Sim Racing is one of those genres that you either love or hate. Me, I fall into the love category, though focusing more of the four-wheel variety. Enter Monster Energy Supercross 25. I've not been one to give the time of day to motor cross titles, I don't follow it at all but will watch if it is on somewhere. Monster Energy Supercross 25 is the 7th iteration of the series and after missing 2024 is the first to make the jump to Unreal Engine 5.
I very quickly learnt this game was much more sim than I was expecting and ready to fling me off the bike at the hint of an incorrect lean. A trick it did repeatedly in the early moments as I tried to wrangle the bike around the track, but it didn't take me long to get into a groove and start winning some races and some extra rep.
There are a few different ways for you to play which is nothing new for the series. Career, Time Attack, Rhythm Attack and Single Events for the quick drop-in game time. Career mode where most will spend their time starts you off in the Futures category before making your way up to the 250cc and eventually the big time with the 450cc class. You're tasked with increasing your Fame, Reputation and Team Synergy. Fame is won by winning races and improving in each race. Reputation is directly tied to how other races feel about you and can affect their racing towards you on track, fans will also follow you on social media and you can send pre-determined messages to them but can be a double-edged sword with some turning on you. Team Synergy is needed for you to modify your bike boosting its stats and helping you to the front of the grid.
Visually the change to Unreal Engine 5 has allowed Monster Energy Supercross 25 to step up significantly. Bikes are meticulously detailed showcasing their real-world bikes and sponsors. Tracks move and mold throughout each race with ruts appearing and changing with each lap. Dynamic weather events change the way you attack each track and stadiums are beautifully rendered.
Unfortunately, can only get you so far. Monster Energy Supercross 25 is essentially a deep-rooted sim that is going to be far too overwhelming for the casual player but not deep enough for the pure Motorcross sim fan. Riding mechanics range from being overly realistic where it throws you off for an incorrect landing, the bike stands up mid corner when hitting a rut incorrectly and AI riders can become overly aggressive then at other times you're stuck to the bike with glue when you should clearly be eating dirt. It can be frustrating as it seems to change throughout an individual race.
Overall Monster Energy Supercross 25 is a decent title, but you'll be hard pressed to just pick it up at a whim and master the mechanics. There is plenty of game there to enjoy if you can accept its faults. It sits somewhere in the realm of wanting to be a fully fledged sim racer but unfortunately lacks the technical detail to pull it off convincingly. There is plenty to go through and unlock and once you get the rhythm of the races it can be very rewarding, if you have the mentality to look past those flaws.
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