Review by: Brian Rowe

There was a time when Rainbow Studios dominated the off-road gaming scene. It hit the ground running with Motocross Madness over a decade ago, made ATVs cool again, threw the two vehicles head-to-head, and proceeded to coast on cruise control. With other companies attempting to encroach upon the genre, Rainbow Studios is back in fine form to prove its worth at the top of the podium.

Reflex is the first, truly HD entry in the series. It shows through picturesque textures, mud-caked fenders, and most formidably, deformable terrain. The upturned soil often has a glossy, gelatinous appearance, and feels too easily furrowed. These are small prices to pay for such a welcome layer of authenticity. You can feel the difference as the track gets carved deeper with every passing lap. The deformation begins as little more than an aesthetic dose of realism, but after three laps with a dozen vehicles, those little ruts can grow into bike-tossing mounds.

As with previous entries, there are more than MX bikes and ATVs cruising the backwoods. UTVs, sport buggies, two classes of sport trucks, and MX lite bikes are up for grabs, and can be decked out with a long list of parts from companies like Factory Effex, Tag Metals, Renthal, and Maxxis. Many parts are purely stylistic, but you can make a few customizations to adjust for handling and acceleration. Most races allow for a choice in vehicle-type – outright encouraged in the free-for-all of Omnicross – which almost makes Reflex feel like multiple games in one. MX bikes are typically the default choice for good reason.

Reflex has a few issues concerning the laws of physics. I’ve seen sport buggies take to the skies with minor fender-benders and a rider pulled off his bike by an invisible clothesline on a straightaway. ATVs are the worst offenders by far, feeling more like rubberized ping-pong balls than vehicles designed for stability in the wilds. They are erratic as best. One moment, and ATV will tackle hills and logs with perfect flow, and the next, it flips sideways on flat ground. Buggies and trucks perform well enough, albeit a bit floaty, and MX bikes provide the best ride of the bunch. You’ll still have to deal with occasional glitches, but such moments fade into memory after navigating a full lap with perfectly responsive rhythm.