Parents' Guide to MXGP 2021: The Official Motocross Videogame

Though it doesn't add anything radically new, this year's model is still a solid driving game for fans of dirt bike racing. Like previous installment in this series, MXGP 2021: The Official Motocross Videogame has you driving dirt bikes on dirty and muddy tracks that are full of tight turns, small bumps, and large leaps. It also has tons of options, which not only allow you to customize your rider and the mechanics of your chosen bike, but the conditions of the races. It also has a deep career mode, one-off events in which you race against the clock ("Time Attack") or computer-controlled competition ("Grand Prix"), as well as a mode in which you can play an official series of races or one you put together with up to twenty events ("Championship"). Like previous MXGP games, it boasts numerous online races, as well as a track editor so you can build and share your own courses. And, like most racing games these days, it gives you the option of having the physics be realistic or forgiving.

As for what this new edition adds, not only does it have an updated schedule of events, but it also has four "Legacy Tracks," i.e., classic race events in Mexico, Italy, France, and Portugal from previous versions of the game. In addition, the "Career" mode now lets you switch from an official real-world racing team to one you put together yourself. But while it also has the usual improvements to the physics, controls, and under-the-hood aspects that every new edition of a racing game (hopefully) gets, this doesn't add anything new that really changes the game. Which may be a bummer to people who don't follow the real sport, and don't care about playing the new schedule, but if you're serious about motocross -- real or virtual -- MXGP 2021: The Official Motocross Videogame, as always, will let you get down and dirty.