MX vs ATV Untamed (PS3)

The MX Vs. ATV series is in need of an overhaul

Over the years I've sunk an awful lot of time into off-road racers. Whether it's ATVs, dirt bikes, monster trucks or any other small-engined dirt machine, I've churned up mud in them all. Back when we were still in the early days of 3D graphics these off-road racers were able to impress by simply showcasing huge draw distances as you leapt from the peak of a hill, with the entire track drawn before you. While THQ's latest, MX Vs. ATV Untamed certainly doesn't let itself down on the vistas front, it all feels a little bit too familiar.

Once again developed by long-time off-road racing specialists Rainbow Studio, Untamed is probably exactly what fans of previous games in the series will expect. You get to race in ATVs, dirt bikes, monster trucks, buggies and numerous other vehicles that can handle the bumps and hills found across all of Untamed's tracks. The problem Untamed faces is how strong the competition has become. While not competing directly with the dirt bike/ATV genre, games like DiRT and MotorStorm have shown where next-gen off-road racing is going. In Untamed THQ has a game that while perfectly competent, simply can't compete in terms of fun or spectacle.

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What can't be questioned is the sheer amount of content on offer here. The core X-Cross mode sees you competing in numerous events in order to make it through to cup events. Completing all on offer here will take considerable time and effort, especially if you choose to play on one of the game's harder difficulty settings. You're able to pick and choose the events you want to take part in, but once you enter a multi-race event you're locked in. With lengthy tracks, multiple laps and two races per event, you won't be rushing through to ultimate victory in a hurry.

As with most off-road racers over the years, Untamed relies on how you pre-load jumps and land on ramps. Good driving will see navigation of the bumps and hills without issue, but land on the wrong side of a hill and you'll be recovering for the next section of track while the competition screams past. For the most part you'll know if you're lining up a successful landing, but at times the game seems to punish you when everything looks fine, with your rider being thrown from the vehicle. You'll also have to contend with some rather fussy trackside markers that penalise you if you happen to venture too far outside of the track.

Race events are enjoyable, although the tracks on offer seem a little uninspired. It's fair enough that Rainbow went down the sim route, but the excitement you'd expect from soaring high in the air just isn't there. With many modern racing games pulling numerous camera tricks in order to heighten the sense of danger, Untamed's rather standard camera system feels a little dated. Still, racing becomes strangely hypnotic, with the constant ups and downs eventually settling down into a rhythm.

It feels like a very safe next-gen debut for the series

What never becomes steady is the trick-based Freestyle mode. Here, where successful landing is essential, the game's occasional punishment for seemingly perfect landings really starts to grate. You're able to perform both ground and air tricks - obviously depending on your vehicle - but the balance between difficulty and enjoyment is swayed slightly too much towards the former. As well as the X-Cross mode you can set up custom events, go straight into a quick race or tinker with your vehicle's set-up - something hardcore fans will appreciate a lot more than novices.

The big plus for fans, though, will undoubtedly be the 12-player online multiplayer (system link and split-screen are also supported). All the game's vehicles and tracks can be played online and performance is more than adequate. It must be said that the number of games available made finding a match a little trickier than some might have the patience for, but it's worth the wait if you want to compete against other racers. Also on offer are a handful of racing-based mini-games, such as tag, graffiti and snake - yes, like the classic mobile phone game. For whatever reason, the PS3 version can only support eight players online, four less than the Xbox 360 game.

Differences in the Xbox 360's favour can also be seen in the game's presentation. Neither version of the game is especially great looking, although the large open landscapes and detailed riders show some next-gen power, but the PS3 game suffers from numerous graphical issues not in the Xbox 360 version. The frame rate struggles, the textures aren't as clean, there's a lot more aliasing and objects pop-in far more frequently. The rumble in the 360 pad also helps give you the feeling of your vehicle being connected to the track, which is completely absent in the PS3 game.

With more polished and exhilarating off-road racers on the market for next-gen consoles MX Vs. ATV Untamed will struggle to find much success outside of its existing fan base. It ticks all the boxes for those fans though, with only the slightly underwhelming visuals likely to disappoint. With the competition getting stronger and stronger it might be time for THQ to shake things up a little.