“We’re getting a little more physical with this game,” promises Rainbow Studios lead designer Elliot Olson as his on-screen dirt-bike racer literally rubs elbows with a rival in MX vs. ATV Alive, the fifth offering in the long-running off-road racing series. “Not only can you hit people and bang [into] them, but you’re going to have to do it to fight your way up to first place, too.”

As down-and-dirty as things get on the muddy tracks of Alive, it’s safe to say, it won’t become an on-wheels brawler like Road Rash. Clearly, though, there’s a lot of fight in this one — even at the box office. In a bold move, publisher THQ is going to be selling the out-of-the-box Alive experience for the low, low price of $40, after which they’ll be shipping a mudslide’s worth of downloadable content. “We’re going to be offering new content every week for months on end,” Olson states. The goodies will come in both free and premium (read: paid) varieties, including everything from goggles and butt patches to entire new game modes.

It’s an interesting strategy — trying to entice both casual and hardcore gamers with a lower barrier of entry and then bank on the gameplay being compelling enough to get everyone on the hook for DLC dollars — and from what we’ve seen of the product so far, it just might work. The outstanding terrain-deformation system from the previous MX title returns, literally making for a different track on each lap as each rider displaces their own trail of dirt. Throw in a persistent rider avatar that levels up no matter what you’re doing, a new wreck-avoidance system that gives you a brief moment to try to stay out of crashes before they happen, and a couch-friendly two-player split-screen mode, and MX vs. ATV Alive looks to be an absolute steal for the reduced asking price.