Monster Energy Supercross 25 Review – A Dirty Finish

After a two-year hiatus, Monster Energy Supercross is back and ready to tear up the track. In this new iteration, Monster Energy Supercross 25, developers Milestone revert to the series’ roots, for better and worse.

The game’s most substantial assets are its fun and challenging gameplay, along with its robust career mode. But, the lackluster tutorial, missing features, amongst other issues, keep this title from making the podium.

Here is our SGO review of Monster Energy Supercross 25.

Monster Energy Supercross 25 Review

Presentation

The Monster Energy Supercross series has never “wowed” me with stellar presentation, but there are some updates that Milestone made to enhance your Supercross experience.

Similar to my last review in the series, the presentation before the races looks outdated and cheesy; and NPC models look offputting and stand motionless. This, in combination with the poor audience interaction makes the presentation mediocre at best.

However, while the overall presentation around races isn’t the best, the on-track presentation is very well done. The game features all of the 2025 season’s tracks, and they look great. Milestone’s replica of the Anaheim 1 track is amazing, and the continuous evolution of tracks changes gameplay to add a new layer of challenge. This is thanks to the game’s new Ruts system, but more on that later.

Gameplay

Monster Energy Supercross 25‘s gameplay remains one of the highlights of the series. It’s fun, realistic and challenging. This year, Milestone improved players’ racing experience with updated animations, camera movements, and most importantly, air and ground physics. The result is the smoothest and most realistic gameplay to date for the Supercross series.  

The core gameplay of Supercross 25 is about controlling yourself through different obstacles on the track. Nailing jump patterns, drifting corners, and mastering bends will all contribute to your success.

The track tells the story

In addition to the updated physics, the new Ruts system adds another layer to the presentation and gameplay. As riders race around the track, the dirt changes and creates ruts and different obstacles for players. While racing lap to lap, I’ve had to adjust my strategy and wiggle my way out of the dirt. The new Ruts system keeps players on their toes and ensures that no two laps are the same.

Game Modes

While the new gameplay changes do improve the already challenging gameplay of Monster Energy Supercross 25, I would’ve liked to see a more in-depth Supercross Academy. In previous titles, the game did a good job of teaching new players the controls and correct techniques to succeed in the game. In Supercross 5, the game demonstrates how to maneuver around the track properly through a series of tutorials narrated by former Supercross champion Ricky Carmichael.

This year, Supercross Academy feels like it was put together last minute and this can truly damage the “first-time” experience for new players; especially for a series with challenging gameplay.

No compound

Many of Monster Energy Supercross’ modes make a return like Championship, Rythem Attack, and Single Event. Players can even enjoy the game in old-fashioned couch co-op with Split-Screen mode.

However, the absence of the game’s open-world sandbox, The Compound, is a huge miss. I love riding around a massive area with no restrictions, its a fun break away from the racing competitions within the game. Sadly the mode doesn’t make the cut in the initial game or post-launch content.

Career Mode

Once again, Career Mode is the highlight mode for the series, receiving some welcomed updates. This year, the game focuses on rivalries and relationships within a Supercross season. Each player’s career evolves given their performance, reputation, and team synergy.

Players can build relationships and rivalries by interacting with riders through the social network. Reacting to your latest win by boasting to another rider may spark a bit of friction and make the next race more interesting.

Team Synergy helps players make improvements to their bikes. This system is a nice addition; it is very similar to EA Sports F1 24‘s driver recognition system. If players perform well and build chemistry with their team, better upgrades and bikes become available.

The latest additions to Career Mode add another layer to an already good mode. The majority of players will spend their time with this mode, and there are loads to progress through, making it a well-in-depth supercross RPG-like experience.

Verdict

Monster Energy Supercross 25 improves in some of the most important areas of the series like gameplay and Career Mode, but falls short in other areas. The gameplay is still so fun and challenging. Career Mode brings some fresh new updates, and the mode overall, is headed in the right direction.

However, the absence of the compound, mediocre presentation, and lackluster Supercross Academy may steer newcomers clear of the Supercross fun.