Last updated on January 4th, 2021 at 11:11 am
MX vs ATV Alive was originally released in 2011, but has just had a new lease of life after being available as a free game for Xbox Live Gold Subscribers on the Xbox 360. But as a digital download, you might be struggling to pull off some of the tricks without the manual. So here’s how to perform stunts in MX vs ATV Alive
How to perform stunts in MX vs ATV AliveMX vs ATV Alive Controls:With the default controller layout (Xbox 360):
Move your rider left and right to make sharper turns and balance the motorcycle or ATV.
Move your rider forwards and backwards to keep your rear wheel planted and your vehicle balanced over whoops and small jumps.
Move your rider back and feed in the throttle to perform wheelies, and lean forwards with the brake on to perform stoppies.
Seat Bounce allows you to jump further. Whether you’re able to perform a seat bounce, the shock absorber on your HUD will turn yellow – and you should pull back on the right stick. If you’re successful, the shock will turn orange. And to get a maximum bounce, press the right stick while pulling back, and if you get it right, the shock will turn green.
Use the Seat Bounce appropriately – you want to be landing on the flat or the downside of jumps, and staying lower to the ground is faster as you’ll get your wheels on the ground more quickly and therefore be able to drive forwards.
Clutch: To get our of corners and landings from jump quicker you should hold LB to build up the revs. The further the metre is filled up, the longer your engine will put out peak power when the clutch is released.
So pull in the clutch with LB when you’re in the air and release when you’re landing to power out of a jump for example, or when you’re not using the throttle to get around a corner.
Backflip: Just before you take off, hold RB and move the right stick down. Hold the right stick down until you complete your backflip – rider position, throttle and braking will control how fast you flip.
360: Before you take off, hold RB and then move the right stick either left or right, and then quickly down to start the rotation.
Whips: When airborne, move the right or left stick to the left or right to perform a whip.
Scrubs: To stay as low to the ground as possible on a jump, move the right stick hard left or right before you take off, and you can also add the left stick.
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See all of our MX vs ATV Alive coverage and news, here. You can still find MX vs ATV Alive for sale via the Xbox Marketplace, or find physical copies on Amazon.
Ever since the first time I played Motocross Madness on the PC I have been obsessed with the Rainbow Studios team and their MX work. Over the years the MX vs. series has become one of my favorite games to play year-in and year-out. When I heard that THQ was planning yet another entry in the series I got excited. A few weeks ago I tried out the demo and was shocked that I actually hated the game. All of the accessibility and over-the-top action had been stripped and the game felt like a mess. This was entirely the demo’s fault for not offering the proper tutorial right out of the gate. Reflex is an entirely different beast of a game, and once you settle into it and learn the ropes, it becomes highly enjoyable.
The biggest reason I found the demo so frustrating is because of the newest feature to the series. You now use the right analog stick to shift the rider’s weight during races. Basically this means you control your riding with both analogs simultaneously. At first it is daunting, and you will take some time to accustom yourself to the change, but once you get the hang of it, it will be hard to go back to the old style. Taking corners is now much more realistic thanks to the leaning feature and you can even avoid wrecks by tapping the right analog to shift your weight when you land poorly. The game requires dedication and patience, making it much more simulation that past efforts.
This is ultimately what will make or break the game for players. Anyone who has played the series simply to jump in and see how high they can jump or how insane their tricks can be, will be in for disappointment. Reflex implements a more realistic approach to the genre and that is reflected both on the track and in the difficulty.
The career mode is challenging to say the least. One wreck could make or break the entire race and you will find yourself selecting restart more often than not when you wipe out. Reflex is a game that really requests that the player learn the tracks and the weight shifting in order to win each race, and that is where the line between casual fans and hardcore ones will be drawn.
Speaking of the tracks another huge feature added to this year’s game is terrain deformation. Sure many games claim to have it, and some even do a fantastic job of implementing it such as Motorstorm and even the most recent Sega Rally. However, MX games have been somewhat lacking in the feature in recent years. Reflex does a fantastic job of ripping up the terrain during races that you have to account for each time around. Track memorization is a must and this will likely be a deterrent for casual players. There is no mini-map to let you know what is around the next corner, not that it would matter anyway as you are likely to have to deal with a groove in the track that wasn’t there anyways.
This makes races feel unique each time around and ultimately adds to the replay value of the game.
