Milestone has now become synonymous with "two wheels", except for some pleasant titles that exempt from this feature such as Gravel. But when in that distant 1999 they developed Superbike World Championship, the guys from the development house merged their name with motorcycle racing video games. In fact, in 2007 Capcom entrusted them with the task of developing the new game based on the championship of MotoGP, and since 2013 this game series is also published by Milestone itself. Obviously, as already mentioned, our development house has not limited itself to developing two-wheeled racing games, and during the twenty-six years since its foundation it has also experimented by launching itself into the world of Rally (with mixed success). Since 2018, however, in parallel with the games dedicated to MotoGP, Milestone has also launched into the world of Supercross under the name of Monster Energy. In Monster Energy Supercross 3 will have managed to improve and surpass themselves compared to previous chapters (here you can find the review of the first chapter) of the series? Let's find out together!
Game mode
After starting the game, you will find yourself in front of the editor of your personal pilot who, unfortunately, is very thin and does not shine for customization elements. Not bad, since in the end the creation of our avatar only surrounds the real playful component of the title, or the roaring class mounts races 450SX e 250SX (East than West).
The offline game modes are varied and all well diversified from each other:
- Career: In this mode we will start an adventure in the world of motocross with our personal rider.
- Single Event: A classic mode where we can decide our rider, and attached mount, the track, the weather conditions, the various settings of the difficulty and the race, the type of physics (if standard or advanced) and many other customizable features.
- Time Attack: Here too, as in “Single Event”, we will be able to choose the driver, the track, and freely modify the various settings. Obviously this is the classic solo time race, where we will have to try to achieve the best possible time. The goal will obviously be to beat the records of other online players.
- Compound: A freely explorable training area, without rules or goals. Useful for training and improving. In this case we will be able to select the driver, but not the track, and the various settings will be limited.
- Championship: We will be able to choose between two types of championships, the official one (with race sequence and Supercross championship regulations) and the customized one (with tracks created by the player and other online users, with rules set by us).
- Challenge: Mode where there will be skill tests to be faced in the Compound area. Completing the various challenges will unlock exclusive cosmetic components.
Obviously riders, bikes and tracks are all officially licensed, which is definitely an indisputable pro of the Milestone title.
On the track
Once in the middle of the action, one can only praise the work done by di Milestone at the level of atmosphere. The typical atmosphere of this type of competitions has been masterfully recreated, including fireworks and an apt and never annoying commentary.
The gameplay, as well as the stage system, works very well pad in hand. The road taken is the same as the predecessors, with obviously all the necessary improvements. The physics of the bike is indeed more realistic compared to previous titles, although it must be admitted that sometimes some falls are tragicomic in their lack of naturalness, especially at very low speeds. The final result is however appreciable, even though we have reached the third chapter of the series, we would expect a decisive step forward that still seems to be missing regarding this technical aspect. The animations, however, are generally much more accurate even if there are some smudges here and there.
Some animations are less convincing than others, especially when you lose control of the vehicle, and if the bikes react in a realistic and satisfactory way, the same thing cannot be said about how they react to the terrain of the various tracks. L'IA di Monster Energy Supercross 3, in parallel, it turns out somewhat anonymous. In fact, the opponents seem to have been programmed to simply run straight to the finish line, regardless of the possible advantages and disadvantages of the race events. From this point of view there does not seem to have been any significant improvements compared to the past.
Milestone however, he seems to have reached a certain degree of confidence with the'Unreal Engine 4: on a purely aesthetic level, the glance is undoubtedly excellent, with the framerate that is decidedly more solid than in the past. Although there is certainly no rubbing your eyes, visually the game is clean and believable. The implementation of the weather conditions, which will affect not only the gameplay but also the aesthetics of the races.
With Monster Energy Supercross 3 Milestone has decided to focus strongly on the multiplayer sector. In fact, for the first time in the history of the series, gods will be available dedicated servers. The excellent soundtrack of the title also deserves a mention, which is reconfirmed at good levels like the previous chapters of the series.
Personalization and accessibility
If the avatar will be shaped in a rather simplistic way, we cannot say the same thing for the customization side, with a fairly wide mode available. In the Milestone title it will in fact be possible to customize various elements to your liking with great freedom of choice. L'path editor, specifically, it is the undisputed flagship ... but not only. The mode will also be present in Monster Energy Supercross 3 Director Race, which will allow to set penalty and other race specific rules in the shoes of race director.
It will also be possible create and impersonate a female driver, which will have a unique set of animations and models compared to the male counterpart. An addition that in a historical period like this is anything but superfluous. It will also be possible to customize your bike thanks to the presets in the "Crea". The customization of your two-wheeled colt is really excellent and it will be possible to modify the handlebars, rims, suspension, grips and all the other components. Here too, all officially licensed. Licenses that will also be present in the customization of the suit, including helmets, boots, goggles and so on.
As for accessibility, it must be said that Supercross 3 is by no means a title suitable for everyone, and although it is an experience that could entertain even non-motocross fans, it remains a title that is not easy to master for newbies, even to lower difficulty levels. In Monster Energy Supercross 3 in fact it will be enough to miss a jump or a curve to finish last and lose a lot of ground compared to the opponents. A single mistake could irreparably compromise the rest of the race. It will therefore take a lot of practice (and many last places and crashes) before we can be really competitive, both in single and multiplayer.
In particular, the use of the "Whip" and "Scrub", two fundamental techniques to better control our jumps and give us a good boost once back with the wheels in the mud. It won't be easy at all, especially by minimizing the aids and setting up advanced physics.
Conclusions
Ultimately, this third chapter of the saga goes to smooth out various imperfections present in the previous chapters, leaving however the impression of having simply done a "good homework". Although we are talking about a solid title, the feeling is that we could have dared more, while on balance we have limited ourselves to refine where possible. For all lovers of the aforementioned discipline, however, it remains an essential title, but for all others the advice is to direct your savings elsewhere.
