Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 6 Review

The latest in what is now a yearly franchise from developer Milestone has arrived, and Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 6 — known as Supercross 6 for the remainder of the review — set out to be the most accessible and expansive title in the series to date. Whilst I am no expert on all things motocross, I do enjoy a good racing game, so it’s time to see if this is a title for fans of the genre to check out, or if it’s better left in the dust.

Beginning with the tutorial (which took an excruciatingly long time thanks to my inability to beat Jeremy McGrath) I found that there was a high-degree of skill involved. The large variety of aids and options to simplify the controls was welcome, and I found that the more I got used to how to play, the more I went back to alter these assists or turn them off entirely, until I was so confident in my abilities that I felt I’d be able to perform in a real motocross event. Some of them did feel rather pointless and were actually a detriment to the races; having an auto-acceleration assist sounds great on paper, but when it kicks into gear as you try to slow down for a tight corner, it quickly becomes an annoyance.

After getting to grips with the mechanics, I started the career mode. Now, I wasn’t expecting any sort of in-depth story, but what we do have is a set of menus to navigate through and a series of races to compete in. It all feels a little soulless, and it would have been nice for Milestone to have tried to make this mode more robust, as other racing games have done in the past. More does unlock as you progress through the seasons, with things like training sessions to improve your rider's health (making them ride better) or going up against rivals, but it still just boils down to navigating menus and racing.

What I did enjoy about this single-player mode was how I could complete challenges — from performing certain tricks a number of times, to racing a clean lap — which would reward me with skills points to upgrade both my bike and rider. It’s nothing particularly fancy, with unlocks featuring things such as better handling around corners, or making you less wobbly after a rough landing, but they were noticeable improvements, and it felt like my rider was becoming more experienced after upgrading.

You’ll also earn credits during races, which are used to customise your gear and bike. Aside from the severe lack of character customisation and horrifying facial models (can I keep my helmet on during the winner's podium, please?) there is a lot to unlock and purchase! Being able to create your own helmet was a nice touch, as well as going online to download others’ creations, should you not be the most artistic soul.

Graphically, the game looks fine. Bikes are super detailed and environments look like their real-life counterparts, it’s just a shame it’s all so bland! I raced through many different stadiums, with the same muddy track textures in various layouts, and there was just no “wow” factor. The free-roaming Supercross Park did have a lot of variety, mixing in mountain peaks with a dilapidated airport, and it was genuinely enjoyable to just zip around and take in the sights, even if it was just to break the monotony of yet another stadium full of mud.

Equally, the soundtrack is as generic as they come. Less than an hour into the most generic sounding rock music imaginable, I had turned it off in favour of my own playlist. The roar of the bikes, though? Well, that is an aural treat! Simply put, they sound fantastic, and whether you’re revving at the starting line or clashing with the opposition as you take a turn slightly too wide, bikes will always sound just as they do in real life: loud, guttural, and exhilarating.

The moment to moment gameplay is what it’s all about, though, and for the most part, Supercross 6 nails it. Particularly noticeable with assist off — or on the lowest settings — bikes have a true sense of weight to them which makes the game so much more than mindlessly powering through each lap. You’ll need to stay alert to ensure you don’t come off your ride at practically any moment. The left stick shifts the weight of your bike, but that won’t be enough to get you by. The right stick adjusts the rider's weight on the bike, allowing for manoeuvring around corners at a tighter angle, as well as pull back for upcoming jumps. Mess up though and all is not lost, as you have the ability to rewind time to try again. This isn’t unlimited, though, so choose wisely!

The adjustment of both rider and bike ties in well with Supercross 6’s brilliant physics system. Milestone’s claim of them being more realistic certainly can’t be disputed, with a variety of animations playing out dependent on how hard you land from a jump, or take a corner too sharply. The developer has also mentioned a more diversified AI behaviour system, and again, it felt like this was more than just PR talk. Some riders were actually quite aggressive, cutting me off or getting a little too close for comfort, whilst others were more reserved, backing off if I became the aggressor.

I did run into (or should that be ride into?) a few glitches during my time with Supercross 6. The most egregious of which was getting stuck on small objects. Frustrating enough as that was, it became infuriating watching other riders pass by as I was unable to reset after running out of rewinds, forcing me to wait until a timer reaches zero to get back into the action. Other times, however, I would stray ever so slightly off course and be reset immediately, before even having the chance to correct my slight error. Watching half a dozen riders fly past me on a final lap because I had a forced restart, knowing I would have to re-do the race, certainly tested my patience!

Whilst certainly not the most fun experience in a racing game, Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame 6 was enjoyable from time to time. The variety of modes on offer, particularly the free-roaming area and its different challenges, kept me invested enough to carry on playing. The bugs causing endless amounts of frustration, though? Maybe I’ll wait for a patch before hopping back onto my Kawasaki.