MXGP Pro looks nice and has better tutorials and handling than its predecessors, but its consistent glitches and slow load times keep it from being anything more than “alright”.
MXGP Pro
Developer: Milestone S.R.L
Price: $49.99
Platforms: PS4 (reviewed), Xbox One, PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS4 code for review.
I’ve played my fair share of bike games in the last couple years, and if I’ve learned anything from playing so many, it’s that they’re all incredibly similar. Perhaps this is unavoidable due to the lack of variety that comes with something that is, itself, pretty repetitive. Still, if you’ve read my reviews of previous bike-racers like MotoGP 17 and 18, or Monster Energy Supercross, then you’ll probably know what to expect from this review. MXGP Pro is quite similar to these games, with even identical bugs being present.
MXGP Pro lets you make your own racer to compete in various modes as. There isn’t much customization, as the available faces are just presets. Your character is used in MXGP’s career mode, which has you race at various locations as you try to climb the rankings as a professional racer. You pick a sponsor, win races, and become more and more famous. It’s a mode that’s in most racing games, and it’s really no different here. Time Attack and Grand Prix are pretty standard, though practicing against other people’s times is a great way to hone your maneuvering skills.
The controls in MXGP Pro were surprisingly tight and easy to learn thanks to the game’s comprehensive tutorials. Though they’re totally skippable, there are quite a few tutorials that explain specific techniques and let you practice them at your leisure. There are a few bugs present, which were also present in Monster Energy Supercross, oddly enough. The load times are also a bit of a pain, as any sense of excitement while playing is lost in the time it takes to get from race to race.
Online is perfectly functional, as I experienced no major lag or input delay. I played a couple matches with people of varying signal strengths, and I never experienced any notable issues. It does take quite a while to get set up in a match, making it feel like a chore to go between different matches.
MXGP Pro’s greatest highlight is probably its environmental visuals. Every course, whether based in a stadium or a muddy forest, looks impressively realistic. Mud flies all over the place as your bike creates wet imprints in the track, while your racer’s uniform gets stained and muddied with each splash. It’s quite impressive, though I’ll be the first to admit that the human faces don’t look fantastic.
The Final Word
MXGP Pro is remarkably similar to the last few motorbike games to come out in the last year, even featuring identical bugs. The controls and tutorials are improved from previous titles, while the environmental visuals are stunning. Still, it’s really just more of the same, meaning its bugs and load times are frustratingly intact.
MonsterVine Rating: 2.5 out of 5 – Mediocre
