MX vs. ATV Reflex Review
After playing MX vs. ATV Reflex for a little while I noticed myself doing something I haven’t had to do in a long time, I was bringing up the menu and selecting restart. A lot. As a gamer more accustomed to playing racing games with four wheels instead of two, it took me a little time to adjust to the notion that controlling my speed was more important for jumps than it was for turning. After you get over the initial boneheaded love of seeing how far you can launch your bike, you’ll quickly grasp the reality that most of the time it’s better not to blast off a jump at full steam. While this may sound like sacrilege to the fun-loving good ol’ boys out there, it may surprise you to know that, despite its arcade-style gameplay, Reflex requires a bit of finesse.
The game’s biggest addition to MX vs. ATV involves utilizing the Right stick for distributing the weight of your rider, which adds a far more precise level of control when trying to stick huge jumps or just make it over gaps. It’s a great addition, and gives the game’s arcade gameplay a more challenging and realistic feel; being able to lean hard into turns makes your bike infinitely more nimble than the game’s hulking sport trucks and buggies. The leaning also serves as a way to save botched landings, allowing you to quickly shift your weight in order to avoid a wreck. The newly added ability to deform terrain also adds an interesting level of strategy, as racers dig visible ruts in the mud. The resulting paths provide more traction and stability for the next rider, though taking the turn wider can provide a useful, if risky, passing opportunities.
