Monster Energy Supercross 3 Review: Gameplay Videos, Features and Impressions

Monster Energy Supercross 3 rides a groundswell of momentum based on the prior two efforts by developer Milestone.  

Those installments were spotty in terms of feature set and performance, but they offered major promise. And the 2020 edition of the series largely makes notable strides in the right direction. 

Boasting many upgrades and modern updates, including dedicated servers, a race director and some reworked physics—just to name a few—Monster Energy Supercross 3 stands as a worthwhile entry. 

The question becomes, then, whether it moves the needle enough for newcomers to jump in and long-time fans to re-up. 

Graphics and Gameplay

Graphics certainly weren't an issue with the last few installments in the series, and that remains with the 2020 edition. 

Monster Energy Supercross 3 does most of the immersion-creating stuff on the track quite well. Big stadiums dwarf the riders on the track, and cameras flash. Out in the wild, Mother Nature can influence not only how things look but how things play out. 

The series has always had a vibrant color palette, and it rings true again as riders and bikes stand out from each other, even in muddy circumstances. As races develop, track degradation and weather make for muddy ruts and visually-pleasing alterations. Riders again have fun physics, whether it's during a wreck or otherwise, and even the jerseys notably sway based on momentum. 

Off the track is where things have looked downgraded in the past, with pre- and post-race cinematics not looking up to snuff. There's an improvement there, with character models looking much better and more realistic. All that aside, it's great to see female riders included in the experience for the first time in the series. 

It isn't all perfect. Shadows do some weird bouncing around at times and there's notable pop-in while cruising the Compound. Every now and then there seemed to be a strange dot of moisture on the screen in random spots. But the drawbacks aren't damaging enough to counteract a package that does a really good job of offering up some immersive speed once things get going. 

Sound design is again a strong point. This time there is a booming soundtrack to go along with the usual drones of the bikes and roars of crowds. Some more variety in those latter two areas would be welcome, but it all mixes together well. 

Speaking of mixing together well, the visuals and gameplay do so once again. The track degradation plays a big role in how the track feels and how a race develops. Lap 3 of an event in the rain is dramatically different from the opening lap, for example. 

Some of the gameplay changes feel great, too. This year's version feels a little more arcadey than last year, but it's hard to complain. There seems to be more freedom in the air to maneuver the bike, which is a welcome change. This is a nice update to have in the middle of the race, even if it doesn't feel like opposing rider A.I. is doing anything different this time out.  

Things don't feel as floaty, either, which in turn seems to mean a reduction in the number of times a rider goes flailing off into the atmosphere like somebody pressed an eject button. Which isn't to say that doesn't happen anymore, but there shouldn't be funny montages or moments of frustration at key times, either. 

As usual, players have plenty of assist options to choose from right out of the gate. And even without those, this has just as much pick-up-and-play potential as the last few editions. But those deeply knowledgeable about this area can hop in and craft a more in-depth experience to their liking. 

From a gameplay perspective, Milestone doesn't have an easy task as it attempts to please the hardcore crowd and also draw in a bigger audience. The tweaks here and there for this year's game are mostly welcome, though, crafting a strong overall effort.

Career Mode and More

On the singleplayer side of things, Monster Energy Supercross 3 is expectedly standard fare again. 

After a brief introductory race, it's nice to pick from a few of the big teams and sponsors and go from there, climbing the ranks. But this isn't anything like other major sports franchises in terms of storytelling—which is fine—so don't expect any major cutscenes or anything of the sort. 

When it comes to the feature list, this game is more about the other stuff. The Compound makes a return as a big free-roam area packed with different tracks. It's a Supercross Test Area that is almost reminiscent of the desert map from PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, funnily enough, which boasts co-op. 

And that compound is a good time to just kick back and practice on different sorts of jumps. Players can hop into time trials and otherwise from the environment itself. It's a nice touch to see things like dynamic weather and day-night cycles. Eventually, it would be interesting to see different biomes, but the Compound remains a fine way to get in some practice or simply warm up. 

Also big on the feature list is the track editor. Unlike character creation, which is pretty limited in its set amount of pieces to choose from, the track editor offers up a lot of different options after picking an initial type of arena. 

Plotting out a course is simple enough, and the game does what it can to help. Diving right from the editor on to the under-construction track is an inspired move. But the biggest feat in this area is the ability to upload it so other players can then use it in various ways. Call it a nice way to give the game longevity, as the more creative elements of the community are sure to come up with some fun things for players to experiment with. 

Besides creativity, it's clear multiplayer was an emphasis this year, and it shows in the feature set and performance. Dedicated servers should work well once the player base really gets up and running. The aptly named race director is a more than welcome addition to the series, as the player with that title gets to craft their own competition. From there, said director can not only deal with race settings but can also dole out penalties and customize cameras. 

Given all the features and add-ins, it's nice to see the roster boom to around 100 personalities from 450SX and 250SX (east and west), though it's a little weird it's only the 2019 season in the game. 

Given the ever-expanding nature of the game as it moves to add in more traditional, modern modes, advances in multiplayer were a must for this game to be considered an upgrade. 

Conclusion

It's hard to complain about much with Monster Energy Supercross 3. 

While Milestone is still clearly ironing out issues on the gameplay side and trying to walk a tightrope between hardcore and casual players, one simple fact overrules most—the game is fun to pick up and play. Even better, there's enough depth that it's hard to master, which, in theory, should make for a fun competitive romp online for players who want to go that route. 

Calling Monster Energy Supercross 3 the apex of the series right now isn't an exaggeration, and for the multiplayer updates alone, it's worth a look for players who own past games in the series. For newcomers, it's as welcoming as a massive jump at the finish line.