Preview by: Brian Rowe

I stood in front of a plasma TV, watching James Stewart’s avatar pumping a superman seat-grab over a tree-lined mountain range and the only thing I could say was, “That is some fantastic looking dirt.” And it’s true—rarely has something as unglamorous as a clod of earth wedged between treads of rubber been crafted with such loving detail.

Reflex is the first MX vs. ATV game to truly tap into the capabilities of HD systems and with that boost of power comes the mud-slinging glory of terrain deformation. As any professional, scientifically-minded journalist would do, I put Reflex to the test, and dug holes. More accurately, I created a treacherous minefield of craters and watched 11 other players weave, bobble, and fly off their seats.

Motorstorm introduced the concept of terrain deformation to off-road racing games, but it felt superficial. With each lap in Reflex, you can see the ruts forming and the dirt piling into mounds with just enough height to kick your back tire out. The effect isn’t so pronounced that you’ll bounce back and forth in a battle for control, but it is enough to get your hands tightening around the controller like a pair of handlebars.

Like Untamed, Reflex has a selection of sport trucks and UTVs to compliment the lineup of MX bikes and ATVs (no pocket bikes?). The trucks and UTVs are only available in some races, like the free-for-all of Omnicross. Reflex ranks your progression with stars, instead of forcing you to beat a single race before moving on. Collect enough and new races open to award upgraded vehicles, so you can always progress forward and return to particularly troublesome races later.