FMX III Hardcore

Something about the word 'hardcore' in the title of any game just seems a bit, well, provocative. What makes one racer more 'hardcore' than another? What might a 'hardcore' powerslide be like? Would it result in death, nudity, or profound commitment?

If so, FMX III isn't really hardcore. It is, however, great.

At first glance, it appears to be a racer in the same vein as other motocross titles, seeing you go up against a series of faceless wonders, taking your bike to the end of each muddy course in as quick a time as humanly possible.

But that's when FMX III chucks in its first little novelty. Instead of what could have been another generic racer, we have a delightful little task-driven title, with each progression opening up a new kind of mission to complete before you can push onto the next.

Viewing the game from an isometric-like perspective, you begin by learning about the three separate levels of victory that you can attain. These – gold, silver, and bronze – are wildly diverse in terms of difficulty, with progression to bronze being swift and simple, while earning every single gold medal will test your skill (and patience) to the limit.

Various events are available. Some involve either reaching the end of a stage in a strict time limit, or pulling off enough tricks to gain the points required to progress, while the rest are essentially variations, or combinations of those two themes. This isn't to the game's detriment, though. The lack of variety just means it's incredibly easy to fully grasp what you have to do in mere seconds.

The main exception is Big Kamikaze. Here, you simply run into some immovable object, in order to force your rider – now carrying the necessary inertia – to fly over a vast distance before plummeting to a wince-inducing, bone-crunching end.

And wince you will, because FMX III features some of the best ragdoll physics seen on a mobile title. Riders bend and twist while smashing into the floor, and you witness countless grimace worthy moments as they smack into craftily designed parts of the landscape.

The visual richness of the game, which reaches peaks that only the biggest budget titles created by the most talented designers can reach, only helps to make the action all the more exciting. While the mud might not fly, your biker's glorious weight and inertia have to be experience to be fully appreciated.

Controlling all this action is made easier by the game's automatic acceleration approach, requiring only a quick prod of the '5' button at the start to get you moving. The rest of the action takes place largely in the air, with the mobile keypad bound to a range of stunts.

The short but varied missions get increasingly involved as the game progresses, which goes to make this the kind of title that initially seems shallow but turns out to be brimming with digital enjoyment. Whether you're casual or hardcore gamer, then, FMX III is hugely recommended.