Monster Energy Supercross 4 The Official Videogame - Preview, let's get to the track

Monster Energy has always shown that it is ready to open up to new sports, to new trends. With the entry into the scene of the very first Monster Energy Supercross video game it became clear what his path in this direction would be. In collaboration with Milestone, the fourth installment of the Supercross racing series is finally around the corner, arriving during the month of March 2021. Almost two months after the official release, we had the opportunity to try it thoroughly for many hours, to discover the current state of development and a lot of interesting information that will surely appeal to lovers of the genre. The most important news are basically three: fans will find one new career mode, a new compound and more focused on multiplayer in co-op, and greater creative freedom in the Track Editor. Although the impossibility of playing online, we still managed to get an idea of ​​what we will be facing in a few weeks.

After the third chapter, Monster Energy Supercross 4 looks like all the other episodes of the series, a Supercross game where we can run in pre-set stadiums in the categories 250SX e 450SX or in the Compound, large maps in which we can move freely, in perfect free-roaming style. Within the build we tested there were many single-player modes, although not all, and the ability to create and enter the multiplayer lobby (option that didn't hint at working, unfortunately). We will also have to create a custom avatar that we can use in the races, although there is - for now - little creative freedom in this area. However, it should be considered that we will almost always see our rider from behind or, at best, with a helmet. Once this quick step is completed, we can immediately start driving.

Choosing category, rider, motorcycle, track and rules, we will finally be able to launch ourselves on the track to discover all the news and the entire playful sector of Monster Energy Supercross 4. The title is immediately very simulative, placing great importance in the manual (or automatic) management of weight, clutch and gear change. These components are therefore essential to survive - almost literally - in the field; falling off the bike will be extremely easy if we do not take into account a long series of dynamics due to both the management of the vehicle and the conformation and state of the route. The terrain could be choppy, full of dunes or even with sandy stretches, which slow down the driver and force the player to pay constant attention to the position and direction of the wheels. Without forgetting all those ramps and dunes that in some way act as antagonists for the rider, also motivating the constant need to stay focused because any mistake, with the manual control of the bike, could be fatal and weigh on the positioning in the race.

A "severe but fair" gameplay

To counterbalance a gameplay that otherwise might have been too severe, both for veterans and for those who are approaching Monster Energy Supercross 4 for the first time, there are two interesting dynamics: the first is the classic automatic shift control and weight; the second is the possibility of rewinding time to tackle sections that are too difficult or that have led us into an annoying situation to manage. The latter, which clearly takes its cue from Xbox Game Studios' Forza Horizon series, represents a breath of fresh air that reminds us that we don't have to be constantly with bated breath but on the contrary, it offers us the opportunity to catch our breath and continue the race without further hitches. However, we did not appreciate the implementation, since once we have selected the moment in which to restart, we will start again with an annoying slow motion effect.

This choice by the development team means that we will not be able to immediately restart in a certain section at the speed in which we passed it just before. However, some players may instead appreciate this dynamic, given that the criticism is certainly subjective according to the different approaches of the users to the gameplay. The rewind is therefore an element that relieves the weight of the simulation nature and which, when combined with the assisted controls, makes Monster Energy Supercross 4 decidedly more accessible to newbies., but not arcade like it is for Forza Horizon 4. It is good to clarify that the gameplay is by no means easy to understand and takes a couple of hours just to properly learn the dynamics of weight management.

Milestone's work also wants to pay great attention to Compound, the aforementioned large areas where players can run freely without too many restrictions. Not in our case, however, since we could access a single Compound, quite empty and whose exploration was too limited. Although our first impact cannot be defined as positive, it must be said that the potential of this modality is undoubtedly high, especially due to the presence of the expected co-op. From here we will also be able to access a series of pre-established tracks and compete with other drivers as well as in any other mode: the difference lies in the location, which differs a lot from the more classic stadiums but which concerns only the visual side.

More freedom in the Track Editor

Also interesting is the Track Editor, which allows players to create tracks or download them from others made by gamers themselves. These are the protagonists of one of the most important new features of Monster Energy Supercross 4, given that the team there offers greater freedom of exploration, fortunately more than palpable. We were pleased with the quantity and variety of elements available, and how their positioning on the map, seen from above, applies correctly to the terrain. We have not even found any actual limitations other than those due to the size of the stadiums and areas available. This is unequivocally a normal path editor, that's true, but the development team, however, wanted to pay some attention to its operation, which makes us very happy.

The same cannot be said for the technical sector, in this build still too immature to be considered satisfactory. In addition to reflections and illuminations that were not exactly perfect, we found indecent characters' faces and other problems related to them. However, the imperfections are so frequent and evident that surely the team is already working to solve them, especially in view of a release quite distant. To leave us more doubtful though physics, that when our pilot is in the air, for example after a jump, it is not at all as realistic as we would have expected. In fact, it has often happened to us to finish ahead of the opponents and stay there for a few moments, an event that completely breaks the simulation effect and that indeed risks confusing the user, concentrated on landing correctly after a ramp.

Monster Energy Supercross 4 is undoubtedly still far from release, both in terms of timing and development progress, and there is still work to be done. However the premises, as regards the entire recreational sector, they are more than positive and preclude the arrival of a game that fans of the series will surely appreciate. We therefore hope in the resolution of various visual uncertainties, although much of the work has now been done. We remind readers that Monster Energy Supercross 4 will be released on March 11, 2021 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, PC and Stadia.