The Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship circuit has grown in recognition and popularity in the United States in recent years. It is also attempting to make inroads into the gaming business. Since 2018, Milestone has published an annual Monster Energy Supercross game. The series’s first title made significant inroads into the world of sports and racing games, but there have been some slips — or crashes, to be more precise — in the franchise. With Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 6, Milestone has an opportunity to get back on track.
Getting back on schedule
Monster Energy Supercross 6 employs the Unreal Engine, a system that can produce mixed results, especially in racing games. NASCAR 21: Ignition, which dealt with a slew of turning and crash problems, among other issues, is a prime example.
Milestone promised that Supercross 6 would have a more refined riding experience. This features enhanced AI, a revised physics system, and various animations that will activate depending on the track’s terrain. One significant issue I had with Supercross 5 was that the AI and physics systems didn’t feel in sync, which resulted in some bizarre pile-ups and crashes.
That doesn’t appear to be the case this year, as the AI appears to be more consistent — sure, the computer will take poor routes at times and fall, but that’s to be expected. But, unlike in 2022, the AI does not trip over itself on a regular cadence regardless of challenge.
What else has changed?
Milestone has updated Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 6 with a number of new elements in addition to the gameplay changes. Crossplay has been added to the game, as well as a new internet ranking system. In addition, the developers have introduced a new competition called Rhythm Attack, which is a 1v1 race in which two participants race side by side. There are no turns, unlike a conventional 250 or 450 race, and the only goal is to go as fast as possible while staying on the bike and hurling towards the finish line.
Milestone has also improved free roam with the Supercross Park, which is also accessible in career mode. Users can discover collectibles here, just like in previous games. However, users can also play single-player games, train, and acquire racing experience in a variety of biomes found throughout the region.
It’s difficult to stay fresh in a sports/racing franchise that publishes a new game every calendar year. If you played Supercross 4 and 5, I believe it’s safe to say that things became a little boring. However, changes to the AI and mechanics cause the game to feel and play differently. Not to mention, the addition of crossplay aids matchmaking and aligns the franchise with what other racing and sports franchises have done in recent years by extending online play options.
Begin your supercross adventure.
Career mode is returning for Supercross 6, and it’s a standard experience for games of this type. The career option in Supercross 6 contains a path that drops players into the Futures scene. Drivers must then work their way up to the top tier of Monster Energy Supercross by winning races and finishing objectives.
Driver upgrades follow a pretty standard path. Users must earn skill points by accomplishing in-game goals and then enter those points into a skill tree that controls the attributes of the driver.
Milestone’s career option isn’t particularly innovative. However, one feature that could be valued — primarily because I don’t believe it is used enough in other titles — is that drivers can be injured during races. Injuries do have an effect on race success. Sure, some sports games, such as NHL, have in-game injuries that can sideline players in career mode, but others overlook this very real consequence of regular athletic participation. Although it may not appear to be significant, Milestone did take injuries into consideration in order to reflect realism.
The decision
I genuinely enjoyed playing Supercross 5 last year for what it was. Its faults, however, could not be overlooked. While this year’s title takes a more conservative approach — no wild story in career mode, nor a significant shift in visuals — Supercross 6 is an improvement over last year. The addition of crossplay expands on the addition of cross-gen multiplayer in Supercross 5, while the racing experience has been refined to make for more fluid and realistic racing.
Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 6 is a good game in general. In truth, it’s the most comprehensive title in the series in years. And the game’s various game modes and features make the experience interesting.
