Summary
Developer – Rainbow Studios
Publisher – THQ Nordic
Platforms – PC, PlayStation, Xbox
REVIEW UPDATED AS OF THE LATEST PATCH
Year after year, the absence of a good MX vs. ATV title has been highlighted by the continued growth of its natural rivals. Fortunately, the long wait is over. After the very competitive, focused off-road racers, Mx vs. ATV Legends roars back into the genre with accessible but solid off-road fun.
The consistency of the Mx vs. ATV series has always been impressive, but losing that casual side and some of the fun modes that came with it made it seem like it would never remember players like myself.
This game succeeds, in part, because it remembers those old ways and strikes a fantastic balance between the competitive racer and the casual fan who wants to drive to the edge of a map and get shot like a cannon back into the map.
Legends feature improvements and upgrades expected from a sequel, with some unfortunate technical shortcomings. Thankfully, as of the most recent July updates, many career mode issues and technical problems have been smoothed over, albeit not eliminated.
It performs well on every platform, but the PC version is clearly superior. It runs better, looks better, and suffers fewer technical errors than its console cousins.
The same physics system returns. With several improvements from previous entries, the feel of every bike and quad is handled well. The tuning allows you to control just about every aspect of a motorcycle. Even for rookies, such as myself, the basic tier of upgrades does provide a tangible difference and feel for each one installed.
The assists all return and haven’t changed much from previous iterations. They are functional and keep the game fun, even if you’re not exactly a road warrior.
Online play is in and is a bit barebones but functional when playing with friends. After long sessions, roaming the open world is a fun experience, if ultimately shallow.
The audio work is not great, but the soundtrack is solid. Engines and music are vastly improved from previous titles.
I have spent a lot of time playing MX vs. ATV Legends, and the thrill of off-roading has reminded me of the earlier PS2 days. It isn’t perfect, but with the recent updates, Mx vs. ATV Legends is now easily recommended.
