MXGP 2020: The Official Motocross Videogame

I've spent enough time in Milestone's annual motocross cycle to know when a step forward is real and when it's a coat of paint. MXGP 2020 lands somewhere convincingly in the middle, the bike physics genuinely feel more planted than the previous two entries, the load times are dramatically shorter, and the sheer breadth of the official license gives the whole thing a weight that generic dirt-bike games can't match. If you've bounced off earlier MXGP titles because the handling felt like riding on wet soap, give this one a proper shot before writing off the series. On the track, the core loop is straightforward and satisfying once it clicks. You lean the rider's body weight forward to accelerate out of jumps, shift left and right to carve tight corners, and manage the throttle carefully on rutted terrain with dynamic weather messing up your lines mid-race. Controlling the rider's body independently of the bike is the mechanic that separates this from any kart racer or arcade street-racing game, it takes time, but it rewards repetition. The roster covers both the MXGP and MX2 categories, putting 68 real-world riders across 19 authentic circuits from the official FIM Motocross World Championship calendar on your screen. Bike customisation goes deep: suspension, wheelbase, licensed parts from over 110 real brands, cosmetic gear for your rider. Preset bike configs let you swap setups quickly without a spreadsheet session before each race. Modes-wise, Career has you start as a rookie in MX2, working up through official teams or building your own outfit with chosen sponsors. Time Attack, Grand Prix, and Championship rounds fill out the single-player side. The Playground, a free-roam area inspired by Norwegian fjords, is genuinely useful for learning handling without the pressure of a race, and Waypoint mode lets up to four players set checkpoint routes and race them. The Track Editor uses heightmaps so you can build realistically elevated circuits and share them with the community. That community-content angle is where long-term value hides, because the stock Career mode is, to be blunt, thin. No press conferences, no R&D trees, no rivalry mechanics, just races connected by loading screens. Returning MXGP players will recognise the furniture. Online multiplayer uses dedicated servers, which helps stability, but the lobby system is bare: you join from a list, vote on track and weather, and race. No custom rule-sets, no spectator slots beyond the Race Director Mode that was patched in post-launch. Server population can be quiet, especially outside peak hours, so treat online as a bonus rather than the headliner. There is no split-screen to speak of, for a couch-multiplayer crowd this is strictly a solo or online-only proposition, which is a shame. The environments surrounding the circuits also let the overall presentation down: track surfaces look good, but distant scenery leans on tiled textures that break the immersion when you glance up from the racing line. Sound design is functional but repetitive over long sessions, turn the engine audio down and throw on a playlist. For accessibility: the difficulty settings are broad enough that total newcomers can find a level where winning feels achievable, though even the Very Easy AI will humble you early on if you ignore the physics fundamentals. There is a Rewind feature, which softens the frustration of rookie crashes. A gamepad works well here, this is not a game crying out for a wheel and pedal setup the way a circuit sim would, though force-feedback controllers do add texture to landings and terrain changes. If you are a motocross fan with no strong attachment to the previous entry, MXGP 2020 is the most refined the series has been, without being the reinvention the mode structure needs.

Riley · Scout Team

Sports & racing

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