Bike Mayhem 2 Review

Take your biking skills to the hills in this fast-paced, thrilling indie title. Having never played the first game, I had no idea what to expect. But it only took one attempt before I was instantly hooked on beating my previous score, and that can only be a good sign.

For those who don’t know about the game, the Bike Mayhem series is quite simply a game where you ride a mountain bike down a chosen track, sounds simple. However, the challenges involved are either completing the track within a set time or performing tricks to gain a high score. Both of should be credited in their own light.

The time trial mode requires speed alongside precision. Too much speed and you’ll find yourself falling off, but too little and your time will forfeit. The tricks mode on the other hand is more about the length of time in the air to enable a skill to take place. There are many skills that can be used, all controlled with the right analogue stick, and all lasting for different lengths of time. It is down to the player to decide which one is best to use. These added challenges are what makes the game so addictive. No matter what score you get, there’s always room for improvement!

There are three different sections of the game that can be played. First there is the single player which has a mixture of the two game modes mentioned earlier. Then there is the online multiplayer, and lastly the track editor.

The online multiplayer works by challenging another player to either a time trial or a tricks match. The difference with this multiplayer is that it’s not ‘live’. By that I mean you can complete your time trial for example, but then the other player can complete theirs whenever they like. Then, once you have both finished, you can compare scores. This is good in some ways because it means you’re never waiting around, although if you enjoy the thrill of live racing then I’m afraid it’s not included.

The other part of the game is the track editor. This allows you to create your own down-hill slopes in any way you like. It’s very simple in its editing, however this enables you to quickly build your own creations and play them instantly. I wouldn’t say it’s a feature I’d miss if it wasn’t there, but it is a good addition to the game nonetheless.

In terms of visuals, the game uses more of a cartoon style for it’s background and forefront and I thought this was the right choice. This style looks crisp whether you’re stationary or cycling at speed and that is something that is admiring to see. Attention to detail is something I look for, and seeing the dust whip up from the bike for example was a pleasant surprise. A further example to this is the rag doll effect used upon crashing. Despite it being a negative thing, there’s always something humorous about watching these effects as you’re flung from your bike.

One of the parts that stuck out to me in the game was the customisation. The more you do in the game, the more added items you receive to completely recreate your character and your bike. This made my character feel more like my own. My only issue however is with the bike customisation. The more you do, the better bikes you get. This sounds fair however when you come across someone online who has played the game a lot more than you have, they will more than likely win by default, purely by owning the faster bike.

Bike Mayhem 2 will give you all the fun and enjoyment that you can expect from it. It’s slick, fast and enjoyable. It wont be a game that lasts a lifetime, but it is one that you can dip in and out of to try and beat that previous score.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Microsoft Xbox One code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.