From the first pedal stroke in MAVRIX by Matt Jones, it’s unmistakable that this is a project born of genuine enthusiasm for mountain biking rather than a generic arcade racer. Built around a sprawling open world that invites riders to choose their own adventure – whether it’s precision racing, expressive slopestyle, or just carving creative lines across hills and forests – the game’s design ethos is deeply rooted in freedom and exploration. This isn’t a narrative-driven title with cutscenes and plot twists or one where it’s all about chaining tricks non-stop; it’s a sandbox where your own momentum becomes the story, and that choice of focus gives the experience much of its charm.
Mechanically, MAVRIX leans into complexity. The dual-stick control scheme – where one stick steers and the other shifts body weight – combined with separate front and rear brake inputs, creates a riding system that feels weighty and deliberate. When it works, the sensation of bending into a berm or launching from a cliff is genuinely thrilling, and there’s a satisfying rhythm to mastering momentum and balance that separates it from lighter, more arcade-leaning rivals. Yet that same ambition is a double-edged sword: the physics system, while more nuanced than most in the genre, can also feel inconsistent at times, with mid-air adjustments and tricky landings occasionally behaving unpredictably.
This tension between authenticity and rough edges carries over into the game’s structure. The 100 km world is visually striking and offers countless lines to discover, but it isn’t always brimming with activity. Long stretches between major trails or events can feel empty, and the incentive to roam isn’t always compelling once the initial novelty wears off. Progression loops – whether chasing leaderboard glory or unlocking gear through sponsorships – do add goals, but they sometimes lack the punch needed to sustain long-term engagement without self-set challenges.
On PS5 specifically, adaptive triggers and haptic feedback deepen immersion, with brake inputs and terrain subtly communicated through the controller – a nice touch that reinforces the physicality of riding. Graphically, MAVRIX presents lovely vista moments that make downhill plunges feel alive, and the soundtrack underpinning these runs enhances that sense of place. But fidelity isn’t uniform: off-trail environments and distant textures can appear undercooked, and occasional performance hitches remind you that the game still sits in early access on Steam.
Audio design oscillates between immersive and neglectful. While environmental sounds like gravel under tyre or the wind whipping past are evocative, some elements of the bike audio feel underwhelming, lacking the depth and variation to fully sell the sensation of speed and contact with different surfaces. This leaves the music and feedback elements carrying much of the atmosphere, which works – but also highlights a missed opportunity to round out the sensory experience.
Where MAVRIX shines is in those rare moments where all its systems click. Big jumps, tight cornering lines, and the sheer sense of speed deliver genuine adrenaline – and sharing these experiences with others in the world gives them amplified energy. Conversely, when the controls falter or the world feels too vast without enough to do, that same scale can feel intimidating rather than inviting. Regardless of these flaws, the foundation here is compelling: this feels like a labour of love that’s pushing the niche of mountain biking simulation forward. With refinement – especially in content depth, performance stability, and physics polish – MAVRIX could very well redefine what a biking-centric open world can be.
In its current form on PlayStation 5, MAVRIX by Matt Jones is a distinctive, sometimes exhilarating ride hampered by early access growing pains. It isn’t yet the definitive mountain biking game, but the ambition on display and the thrill of the best moments make it one of the more intriguing entries in the genre in recent memory – and a title worth watching as it continues to evolve.
Score: 7.2/10
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