2009 · Port · Tantalus Media · Racing

MX vs. ATV Reflex

Port

2009 video game

Released: 1 December 2009
Platforms: PlayStation 3 PlayStation Portable Xbox 360 Xbox 360 System Link
Genres: Racing
Developers: Tantalus Media
Publishers: THQ
Age ratings: USK 0 PEGI 12 ESRB E
Languages: English

About

MX vs. ATV Reflex is a 2009 off-road racing video game developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ. It is the third game in the MX vs. ATV series, available on Microsoft Windows and all seventh-generation consoles except the Wii. It is also the last game in the series to be available on handheld consoles.

The Microsoft Windows and home console version received generally favorable reviews from critics for most of its gameplay, innovative "Rider Reflex" controls and realistic terrain deformation, but its occasionally chaotic nature (deemed unforgiving towards more casual players), career mode and graphics were criticized. It is often considered to be the best game in the series by fans. Reception for the handheld console versions, however, was generally unfavorable.

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The core focus of the game allows for the player to race motocross and supercross on motocross bikes or ATVs. The game also includes events such as omnicross, free ride, champion sport track, waypoint racing, and freestyle motocross.

Although the game is part of the MX vs. ATV series, Reflex was built from the ground up featuring a new control scheme and physics engine. The new control scheme is labeled "reflex" which utilizes both analog sticks. The left analog controls the handlebars while the right analog stick controls the rider's body movement.

Development

Rainbow Studios art director Ian Wood said in an interview with SPOnG that the development team decided against making a Wii version of Reflex, but did not provide a clear reason why. He hinted that the developers chose to skip it to focus efforts on designing Reflex's new physics and terrain deforming system, key features that were better suited for the more powerful PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and personal computers. Tantalus Media, which developed the handheld versions of the previous game, MX vs. ATV Untamed, was invited once again to develop handheld versions for Reflex.

This would be the last time in the series that Rainbow Studios would allow another company to collaborate on a MX vs. ATV game. Starting with MX vs. ATV Alive, subsequent sequels would be developed singlehandedly by Rainbow Studios.

Reception

The Xbox 360 version received "generally favorable reviews", while the PlayStation 3 version received "average" reviews, just one point shy of "favorable", according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. A large portion of praise had gone towards both the new control scheme as well as the terrain deformation. Many acknowledged the game's successful separation of the rider from the machine with the rider reflex dual-analog control.

Dakota Grabowski of GameZone said: "A wonderful foundation has been set and it's now time for Rainbow Studios to expand on what they have set up with their next iterations. The future is bright and fans should be rejoicing". Austin Light of GameSpot said of the PS3 and X360 versions: "Unfortunately, things don't always work correctly in MX vs. ATV Reflex.