Review: Bike Mayhem 2

Title: Bike Mayhem 2
Platform: Xbox One
Developer: Goldmark Studios
Publisher: Goldmark Studios
Release date: Out now
Price: Â£5.59
Family Focus: Click here for more information.

Bike Mayhem 2 is another physics based simulator alaÂ Ubisoft’s Trials Fusion and Pumped BMX+, where players need to ride a mountain BMX from point A to B without crashing. WhenÂ jumping or riding over bumps, you need to adjust your landing to make sure you land on both wheels, or you’ll be sent sprawling;Â the slightest touch to the joystick or miscalculation will cost you. The interesting twist here is that tracks will have different objectives. Either make it to the finish line in the shortest amount of time or earn the top score. Reaching the end of track will reward players with stars. Get to the end to slow or score less than third place, you’ll earn zero stars and have to start over. In order to move on, players need to earn at least one star. Each race takes about thirty seconds to go through so it’s the perfect game to play in short bursts or when limited on gaming time.

Prior to starting a race, you can choose boosters which will give you an edge such as More Speed and/or Double Trick points. Boosters can come in quite helpful if you’reÂ having a hard time reaching the stars you need to move on. Not playing the game actually refills your Boosters, much like it’s been done in certain mobile games. As you progress through the game and complete a set of tracks, you’ll unlock new content in order to pimp your BMX and character to be more efficient and stylish. This makesÂ your BMX will make it adapted and resistant to the trails’ tough conditions. Players can customize parts for top speed, acceleration, strength, energy and tricks.

One the game’s strongest point is definitely the sheer amount of content;Â it features over 180 trails spread across 34 different mountains inspired by real world locations likeÂ the Whistler Bike Park and Coast Gravity Park. Once you’re done with the game’s various paths, you can create your own withÂ Create a Track. It is very user friendly and anyone will create some trail-hell for yourself or others online. Although, a part of me keeps thinking it would’ve even more easier to use on a mobile device.

As with most titles nowadays, there’s also the traditional multiplayer component where you can race against other players and friends online and take on various challenges. Unfortunately, as of this writing, online servers either weren’t available or no one was playing the game when I was trying to take part in the online goodness.

Don’t expect anything to stand out, visual-wise. I do love the game’s colourful environments and the little details in the BMX designs, this game isn’t about graphics, but gameplay, no matter how limited it is. The game’s audio is unfortunately cringe worthy. While I am a fan of rock/hard rock/punk rock, the game’s menu music is really annoying and unpleasant, as if a musician decided to strum a washboard instead of a guitar. Fortunately during races, the music is non-existent. Instead you hear your BMX doing odd “clickettyclack” as is there were playing cards attached to the wheels and every time, a whistle goes off when you cross a checkpoint. Having music to drown out the whistle would been a welcomed addition. Thankfully, you can lower the sound in-game. I had to mute it, otherwise, I could feel blood dripping out my ears.

There’s loads of content in Bike Mayhem 2; whether it be the 180 tracks, online features, or the easy to use Create a Track mode, it’s an interesting indie title that can appeal to all family members. Unfortunately, while great for the younger ones, it can get boring quickly for adult players. With tracks taking about thirty to fiftyÂ seconds to roll through, it’s ideal for short bursts. On mute. Just don’t expect long playing sessions of this game.