MTX Mototrax
Written by Ara Ajizian on 4/8/2004 for
PS2
More On:
MTX Mototrax
Activision has brought the otherwise mediocre selection of motocross games to a new level of greatness with MTX: Mototrax. The game is a gem for racing fans, combining great graphics, an in-depth career mode, and a great variety of bikes from different manufacturers. I haven’t ridden dirt bikes in quite a while, but the way this game plays brought it all back.
MTX has your standard racing modes: Career, Exhibition, Multiplayer, and a Ghost Mode to race against your best lap time. The heart of the game is the Career mode, and from the start it sucks you in.
After building your player from a number of physical attributes, the fun begins. You find yourself at the compound of professional rider Travis Pastrana to start learning the ropes. This basically serves as the tutorial, getting you familiar with how the bikes control, and learning a few tricks. There are different areas of the compound that familiarize you with the skills you’ll need to succeed.
Your player also has a PDA, which serves as the hub for all of your correspondence with your team manager, sponsors, and other contacts. The PDA also holds all of your bike and rider information, as well as your stats.
Once you’re ready to ride, you’ll pick either a motocross or supercross series to take on. You start off in the 125cc class, but there is a 250cc class once you unlock it. The racing challenges vary, and seemed a little inconsistent to me. Some races were extremely easy to win, while others seemed nearly impossible. I attribute this to the AI of the other riders—some courses have more difficult rhythm patterns that take you a little longer to figure out. The computer racers seem to know the track up and down, and know which jumps to go all out on, and which to hold back on. It can get frustrating until you know the course well.
Exhibition mode is extremely helpful for overcoming this problem. You can pick from any of the pro riders featured in the game, and race any track. You can even set the AI difficulty level, which helps a lot. Whenever I would get stuck on a tough track, I’d just hop over to Exhibition mode, play the hell out of it, then return to Career. It’s a lot less frustrating than trying to win the race over and over.
There’s also a Free Ride mode, where you get to tool around different areas, and earn MTXP points for completing various objectives. Once you have enough, you can compete in Freestyle events. I particularly liked this part of the game, as it lets you explore environments at your own pace, and practice getting good at tricks and other techniques you’ll need to master the game. You can also earn money for completing objectives in this mode.
Sponsorships are another aspect of the game that works really well. As your standing increases in the supercross and motocross series, companies will offer you sponsorships. You then get access to better equipment, though you’ll still have to spend your own dough on it.
You will also be offered a spot on different teams from time to time, depending on how well you race. Each team has a different selection of bikes to choose from, adding to the tough choices you’ll have to make as you advance in your career.
I found the DirtWurx Track Builder to be an awesome asset to the game. You can build any kind of crazy track you can think of, and save it to race on whenever you want. I had a lot of fun trying to come up with cool tracks, and the options are practically unlimited. This turned out to be an added bonus for me, though some people might just skip it altogether in favor of the tracks that are already in the game.
As for multiplayer, there’s a two player split screen mode, and online play available for those with the PS2 network adapter. Once online, you can engage in 2, 3, and 4-player games with people from all over. There’s a King of the Hill game available as well during online play, and a Freestyle Battle as well.
Activision also did a great job in creating the soundtrack to the game. There’s a great selection of songs from many different punk and hardcore bands. The songs really get you pumped during races, and you can build your own playlists from the available songs. There are old and new bands alike, from The Misfits to Slipknot, and Metallica to Ill Nino. There really is something for everyone.
Overall, I found MTX: MotoTrax a great motocross sim. There’s a great selection of tracks, and the graphics did a great job of conveying the sense of speed you get from a real bike. The game is challenging to the point of frustration at times, but the Exhibition mode helps you get past this. There’s a great selection of bikes and equipment, and the realism of the Career mode keeps you playing for hours. The Free Ride levels are great for just exploring or learning new tricks, and allow you to unlock the Freestyle Levels for even more competition. There’s even an ESPN X Games level that can be unlocked!
For motocross and supercross action that’s top-notch, I highly recommend MTX: MotoTrax.
