MX vs. ATV – Endurocross Mode

MX vs. ATV: Untamed presenteert de Endurocross Mode.

Media en info van dit spel komt inmiddels met enige regelmaat binnen. Zo kregen we laatst uitgelegd in tekst en beeld wat de X-Cross Tournament inhield, namelijk een allesomvattende modus waarin alle facetten van het crossen komen kijken. Vandaag staat de Endurocross in de schijnwerpers, een volledig nieuwe mode. In tegenstelling tot op de normale circuits worden dit soort races gehouden op een soort hindernisbaan, waardoor de gameplay op een ludieke manier verandert. Het tempo ligt lager omdat je bijvoorbeeld moet wachten tot een ander over een obstakel is gereden, omdat er geen ruimte was voor twee personen. Check het.

MX vs. ATV: Untamed staat gepland voor een release op 7 maart 2008. Onderstaande beelden zijn representatief voor de 360- en PS3-versie.

Developer Diary #2 – EnduroCross™
By Brian Coonce, Principle Game Designer, Rainbow Studios

With the MX vs ATV franchise making its next-gen debut, the Rainbow Studios development team was offered a unique chance to push the limits on its Rhythm Racing engine and event modes. One real-life MX event series that had caught our eye a few years back was a racing circuit called EnduroCross™. The untrained eye might see an EnduroCross™ race and think it’s just another Supercross race, but then you probably haven’t seen these guys in action. Imagine a Supercross track on a heavy dosage of steroids. Jumps and table-tops have been replaced with log hills, rock pits, tire mounds, water pools, and mud patches. It’s the best of the outdoors brought into a tight, white-knuckled indoor track.

While we’ve always been fans of EnduroCross™, we had to wait until MX vs ATV: Untamed to do the series justice. The first phase involved hooking up with our friends at the Maxxis EnduroCross™ Series to become the first and only official game license-holder of this event. Next, we had to put all that next-gen hardware to good use, and when you see your first EnduroCross™ track in MX vs. ATV: Untamed, you won’t be disappointed.

Splinters, sparks, and mud fly past as you tear over logs, rocks and water pits. Keep up the pace as you careen over massive tire mounds (and flatten the competition in the process). Check out our cool new water effects, but don’t stop and look for too long or you’ll soon be swimming in them. Try and hold on in first-person camera as you navigate the obstacles. As fun as it is to play, incorporating EnduroCross™ into our Rhythm Racing engine wasn’t all fun and games.

Endurocross’™ rugged racing proved to be a significant test of the latest evolution of our bike and rider physics. We wanted to make sure we could deliver the same level of intensity that the actual motocross riders endure within the Maxxis EnduroCross™ Series while still staying true to Rainbow’s Rhythm Racing roots. The key was finding the right balance between smooth rhythm sections and the more technical, obstacle-laden courses found in EnduroCross™. The result is an all new event mode that will challenge even the most seasoned veteran of Rhythm Racing. EnduroCross™ isn’t necessarily about speed as much as it is about precision and stamina. You may have the lead through the first log pile, but it means nothing if you can’t make it over the upcoming tire mound!

The next time you see what looks like a Supercross race, ask yourself a series of questions before you look like a fool: Mud? Check. Water? Check. Oversized tires, logs and boulders? Check, check and check. EnduroCross™ changes the style of racing from vehicle versus vehicle and adds the element of vehicle versus environment. What you’re really witnessing is an EnduroCross™ race, and you better get out of the way or start conquering the terrain!