MX vs. ATV Reflex – PS3 – Preview

E3 2009 PreviewE3 2008 GameZone Previews

Rebuilding and optimizing
the franchise for the next-generation consoles, THQ is unleashing the next
iteration of their MX vs. ATV series.

Titled MX vs. ATV
Reflex
, the development team has rebuilt the physics engine from the ground
up with Rhythm Racing 2.0. Players will control their racer with the two sticks
as they control the handlebar with the left stick and lean in on corners with
the right stick. This new immersive control scheme is providing a much more
in-depth rider reflexes for the gamer to take control of. You can lean in on
turns to accomplish donuts, assist with wider turns and much more

On top of that, if you
are about to crash your vehicle after a jump, you can flick the right stick in
one of the corresponding directions to avoid a wreck. Ironically enough, this
new system is called Wreck Avoidance, and it should help gamers who often crash
and lose five spots in the race due to their clumsiness.


MX vs. ATV Reflex PlayStation 3 screenshots

New presentation values
have been applied to the project and terrain deformation is one of the
highlights the team is proud of. Digging deep into the snow or mud, players can
kick up dirt into their opponent’s face as they race by them. Interestingly
enough, your tracks will remain there the entire race – so you’ll want to beware
of a rut that you may fall victim to. In addition, anywhere you see on the
level, you can basically go. This will undoubtedly allow for gamers to look for
new shortcuts and avenues to the finish line.

In terms of licensing,
the team is working on bringing in a diverse set of players, vehicles and gear
to use within MX vs. ATV Reflex. For the environments, they are inspired
by real-life locations.

There’ll also be
12-player online support for every racing mode. If you don’t like to play online
against strangers, then split-screen and system link are being incorporated for
friendly competitions right from your home. To increase the entertainment value,
the players are eligible to race around in an online lobby while the game loads
up.

Personally, the best
feature that I want to make note of is that there’ll be no rubberband AI.
Instead, the team has implemented three difficulty settings that will affect on
how much an opponent screws up in a race. The AI opponents will have to use
Wreck Avoidance and the reflex system to be successful in the race.

Aiming for a holiday
release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, MX vs. ATV Reflex kicked a lot
of dirt and did so in high fashion. The handheld versions weren’t being shown at
this current time, but the representative assures that they are far in the
development cycle too.

 


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