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Games
Hit the dirt and get your racing fix with the best motocross games
Nothing beats the thrill throwing up dirt and taming the great outdoors on two wheels and these are the best motocross games available right now to do just that.
It's hard to understate how good nailing a tight corner feels on a dirt bike. The viscous natural track beneath the bike that feels like it might suck the entire machine under, destroyed by rain, but tamed by you: the master motocross rider. It's an incredible sport that only the bravest will attempt and there’s some cracking virtual experiences available to players these days, across multiple formats.
From classics to the very best on the latest hardware, these are the best motocross experiences you need to play right now – just don’t blame us if you end up obsessing over your times, because these games truly are "one more go" time-sinks of the very best kind.
01
MXGP 2020
MXGP 2020 is one of the first racers to hit PS5
© Milestone
What's better than the all-new MXGP 2020? How about the fact the official video game of the FIM World Motocross Championships is one of the first games to hit modern consoles, making use of the all-new shiny PlayStation 5 controller? Here you'll feel resistance when you're deep in the mud, while the DualSense and its haptic feedback will give you a physically different feel when skimming over hard ground, making the bike feel lighter: it's a game changer.
MXGP 2020 is an unforgiving game that throws you right in at the deep end. This one is for major fans of motocross and is the Forza Motorsport of its class, offering a simplistic approach: you just race. That said, there's a mode that lets you free roam around Norway and even a track editor if you fancy getting involved in creating your own race tracks. A complete package that's available to all, MXGP 2020 is easily one of the top motocross games available.
02
Trials Rising
Trials Rising is one of the hardest motorcycling games around
© RedLynx & Ubisoft
While RedLynx and Ubisoft's Trials is a phenomenal and underrated series, it does come with a health warning: maybe have a spare controller if you plan on playing this one, because you may well hurl the pad now and then in frustration.
The very definition of easy to pick up, difficult to master, Trials Rising starts slowly with some gentle off-road biking, before pushing you to the very brink of your sanity, asking you to complete some seemingly impossible manoeuvres before hitting the dirt and racing to the finish for the gold.
Trials Rising is all about the physics of the bike and rider combining in perfect harmony to clear a motocross-style track as quickly and with as few tumbles as possible. Instant restarts take the edge off the annoyance as you hit the harder levels, but this game is all about mastering dirtbikes and there's nobody that does it better than RedLynx.
03
MX vs ATV: All Out
Fancy your motocross on Nintendo Switch? Got you covered!
© Milestone
Given that MX vs ATV: All Out is available on Nintendo Switch, as well as PS4 and Xbox One, it's perhaps fair to say that this is a more arcade-style game than MXGP 2020.
Due to the sheer speed, you'll bounce around and have to work hard to keep your bike on the track, let alone on course for the win. Crucially, due to the style of game, it works wonderfully on Switch without the need for analog triggers. Here, you can just roar off the starting line and never look back, as the game offers a slightly more relaxed take on motocross compared to the more sim-based racers out there.
04
Dirt Bike Unchained
Dirt Bike Unchained is mobile motocross at its finest
© Red Bull
With more customisation than you can shake your kick-start at, Dirt Bike Unchained takes the race to mobile devices, offering outrageous, over-the-top jumps and courses to race through. We’re talking console graphics on mobile here, with fully licensed off-road stars such as Cody Webb, Jonny Walker, Tarah Geiger and more.
Accessibility is an area where this one excels, thanks to the simple and intuitive controls. For example, if you're going uphill you'll need to tap the screen quickly to go faster, whereas going downhill you can press and hold to get into a position to use the momentum to gain more speed.
With the ability to go online and play team co-op with up to 24 other players, Dirt Bike Unchained is one not to miss, offering reverence for the sport and arcade fun all in the palm of your hands.
05
Mad Skills Motocross 2
Side-scrolling motocross madness in Mad Skills Motocross 2
© Turborilla
If you fancy your mobile-based motocross a bit more side-scrolling, Mad Skills Motocross 2 is the game for you. Free-to-play and with online multiplayer, you can progress towards earning new, faster bikes, while the developers at Turborilla also offer free new tracks on a weekly basis, meaning you don't have to play hours every day and can turn up weekly to find new content in your game.
While Mad Skills Motocross 2 doesn't have the depth of the likes of Dirt Bike Unchained, there's still plenty of focus on precision and nailing the jumps on every course to take first place.
