Review: Riding dirty in MXGP 2

MXGP 2 is the official video game for the sport of Motocross. It features all the officially licensed riders, bikes, tracks and more.  It's worth mentioning that this game is 100 percent focused on the racing side of the sport of motocross. Unlike THQ's old MX vs ATV series, you won't see X-Games style trick events in MXGP 2.  If you have never played a motocross game before, the game thankfully offers very helpful tutorial videos to tell you how to ride effectively. Riding a motorcycle in the dirt is far more difficult than the many car racing games I have played in the past. If you are new to the sport, it takes a while for you to get used to the physics.  This is because motocross tracks are full of bumpy mounds and other unpredictable terrain. Different types of dirt can make the track more slippery than others so I found that the outdoor tracks in this game were harder to ride on than the ones that were set indoors.  However, MXGP 2's controls are pretty responsive as you can shift the bike's weight in order to get the best landing when you jump. In motocross racing, you have to align the rider's body weight so the wheels of the bike land nicely on the ground. If you shift too far forward or back, you will crash.  The thing that makes this game quite fun to play is that there are many riders racing on the track at the same time. Races can get chaotic if all of the riders are bunched up during a corner. It can be enjoyable to bump another rider off of their bike, although you have to make sure you don't fall off as well.  To make races a little easier for you, there is a rewind option like that seen in the Forza series. However, there is a quota to the rewind feature so you must only use if when you really need to. You can also set the difficulty of the AI and physics of the game to suit to your own preference.  In terms of content, MXGP 2 is quite generous with the number of modes that it features. It has a long and robust career mode where you can get to choose your own sponsors and earn money to spend on new gear and bikes. It's quite realistic as you have to keep up your reputation in order to get more money and fame.  Not to mention the game is not shy on having official licenses. There are many real-life riders in the game including a few Kiwi names. There is even a mode in the game where you can ride to represent your own country. This mode is called MXoN and this is new to this sequel.  The game also has 18 tracks from the official 2015 FIM Motocross World Championship season. If you are a fan motocross racing, this is the most faithful representation of the sport to date. The amount of races and events that you can participate in will keep you occupied for many hours.  There are a few flaws that prevents MXGP from being enjoyable for everyone. For one thing, the game can get repetitive as the racing never really changes. It would have been cool if the aforementioned trick events were added. The game also has very long loading times which can get tiresome.  I reviewed MXGP on Xbox One, and the visuals weren't all that impressive. The graphics are not bad, but the Xbox One is capable of much more. MXGP 2 looks more like a standard Xbox 360 game at best. The game lacks a replay mode too so you cannot watch your own races.  Overall, MXGP 2 is a fun game but only to those who are hardcore motocross fans. It is certainly not a terrible game, but this game is not as fun to play as THQ's old MX vs ATV series.   Verdict: 7.5/10