MXGP 2020 Review: Sizeable strides forward

Milestone is no strangers to motorbikes. In fact, they're the go-to when it comes to virtual racing on two wheels.

The Italian developers have been consistently producing solid entries to their library for years. MXGP 2020 is no exception and is available to buy now.

If you want to find out what the latest official Motocross game is like before purchasing, though, we've got everything you need to know in our review!

Challenging but rewarding Gameplay

Milestone has been making the official Motocross game since acquiring the licence in 2015. In that time, they've gained plenty of experience and continued to improve the feel of the game.

That definitely comes into play here, as tearing around a muddy track is extremely challenging and fun. It's a real melee into the first few corners, as track position and throttle application are crucial to success.

To the untrained eye, Motocross may appear to be a crude form of motorsport. Once you've completed a few races, though, you'll be left in doubt as to how much skill is required to win.

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The lines you take around every corner effect not only the lap you're on, but the rest of the race. The terrain is deformable, so the line you take on one lap leaves a groove in the ground.

That groove can form into a mound and trip you up later in the race. It gets some time to get used to, especially if you're more akin to circuit racing. Once you find the rhythm though, it's an absolute blast.

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As far as the graphics and sound are concerned, MXGP 2020 definitely meets the standards we expect. Your overalls and bike slowly get coated in mud as the race progresses, for example.

The sun shines off standing water on top of the muddy surface and the environments as a whole look very realistic. This is especially true on PlayStation 5, as this is the first Milestone game to be released on PS5.

Licence to thrill

This is the officially licenced video game of the 2020 MXGP championship. As such, the full calendar from this year is available, as are all of the teams, bikes and riders.

There isn't the level of bikes nor circuits available in MXGP 2020 as there are in games like MotoGP 20 and Ride 4, but there's enough to keep you entertained.

You start your journey in Career Mode by creating your rider and then setting out to become world champion. It's admittedly a simple game mode, but when you've got gameplay as fun as this, you can overlook it.

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Still though, with the depth that games like F1 2020 and Dirt 5 offer with their Career Modes, you do hope for more.

Your Playground

MXGP 2020 has its own Playground mode. This is where you can practice in the beautiful forests of Norway and hone your skills on a dirt bike.

This is also the mode that allows you to create your own races. We have often wondered when an in-game track creator would be made available and this certainly qualifies.

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While the options available aren't the most in-depth, it's something that adds real value and re-playability to the game. This is especially true as Playground is available to play with friends in co-op.

Verdict

This is certainly an improvement over MXGP 2019, Milestone has made sizeable strides over last year's game.

Playground, a better multiplayer, and the increased power of the PS5 all make this worthy of upgrading.

However, the game is limited compared to other bike titles and it is a steep learning curve for beginners to racing on two wheels.

RacingGames Rating: 7.5 (out of 10)

Release date

MXGP 2020 is available to purchase now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Windows PC.