ATV Offroad Fury was one of my favorite games for the PS2. So when they THQ decided to bring the game, plus MX to the current gen, I was all over it. But Motorstorm beat them to the punch and set the bar for this style of game. MX vs. ATV: Untamed just doesn’t match up, unfortunately. Here is a breakdown of some of the facets of MX vs. ATV: Untamed for the PS3:

Presentation and Graphics: The menu system in the game annoyed me a bit. It’s difficult to find exactly what you’re looking for. You sometimes have to pull up options in sub-menus to find exactly what you need. Graphics are decent, but nothing that will knock your socks off. I was expecting some better dirt and mud effects. There was also a bit of screen tearing during a few races, but nothing too bad. 7 of 10

Sound and Music: MX vs. ATV: Untamed has a pretty good soundtrack. The mix of songs, mostly punk rock, all fit nicely in with the game’s theme. General sound effects are good throughout the game, such as throttling up your bike or ATV. 8 of 10

Gameplay: I really expected more in terms of gameplay from the MX vs. ATV. Previous games in both the ATV and MX series have had an arcade feel with huge jumps, which didn’t translate into the new game. You need to learn to preload the shocks on most jumps or you’re going to crash almost every time. It’s a way the game strives for a bit of realism. But once you get used to that, there are a ton of tracks and gameplay types for each vehicle to keep you busy. 6 of 10

Multiplayer: MX vs. ATV: Untamed features 8 person online multiplayer on the PS3, with 16 players available on the Xbox 360. The game offers quite a few gameplay modes online, but your luck in finding a game and keeping it might run out. In hundreds of attempts, we had a tough time finding players and/or joining games. The network code of the game seems to be fairly buggy in that respect. 3 of 10

Lasting Appeal: MX vs. ATV: Untamed features a plethora of gameplay modes, but you end up racing the same track multiple times in the same event, often for qualifying matches. With the online portion lacking character, it’s tough to see yourself playing for more than a weekend. 5 of 10

Final Word: If you’ve been a huge fan of the MX and ATV series since it’s first days on the PS2, you may be disappointed in how the newest game in the series feels. The graphics aren’t the best, the added realism takes away from the games over feel, and multiplayer just doesn’t cut it. If you’re on the PS3, Motorstorm may be your best bet.

Overall: 6 of 10

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