The modes and vehicles you have come to expect are all here, and just as much fun as you remember. The best about part about the MX series has been the diversity that the game throws at you. In addition to the standard MX bikes and ATVs you will also find a wide variety of other vehicles including UTVs, trucks and even buggies. The most exciting races are when you are up against all the various types and it becomes a massacre of crashes and attempts to avoid being run over. The events are spaced out so that things never get boring and even the trick competitions have been overhauled to make them more exciting than simply working to score the most points. The core game has been fine-tuned here, but it is easy to miss if you are not a hardcore fan of the series.
This is probably the one area where the game will suffer the most. If you have not been around since the inception of the series, or simply don’t find the subtle nuances of the additions interesting Reflex is likely not going to impress you.
In fact you will wonder why it wears a $60 price tag when you can purchase the previous incarnation for under $30. Needless to say I feel that this latest MX title may be the line drawer when it comes to separating the longtime fans with the casual ones, and that could definitely impact sales as well as future projects from the country. Still even if you hated the demo I urge you to give the final game a chance simply because it really is an evolution for the series.
On a purely visual level the game looks good. Not exactly next-leap forward good like you might expect, but it definitely has some shining moments. For example the tracks are gorgeous, even with their subtle pop-in. Rider animations are excellent and crashes actually make you cringe in your seat. The frame rate remains solid throughout and things rarely get bogged down no matter how long the draw distance. It isn’t revolutionary as far as graphics are concerned, but it gets the job done nicely.
The soundtrack on the other hand is purely an acquired taste. I am not the largest fan of thrash metal, so some of the songs simply turned me off quickly. In fact this is one of the first games I actually switched to custom soundtracks in quite a long time.
There is plenty to do within the single player portion of the game and there is also an online mode that contains all the standard bells and whistles you would imagine. Right now there is a decent online community to play with and the games run relatively smooth regardless of which console you are playing on.
MX vs. ATV Reflex is a game that has been fine-tuned for the fans of the series. The new Reflex controls are great once you get used to them, but they also alienate the casual audience by making the game a bit more demanding than some gamers are willing to put up with. Still if you have enjoyed the series you know what to expect here. The collection of modes is great, the track designs are fantastic and the controls are smooth once you learn to use both analogs simultaneously.
Reflex feels more like an evolutionary step for the series as opposed to a revolutionary one, and also one that not everyone is going to appreciate. However, if you are a fan then it is definitely worth checking out.
Few of us follow what's going on in the world of motocross, or even know the names of key racing stars. However the sight of motorcycles wallowing in the mud invariably produces on men aged from 12 to 32 years old hypnotic impression - there is something in this sport something that distinguishes it from civilized and skimmed asphalt races. Not high speeds - they just don't exist here. And not even the number of broken bones riders, which is much higher than in other disciplines. A business, most likely in a different way: to be a motocross star, you need to do more than just ride faster than anyone - you need to do it spectacularly, to be a real actor in the saddle.
Perhaps this is why motocross (compared to other types of racing competitions) has so many girls. Prancing on a two-wheeled horse is not for you to sit inside a cramped car where no one can see you anyway. The main thing here is the show. When riders in bright overalls overcome a climb so steep that the stairs in your entrance, in comparison with it, it will seem like a smooth avenue, to them involuntarily get respect. Therefore, the demand (albeit very limited) for simulators motocross always exists, and sometimes among them there are really good games. Now, with the advent of MX vs ATV Reflex , there was one more.
| The start of motocross is a special ritual that is reminiscent of racetrack racing. Until the iron barrier comes down, everyone gets nervous and keeps their hand on the clutch lever. |
Despite the fact that Rainbow Studios was a bit whether not single-handedly brought to the people three-dimensional motorcycle racing (ancient Motocross Madness - just their work), the first game to notice the show appeal of this discipline was last year's Pure .
Aerial acrobatics at a height of 50 meters above the ground had little to do with real motorcycle racing, but it was largely thanks to her that the Black Rock Studio broke the bank. MX vs ATV Reflex, which still adheres to the laws of the real world (included licensed racers and championships), against this background it looks real anachronism. Motorcycles (as well as quads, buggies and pickup trucks) go around and bounce around on artificial springboards - well, where have we not seen anything like this?