MTX has your standard racing modes: Career, Exhibition, Multiplayer, and a Ghost Mode to race against your best lap time. The heart of the game is the Career mode, and from the start it sucks you in.
After building your player from a number of physical attributes, the fun begins. You find yourself at the compound of professional rider Travis Pastrana to start learning the ropes. This basically serves as the tutorial, getting you familiar with how the bikes control, and learning a few tricks. There are different areas of the compound that familiarize you with the skills you’ll need to succeed.
Your player also has a PDA, which serves as the hub for all of your correspondence with your team manager, sponsors, and other contacts. The PDA also holds all of your bike and rider information, as well as your stats.
Once you’re ready to ride, you’ll pick either a motocross or supercross series to take on. You start off in the 125cc class, but there is a 250cc class once you unlock it. The racing challenges vary, and seemed a little inconsistent to me. Some races were extremely easy to win, while others seemed nearly impossible. I attribute this to the AI of the other riders—some courses have more difficult rhythm patterns that take you a little longer to figure out. The computer racers seem to know the track up and down, and know which jumps to go all out on, and which to hold back on. It can get frustrating until you know the course well.
Exhibition mode is extremely helpful for overcoming this problem. You can pick from any of the pro riders featured in the game, and race any track. You can even set the AI difficulty level, which helps a lot. Whenever I would get stuck on a tough track, I’d just hop over to Exhibition mode, play the hell out of it, then return to Career. It’s a lot less frustrating than trying to win the race over and over.
There’s also a Free Ride mode, where you get to tool around different areas, and earn MTXP points for completing various objectives. Once you have enough, you can compete in Freestyle events. I particularly liked this part of the game, as it lets you explore environments at your own pace, and practice getting good at tricks and other techniques you’ll need to master the game. You can also earn money for completing objectives in this mode.
Sponsorships are another aspect of the game that works really well. As your standing increases in the supercross and motocross series, companies will offer you sponsorships. You then get access to better equipment, though you’ll still have to spend your own dough on it.
You will also be offered a spot on different teams from time to time, depending on how well you race. Each team has a different selection of bikes to choose from, adding to the tough choices you’ll have to make as you advance in your career.
I found the DirtWurx Track Builder to be an awesome asset to the game. You can build any kind of crazy track you can think of, and save it to race on whenever you want. I had a lot of fun trying to come up with cool tracks, and the options are practically unlimited. This turned out to be an added bonus for me, though some people might just skip it altogether in favor of the tracks that are already in the game.
As for multiplayer, there’s a two player split screen mode, and online play available for those with the PS2 network adapter. Once online, you can engage in 2, 3, and 4-player games with people from all over. There’s a King of the Hill game available as well during online play, and a Freestyle Battle as well.
Activision also did a great job in creating the soundtrack to the game. There’s a great selection of songs from many different punk and hardcore bands. The songs really get you pumped during races, and you can build your own playlists from the available songs. There are old and new bands alike, from The Misfits to Slipknot, and Metallica to Ill Nino. There really is something for everyone.
Overall, I found MTX: MotoTrax a great motocross sim. There’s a great selection of tracks, and the graphics did a great job of conveying the sense of speed you get from a real bike. The game is challenging to the point of frustration at times, but the Exhibition mode helps you get past this. There’s a great selection of bikes and equipment, and the realism of the Career mode keeps you playing for hours. The Free Ride levels are great for just exploring or learning new tricks, and allow you to unlock the Freestyle Levels for even more competition. There’s even an ESPN X Games level that can be unlocked!
For motocross and supercross action that’s top-notch, I highly recommend MTX: MotoTrax.
Great motocross/supercross action and a detailed Career mode are the highlights of this Activision title. There’s a great selection of tracks and bikes, and the overall look and feel of the game just rock. The bikes control beautifully, and there’s a vast array of tricks to master. A killer soundtrack enhances the game too, with tracks from bands like Metallica, The Descendants, Faith No More, Slipknot, A.F.I., and more. Finally a motocross game worth playing!
Rating: 8 Good
* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company.
