Game Reviews

There’s no question that THQ and developer Rainbow Studios strive to add some nice, new features to each installment of the MX vs. ATV franchise that they’ve created and cultivated. And having the Xbox 360 as a canvas enables the gamemakers to push the envelope in a lot of different ways.

That continues the case with their latest, MX vs. ATV Reflex. The biggest improvement in this just-released game is the inclusion of terrain deformation (TD). While other games have offered some level of TD, though mostly as a cosmetic feature, Reflex makes it an active part of the track—much as it is in an actual motocross race. Riders have to pay attention to the ruts and rises, so the tires don’t get caught or to prevent the vehicle from tipping off balance. In Reflex, you also need to pick your “line” to minimize the potential hindrances (such as getting bucked off a bike that hits a deep divot) and maximize the benefit you get from TD (such as being able to carve a tight turn at speed by using a rut to channel your bike around a bend).

As you start a game, you’re urged to personalize the game by changing your rider’s features (though it’s not as versatile as a Tiger Woods PGA Tour game or even THQ’s own most recent WWE titles), as well as customizing the rider’s number and name that are affixed to the back of his jersey through your “Motocard.” There are also, as you’d expect, a series of simple tutorials that will give you the basic skills and lets you prove you can match the directions before moving on to the next module.

Outside of the driving, perhaps the most fun, which you’ll experience right off the bat, is hearing David Lee’s voiceovers as he narrates the instructional text and introduces you to each venue and race type. He’s the familiar voice you hear on national motocross commercials (among many other ads and radio/TV-station “bumpers”), and it adds an aire of authenticity to have him booming out of your speakers when you play Reflex.