One of the most incredible feelings of racing motocross is hitting that perfect line, and absolutely nailing a turn. The feeling is almost surreal, and fans may be wondering if Monster Energy Supercross 6 offers this feeling, by offering proper physics-based track deformation. Milestone has used the technology in previous titles, namely MX GP 3, but has kind of put it on the back burner since then. Is this the game that finally adds it, or do we need to wait for another entry?
Is There Track Deformation in Monster Energy Supercross 6?
From just looking at the photo posted above, it looks like Milestone may have answered our prayers, but it’s a little bit more complicated than that. I decided to take things into my own hands and dive deeper into this and find out what Milestone may have changed this time around. Even when playing the game, the completely revamped track look was immediately apparent and stuck out as one of the highlights.
After jumping into Oakland and trying out the race, I began to notice that the track started to break down before my eyes, but I wasn’t sure if anything was changing the physics at first. So, I decided to boot up every version of Monster Energy Supercross and compare it under a few particular circumstances:
- Race on Oakland (if available)
- Full race with AI opponents
- Race 5 laps, and take a photo on the 6th lap.
Related: Does Monster Energy Supercross 6 Have Crossplay?
As you can see from the results, the overall visual effect has been completely redone and allows for tracks to break apart in a much more realistic fashion. The only one that even compares overall is Monster Energy Supercross 3, which also features some more detailed ruts and grooves, but didn’t affect the overall racing experience.
It’s a shame to announce that, once again, Monster Energy Supercross 6 does not have any form of physics-based track deformation, at least in the version that I played before release. It seems that Milestone may have the intention to add this in, but it may be a little too late to do so.
Let’s compare the visual track deformation of Monster Energy Supercross 6 to two competitors: MXGP 3, as well as Rainbow Studios’ effort in MX vs ATV: Legends. The stipulations were the same, this time around, racing on a track and snagging a photo after 5 or 6 laps.
Related: Does Monster Energy Supercross 6 Have Freestyle?
With MXGP 3, you’ll see some very similar track degradation overall to what is on offer with Monster Energy Supercross 6, but the key difference with this effort, also from Milestone, is that each of these ruts and grooves could alter the momentum of the bike you are riding. To play the devil’s advocate, however, Motocross tracks and Supercross tracks do use different types of dirt, which could also affect the physics in the long run.
On the other side of the field, we have MX vs ATV Legends. While the game itself is rather fun, it doesn’t really compare overall to the realistic feel that Monster Energy Supercross 6 brings to the table. But, it does have something that MES6 doesn’t offer, and that’s a Track Deformation Slider. Before starting an event, you’ll have the chance to alter the amount that the track degrades throughout the race, so you could either see realistic ruts and grooves or just giant holes in the track as the race goes on.
It feels like Milestone is hesitant to add this feature to Monster Energy Supercross, but it would be a welcome change. While the on-track racing feels the best it ever has, it also felt a bit strange going back into this one without having the ruts alter my overall movement. Fingers crossed that a patch comes to add this feature, or we finally see it in its full glory with the next installment in the franchise.
