MXGP 2019 is the follow up title from MXGP PRO, developed and published by Milestone S.l.r. MXGP 2019 offers the same promise of an authentic MXGP experience in the 2019 season of the real-life motorcross racing league, but has it done anything to improve the issues that plagued its predecessor? Yes, yes it has.



MXGP 2019 is certainly an improvement over the previous MXGP PRO, with a redesigned UI that gives the title a sense of personality, and distinguishes it from the similar Monster Energy Supercross series. The redesign stretches from the menu, all the way to the HUD interface while racing, giving MXGP 2019 a breath of fresh air.

A new feature added to the game includes the track editor; a tool you can use to create your own custom tracks and share them for others to play on, and vice versa. The track editor is rather fun - if you have the patience and creativity for it - and doesn't really require knowledge on track building to get the hang of. You can create a slow, technical track with plenty of bumps, mounds, and tight turns to challenge riders, or you can create a fast-paced dirt rip-em-up, for players to have an insane amount of fun. The track editor is really only limited by your imagination.



The free-roam Playground has also been given an overhaul and puts you in a new arena for you to tear up, with a number of different locations that offer different riding experiences. Some parts are smaller, but feature more technical riding, while others are larger with massive leaps for you re-enact that scene from E.T. I spent quite a bit of time in the Playground, just riding around, getting to grips with the bike mechanics, and leaping around like the bunny that I am. Not to mention, the environment is absolutely stunning, with massive hills, tall trees, and wet mud.

Environments were also given an overhaul, with depth perception improvements, as well as general detailing and colouring.

Speaking of visuals, MXGP 2019 really raised the bar here, stepping the graphics fidelity up quite a notch. Texture loading was an issue in MXGP PRO but that was thankfully fixed this time around, as there was no texture popping at all. Environments were also given an overhaul, with depth perception improvements, as well as general detailing and colouring. Day time racing is absolutely breathtaking, as the juxtaposition between the dirt, mud, and green grass that surrounded the track was incredible, and far better than before. Rider models were also given a small buff, and while we don't see many faces, the helmets, bikes, and rider accessories were given much-needed attention, which was fantastic.



The physics engine felt much smoother, and the bike handling was much more fluid this time around. It wasn't a chore to get the tail out and slide around corners, and while MXGP PRO didn't suffer from this too much, the animations and control over the rider in the newest iteration are far better. In essence, I was never fighting the bike to get it to go where I wanted, rather, it felt like an extension of my DS4.

Environmental physics were also improved, especially shown when dry tracks get wet, and the mud starts forming at every corner. When tracks are wet, the bikes become far more slip-and-slidy, which is not only fun, but a perfect opportunity for that epic photo with the Free Camera option. The colouring and reflection quality of these are also incredible, thanks to the bolstered visuals.



As in most Milestone games, you can adopt for a more traditional simulator experience, by adjusting the settings. It's truly a rewarding experience to race through and an entire weekend, through practice, qualifiers, and the racing weekend to come out on top, knowing that it was nothing more than your hard work. The AI is more aggressive on the harder settings, and will make very few mistakes for you to capitalise on, so it will be a tough challenge to get to number one, not to mention you have a more realistic physics engine on the bike to contest with. However, the great part of MXGP 2019 is that you can set the AI levels and bike physics individually, with one or the other being more forgiving. For the ultimate MXGP experience, though, the realistic setting is what you should aim for. In saying this, though, the more arcade feel comes from lowering the bike's physics, allowing you to whip around the track like the cool cat you are.

...the great part of MXGP 2019 is that you can set the AI levels and bike physics individually...

As with the previous iteration, MXGP 2019 tasks you with creating a player to journey into the campaign mode, allowing you to adjust your rider, number, name, as well as affiliations. This time around, you can not only choose a sponsor, but you can choose a team as well. With sponsors, you pick your bike, and all that changes are the decals and your colouring. When it comes to teams, however, the bike you ride will be different from your chosen one - unless you choose the same, obviously - and when you switch teams, your bike will change as well. I still didn't find this satisfying, though, as you can change your sponsor at any point outside of a race, and you can even change from a sponsor to a full team at any point. This removes the illusion of simulation, as you cannot do that in a real league, and each team/sponsor gives you the exact same benefits as the other - which is Credits - essentially reducing it to nothing more than brand loyalty.



Something else missing from an otherwise incredible experience, is a soundtrack. Don't get me wrong, I love the sound of a bike moving up and down through the gears, but while you are racing, you feel something is missing, and you quickly realise that a kick-a*% soundtrack would just tie everything up. You can just listen to Spotify or your favourite music app while playing, sure, and I would definitely recommend this, but it's not the same a carefully selected in-game soundtrack. Sadly, there isn't even a voice announcer to give some form of commentary during your time on the mud, which I really feel has been missing from Milestone games across the board.



Overall, MXGP 2019 is a fantastic motorcross experience, that caters to both simulation fans, as well as arcade racers. The visual details, physics engine, and performance optimisation have all been improved, making MXGP 2019 one of the best Milestone games so far. However, the shallow team/sponsorship choice, customisation, and lack of soundtrack or voice commentary still leaves a void in an otherwise fantastic game.