The newest MX vs. ATV was designed as a grand experiment — to see whether gamers will buy a cheaper, slimmer racing experience, and then expand it as desired through paid downloadable content. The idea is sound, but Alive’s stripped-down approach excludes too much of what makes a modern racer worthwhile and engaging, resulting in a strangely barren husk of a game.

It’s a shame, too, because Alive’s on-track experience is notably better than that of its predecessor, MX vs. ATV: Reflex. With a dozen bikes and ATVs whipping around the mud-caked canyons and snowy courses, the game looks sharp, especially the constantly deforming routes. It plays more smoothly than before, too, thanks to new (optional) control assists. Using the right stick to shift your rider’s weight around turns no longer seems unwieldy, and though the straight-laced approach lacks the spark of Pure or Nail’d, we would’ve gladly sunk several hours into a proper career mode — if one existed.

And there’s the catch: essential genre elements such as event variety and career progression are curiously shunned here, in favor of a simple list of events (no tutorial, even); and unlike Reflex, Alive doesn’t feature alternate vehicles like sport buggies and trucks. Even activities such as waypoint races, trick competitions, and elimination races are absent, with just three total event types — lengthy nationals and speedy short-track races, plus open-world free-ride jams — and only six actual events unlocked from the outset. A free bonus pack of DLC events awaits folks who buy the game at launch, or it’s available (for renters or people who buy the game well after launch) as a $10 download.

You’ll need to invest hours in those initial events to earn enough experience points to access the next meager batch of tracks, and once you unlock those, it takes several more hours of repetitive drudgery to release the final set. It almost feels like the game is holding tracks and vehicles hostage, constantly tempting you to drop a few bucks to purchase additional courses or even snag the unlock-all DLC key. The resulting grind can feel unreasonably dull, and though the online races are still good fun, we sorely miss Reflex’s open-world mini-games.

Considering how much content is kept behind tough-to-open doors (or pay walls), Alive almost feels like a free-to-play PC game — except the price tag is $40. Sadly, significant omissions derail this misguided offering, making it fairly unfulfilling.

On Xbox 360

+ Improved handling makes for a better off-road racer.

- No career mode, plus past series events and vehicles are all M.I.A.

- Little distinct content, and you have to grind to unlock what’s here.

? How much downloadable content will it take to make the game a full experience?

5.0