Game Reviews

Moto X Mayhem

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Moto X Mayhem
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As an ill-informed car man, one of my chief gripes when it comes to motorbikes is that they all look the same to me -within their classes, at least.

Whether it’s racing bikes, dirt bikes, or choppers, there’s only so much you can do with two wheels and an engine once you’ve addressed the specific mechanical and aerodynamic requirements of each.

It’s getting that way with mobile motorcycle games, too. This year, Android has seen three dirtbike games that follow a pretty similar path.

Biker thrice so far

Like Dirtbike and (even more so) MX Moto, Moto X Mayhem adopts a side-on 2D view, and requires you to reach the finishing line without crashing.

As with the aforementioned games, you do this by tilting your handset to adjust the weight balance of your rider. Leaning back is important for steep drops, while leaning forward is essential for steep climbs. Adjusting your weight in mid-air causes you to spin accordingly.

In common with MX Moto, you also have control over your throttle and brakes by holding the right and left side of the screen accordingly. Negotiating each of the 21 bumpy stages becomes a case of delicately shifting your weight while feathering the throttle.

Motorcycle topsy-turviness

Moto X Mayhem takes a subtly different approach by zooming right in on the action. It’s more about reacting to the immediate dangers of each stage (which are far more naturalistic and bumpy than the others) at low speed, and it works pretty well.

However, there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s simply not as good as MX Moto. The bike doesn’t feel as responsive, there’s no reward for pulling off daring stunts, and the main mode sees you having to play through each and every stage in a given level (there are only three) in one shot.

Moto X Mayhem is a fun and familiar dirtbike game that adopts many of the features of its closest rival, but when you look a little closer the comparative deficiencies begin to tell.

Moto X Mayhem

While it’s a nicely playable dirtbike stunt racer, Moto X Mayhem is a little too limited when compared to the similar MX Moto
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Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.