Love them or loathe them, sports simulation titles are here to stay. The annual influx of new instalments is always met with excitement and a barrage of sarcasm. Whether it’s Wayne Rooney with slightly fuller looker hair, or Tom Brady somehow never ageing, the games are full of our favourite stars. Sadly, the biggest complaint is the lack of evolution year on year, and I have to agree. However, Monster Energy Supercross 5 attempts to break that pattern. With new game modes, retro bikes, and an in-depth career, this has plenty to offer.
Developed and published by Milestone, this is a sports simulation title. With high-energy action at its core, you’ll quickly fall for its charms. Yet, unlike its peers, Monster Energy Supercross 5 is accessible to all players. No longer will you need to worry about a harsh learning curve. No, instead you can crank up the rider aids, turn down the difficulty, and learn as you ride. This was an excellent decision from Milestone that immediately makes it stand out from its rivals.
Monster Energy Supercross 5: career mode is king.
If you are a serious sports simulation aficionado, you’ll dive straight into career mode. Fortunately for you, Monster Energy Supercross 5 is fantastically deep and fulfilling. With a choice of 3 difficulty settings that are adjustable throughout, you can alter the settings on the fly. Once you are happy with your setup, you dive straight into the action. Here you begin as a young rider in the “futures category”. Your aim is to tick all the boxes and progress to the pro level. Each of the three stages comprises an array of races, special events, and sponsorship goals. It’s long-winded, wonderfully exciting, and oh so challenging.
Depending on how committed you are will determine how long a race week takes. If you want a lighter experience, you can skip all the pre-race elements and jump straight into a 5-minute all-out competition. Or, alternatively, you can go the whole hog and lose hours of your life being bested by your computer opponents. Whichever option is right for you, you’ll enjoy the gasoline fuelled racing, nonetheless.
It isn’t just about the racing.
Though racing is a massive part of the gameplay, there are also management elements. Whether it’s arranging your seasonal contract, improving your rider, unlocking new gear, or fine-tuning your skills, this has it all. Furthermore, you’ll have to account for fatigue and injuries to your character. Subsequently, your abilities will be affected if you don’t keep yourself healthy and in great shape.
Most of these additional elements are obtained through skill games and tests. With limited availability per week, you won’t want to muck up. After all, a missed opportunity could be the difference between victory and shameful silver. Moreover, having a great rider is essential when you hit the latter portion of the game. With Pro rivalries to contend with, you are going to need to be at peak performance.
More than just a lone experience.
The developers have worked really hard to make this more than just a single-player experience. Subsequently, you are treated to an amazing online and offline competitive title. You can team up with a friend and play split-screen during couch cooperative moments, or play online against the world’s best players. What’s more, you can design tracks, upload them, and race on others’ creations. Furthermore, you can customise accessories for others to use.
These major and minor elements give Monster Energy Supercross 5 a real community spirit. Alongside this, the lobbies aren’t toxic! There is a sense of enjoyment and friendly rivalry that matches the nature of the sport. The developers have captured the essence of race day and this makes the online action exciting and realistic. My hope is that this doesn’t turn sour as the game becomes more popular and the community grows.
Monster Energy Supercross 5 is ultra-realistic.
Modern sports simulation titles are cinematic masterpieces. You no longer need the real thing as the games are ultra-realistic. Luckily, Monster Energy Supercross 5 is a leading light in this element. Subsequently, you experience a phenomenal looking and sounding title that is spectacular. With highly detailed vehicles, large arenas to race around, masses of bikes, and more, this will blow your mind. Then there is the hectic action, the barrage of shunting and bumping, jumps, falls, and so forth.
No matter how complex the racing becomes, there are never any issues or frame rate drops. Consequently, the game runs smoothly at all times. Furthermore, I was amazed by the levels of detail and the variety of arenas on offer. Whether you played this solo, split-screen, or online, the gameplay never suffers.
To add to the realism, the developers have incorporated some shrill, loud, and obnoxious engine noises. If you adore motorbikes, then you’ll love the headache-inducing sound effects. However, if you aren’t so keen, you’ll hate the constant buzz of the bikes. To support the ear-splitting vehicles, you’ll enjoy the crunch and bangs of every crash. High-speed sports are always dangerous and this culminates in some spectacular carnage.
All in all, the aesthetics are where I hoped they would be and are an improvement on previous iterations. You can feel the difference on a next-gen console, and the audio transports you to each arena you visit.
An excellent tutorial.
Even though there are many tools to help newbie riders, a thorough tutorial is always essential. Luckily, this is delivered across two key areas to prevent it from becoming overwhelming. First, you have the traditional lessons. Here you’ll learn about the fundamentals and little else. Once you finish this short guide, you can explore advanced techniques or get on and ride. If you choose the latter option, you can polish your skills in the aforementioned training mode. Alongside the detailed tutorials, you’ll experience a well-designed controller layout and responsive input times. In short, it’s easy to pick up and a pleasure to play.
Thanks to its vast and deep career mode, you’ll be kept busy for hours. On top of this, the excellent multiplayer options add to both the longevity and replay value. Becoming a pro is no mean feat and it’ll test the hardiest of players. Alongside this, you have the chance to create your own tracks and share these with the community. This was a phenomenal tool that adds new and unique races to the already full calendar.
Monster Energy Supercross 5 is fantastic.
Milestone has done a fantastic job with its latest endeavour. Monster Energy Supercross 5 adds realism and fun to the genre while still being tough and addictive. If you love everything about motorbikes, then you’ll adore this. Subsequently, I recommend you to buy it here! Choose your bike, master your career, and become the best rider ever.
