"Even if all of these gaffs were absent, Career Mode can still be very low-rent with its thread-bare plot and forgettable characters." This isn’t to say they look amazing either and issues like texture pop-in or terrible rider animations certainly don’t help. Though these areas can be quite repetitive in terms of scenery, the rolling green plains and snow-covered mountainsides offer some gameplay differences. Some big ramps require more height on take-off – others demand you ease up on the acceleration and stick the landing. Whoops, for example, necessitate holding back on the right stick to quickly skip over them. The track design is actually pretty decent – each feels distinct in terms of the sections, which demand different techniques. Of course, to unlock ATV and UTV races, you need to complete enough of the MX career first. Career mode, regardless of whether you’re pursuing MX, ATV or UTV events, is grouped into different segments like Invitationals, Trails races, Nationals, and so on. It only gets worse when you participate in actual races. Pulling these off is incredibly unwieldy, at best. From there, it gets more complicated – hold L2 for mid-air control, manipulating both sticks and releasing the left at the correct moment for more air, leaning forward for more recovery time after a jump. The left and right analog sticks can be manipulated to perform different maneuvers – holding back on the former will see you perform a wheelie. From there, you graduate to jumps and tricks – this is where things start to come undone.
It’s ultimately a barren landscape serving very little purpose.Īfter speaking to a few NPCs, you’re instructed to complete some tutorials, which will teach you about the various techniques (like how to lean when approaching corners). But drive too far off into the horizon and you’re unceremoniously repelled back. The hills aren’t as expansive as they seem there are rollers, whoops, inclines and jumps for performing tricks along with some collectibles. This is where you’re introduced to the Compound and various characters. There are multiple different modes but you’ll begin the game in the new open-world space. "The track design is actually pretty decent – each feels distinct in terms of the sections, which demand different techniques."
It stops just shy of collapsing but the overall core is rickety, and almost pitiable at times.
ATV Legends seems to strive towards this this, but falters in almost every imaginable department. Even with Motocross titles, it’s not just about racing around tracks – it’s about the timing of the jumps, the navigation of the turns, the customization of one’s vehicles, and the sense of mastery that comes with perfecting your run. When you look at any game, a core eventually emerges, even more so when it comes to racing games. Unfortunately, its reach is far beyond its grasp. ATV Legends is its newest title, bringing the experience to a new generation of consoles.
Rainbow Studios’ MX and ATV series are examples of the same, beginning as separate titles and eventually merging to create MX vs. And then there are the inexplicable franchises which keep soldiering on, regardless of sales, publisher shutdowns and critical reception. In the world of video games, there are revivals, comebacks, remasters, and re-imaginings.