Meanwhile, right now the series is experiencing the second revolution in its long history (the first happened with the advent of quads and the abbreviation ATV in the name), only this time - technological. physically correct the dirt that is now in every first off-road race is now available and real motocross riders. Another thing is that in some Colin McRae DiRT 2 this very dirt is first of all decor element. Rally cars pulled out clods of earth with their wheels and left behind a barely visible track, but this had practically no effect on the behavior of cars.
Motocross is another matter. While racing down the compact and bulldozed track, two-wheeled motorcycles manage to gouge a real gutter in the mud meter depth, which is especially difficult to ignore when cornering (steering pulls out of the hands with terrible force). And if the race takes place on wet ground (track they are specially poured with water before the start so that spectators and riders do not suffocate in clouds of dust), then the track also manages to fill with water - also physically correct. H 2 O ripples, dislodges sunken wheels from the bottom and severely disappoints everyone who likes to overcome the fords without slowing down the gas.
| All eyes on the ruts: a couple of laps ago they were not here, but now you can get stuck. | The quads aren't as fast and bouncy as the Pure, but that just makes riding harder. |
The model of vehicle behavior has also become more reliable - now, when you see a fallen tree on the road, the trunk of which is thicker than the wheel of your ATV, you involuntarily retract your neck and brake almost to zero, because if this is not done, the rider will have to dampen the speed with his own body.
On the in a heavy pickup truck, the same obstacle is perceived much more calmly, but on motorcycle ... In general, if you have ever tried to overcome on a bicycle wet tram tracks or curbs, then there is nothing to explain, and if not - just never try to do it at a sharp angle.
| Racing pickups from Colin McRae DiRT 2 as guest stars. |
In general, you have to fall all the time in the game. First of all, because of the aggressive but stupid opponents who often go "on contact". And in the second - when trying to perform some famously twisted trick. The tricks themselves are an integral part of motocross, and in the past parts series for their performance awarded separate points. But since Pure closed this topic for good, the developers of MX vs ATV Reflex seem to have quieted down and pushed the tricks into the background. Now, during a regular race, no one makes us look for the jump button - just sit firmly in the saddle and slightly tilt the body when cornering.
Here, too, one small innovation is hidden - if you landed badly or somehow lost control, the game always gives a couple of seconds to correct the situation. You just need pull the right stick in the indicated direction, and the rider who previously held the steering wheel with one hand, will return to the saddle again. Not the worst way to use quick-time events in racing - anyway much more honest than the ubiquitous time rewind.
When it comes to content and variety, Rainbow Studio has reached some cosmic heights over the years of working with the genre. We have already said that in addition to motorcycles, there are quads and other four-wheeled units in the game, that you need to discover in the course of a career. And which (most chic!) can also race against each other. It turns out almost MotorStorm in miniature - light motorcycles at a glance rush forward, but on the first straight they are caught up and rolled into the mud heavy pickups.
And the main guarantee of survival in such races is usually the ability do not climb on the rampage and stay away from local battles.
Other than regular circuit racing, checkpoint orienteering, freestyle, supercross (where it takes place in a closed stadium and tracks are especially slow and insidious), the developers for some reason added to the game freeplay. In this mode, we simply explore a deserted piece of territory in search of new flags and tasks, while trying to understand if we have already passed by this pine or not. Fortunately, unlike the boring Fuel is not the main mode here, but just a way to unwind.
| Tracks are a real gem of the game. There are a lot of them, and they are all dirty. | But why a thoroughly dirty motorcycle has a perfectly clean tread (at least in the Xbox 360 version) is a separate question for the developers. |
Despite the best dirt in video games, which finally not only loads the processor, but also has reliable physical properties, MX vs ATV Reflex is quite highly specialized race.
Fans of bright graphics and high speeds choose MotorSorm: Pacific Rift , and for those who don't have a PS3, there's still a multi-platform Pure. The most important condition when buying Reflex is to love motorcycles and motocross, and the game will take care of everything else.
Formula of the game: 50% MX VS ATV: Untamed + 40% of this mud + 10% improved graphics
gameplay: 8
Graphics: 7
Sound and music: 8
Management: 8
Story: -
Stability: 9
Originality: 7
Score: Previous Next Add news, upload mods and cheats, write reviews and guides, ask questions on the forum, upload art and screenshots to the gallery. MX0 vs. 80.0 ATV Reflex
