Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 3 (Monster Energy Supercross 3) is a fantastic motocross game that brings possibly the best motocross experience in games to all major platforms. I reviewed the game on Nintendo Switch, which I fully expected to be an inferior version. However, I can confirm that the Switch version is one of the best-looking games on the platform, and is an amazing reflection of the game on more powerful devices, such as PC, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One.
Great, For Motocross Fans
Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast with Monster energy Supercross 3. The game is so well-made and polished that it’s hard not to. However, I’m not a motocross fan, so I struggled to power through the various modes, career, multiplayer, and even the track builder that it offers. The game packs a lot into a tiny package, particularly on the Nintendo Switch, and I can see it being the ideal game to sit down and play for anyone that follows motocross, or is even vaguely into motorbikes.
Fun, For Everyone
With that said, there is enough here to entice even those who have no interest in that world into sinking a few hours of fun into a game they may never play again. The physics of the player’s character and bike are superb, fair, and hilarious when you make a mistake. All too often I found myself barreling into a tyre that marked the edge of the track, another driver, or just turning so tightly that my driver was thrown from their bike. Luckily the game has a generous rewind system in place to allow people like me to restart from a more stable point.
In many of the game’s modes, such as time trials, using the rewind feature is detrimental to your score, making for a much more hardcore experience for anyone who wants it. This adds a layer of challenge that dedicated players can pour their nights into, whilst casual players or friends can try it out, but still have the backup of rewinding time so the joy isn’t sucked out of them.
A Plethora Of Choices
Monster Energy Supercross 3 has so much to offer. The career mode will take players on a journey through professional motorcross, competing with some very skilled AI opponents across a variety of tracks and competitions. New bikes and customisation options can be earned by progressing, meaning there’s always something to work towards. The same is true of the game’s time trial and multiplayer modes. The more you play, the better you get, and the better your character and bike can look.
I personally preferred time trial mode over anything else, because it gave me a chance to hone my skills in turning corners and avoiding obstacles without 20 other racers around me. There’s a degree of skill required to get around tracks perfectly, including pushing or pulling your bike in just the right way over small and large jumps. Anyone who goes into the game thinking that they can just drive will soon realise their mistake.
Creating a track really wasn’t my forte in Monster Energy Supercross 3, but the feature is very well realised. You can pick all sorts of pieces for your track. I turned mine into a long dirt road with a huge and deadly jump at the end, but anyone with a degree of skill will be able to create something that they and others will thoroughly enjoy. Tracks can be shared online with other players, and you can even pick from the shared creations if you fancy trying something completely new.
Verdict
I genuinely had a great time with Monster Energy Supercross 3. Everything about the game has been pushed until it feels just right. You can definitely tell that the developers are passionate about what they make. The only criticism I have is that it’s difficult to get into. The controls take a few races to get comfortable with, at which point your career may well be over. It doesn’t help that the rag doll physics of a pileup on the track are so funny that it’s tempting to initiate a crash intentionally.
Overall though, this game is solid, and offers an incredible amount for the price. The Switch version feels like it should be for a more powerful platform, so I can’t imagine how good the game looks on any other device.
I don’t score games in my reviews here on PowerupGaming, but I do make recommendations. This is a game for any motocross fan, and anyone who is even slightly interested in motorbikes and motorsports. Racing fans will struggle to enjoy the game because it’s a very different type of racing to something like Forza Horizon 4. Here skill is required more than mastery of speed. If your friend has Monster Energy Supercross 3 and they ask you to join them for a few races, you need to try it at the least. It’s a game that two people can have a lot of fun with together, regardless of skills or interests, and really that’s what games are about.
A code for Monster Energy Supercross – The Official Videogame 3 was provided by the developer for this review. We reviewed the Nintendo Switch version of the game.
