning enough will level you up. Level ups unlock customisation options for your bike, as well as abilities for your rider that improve your performance. Furthermore, reaching certain levels unlock new tracks for you to ride on.

If there's one problem that MX vs ATV Alive has, it's that it lacks on-disc content. The game has 12 full-length tracks, 4 short tracks and a couple of free-ride arenas. Most of the tracks aren't available from the beginning, so you're going to be replaying a small handful of tracks a lot just so you can level up and unlock more tracks. Even after you've unlocked everything, there's still a total of only 18 places you can ride in, and only 2 gameplay modes. This makes the game seem half-finished. And wouldn't you know it, it is half-finished. The developers decided to release the game earlier with a lot of tracks, bikes and game modes missing from it. This content was released later as downloadable content. Not only does this show laziness from the developer's end, but it also adds to the cost of the game and screws over those who don't have access to Xbox Live or the Playstation Network.

Overall, MX vs ATV Alive is a decent racing game with some questionable design decisions. If you don't mind a bit of grinding, check it out.