MXGP 3 - The Video Game for Nintendo Switch

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Tested: MXGP 3 - The Video Game for Nintendo Switch
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Surprise! Milestone released MXGP 3 for the Nintendo Switch a couple of weeks ago. It was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. Now, I should get this out front and center before you get too far into this review, this game is essentially the exact same as the console/PC versions they released earlier in the year, with a few changes to make it more suitable for the Nintendo Switch. So this is more of a review of the game as a port, not necessarily the game itself. If you'd like a deep dive into MXGP 3 as a whole, you can check out my review here.

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So, what all is the same as the console/PC versions of the game? Pretty much everything. The teams, gear, physics, bikes, difficulty, and career mode are the same for the most part. There are a few differences, though, and that's primarily what we will be talking about here.

First off, the graphics in this port are not as sharp as the other versions of this game. It's hard to find a direct comparison for the graphics, but I'd say Xbox 360/PS3 era games are a good comparison. It really doesn't look bad at all when you're actually racing, but when the game does cinematic shots of the starting gate or when you go into camera mode you can see that the graphics are not exactly top notch. Is this really a problem, though? Not in my opinion. I guess if you're going to play this game with the Switch in docked mode (aka on your TV) it may be best to just play one of the other versions Milestone has released. But if you're going to play this game with the Switch in portable mode, then it really shouldn't be a problem. You get to play a pretty good motocross game anywhere in the world, so I'd say a little graphical downgrade is not something to get worked up about.

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Next up is the amount of AI riders. There's only 10 of them, which is a bit disappointing. But I believe this is primarily due to the limitations of the Switch, not necessarily Milestone just wanting to include 10 AI riders instead of the normal 21. It's another sacrifice you have to be willing to make to play a game like this on the go, and again it's worth it in my book.

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Lastly, and the biggest difference between this version of MXGP 3 and the other versions, there is no online multiplayer. Yeah, you read that right. There's no multiplayer. This actually isn't Milestone's fault, though, as Nintendo's Switch Online service isn't going live until 2018. So while it would have been really sweet to meet up with friends somewhere (that has wifi), and pound out some online races, I guess we'll have to wait until 2018 (and probably the release of Milestone's Monster Energy Supercross: The Video Game) to be able to do that.

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At the end of the day, this is an excellent port of a solid game. It still has the same problems that the core game has, but it also has nearly everything that I like about the core game. So if you're able to come to terms with the few downgrades it has compared to the other versions, you'll have a great time playing this game on your couch, at your dining table, in a car, on a plane, or really anywhere you can plant your feet.

Rating: 3.5/5

Gameplay

You can buy MXGP 3 - The Video Game for Nintendo Switch here.

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Specifications

Product
MXGP 3 - The Video Game for Nintendo Switch
Platforms
Nintendo Switch
Game Modes
Single Race, Career Mode, Motocross of Nations
Studio
Milestone
Miscellaneous
 
Price
$39.99
More Info
 
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