Decent game with good points... but with the good there is bad.
DESIGN:
The design of the game is fairly mixed. Some times the graphics look very good especially on some of the outdoor environments. Mud and water look very good, however on inside courses some scenery items tend to look bland which isn't too bad since you're racing and you tend not to pay attention to the surroundings. But you have to determine if you are more worried about the gaming experience or how beautiful the tracks look. The soundtrack is decent and most songs are fairly popular. However, there is the ability to add custom soundtracks. If you look on the case it shows the downloadable content label which is good. Hopefully we will see some downloadable tracks, gear, etc. I'm kind of disappointed in the the lack of content when it comes to customizing you and your bike. There are brand names such as Fox, Thor, AXO, etc. However, there is only 1 item for each of them, however in different colors. What really upsets me is all of the MX bikes are made up (unless I can't seem to find actual bikes). In "Unleashed" you could pick up a Yamaha 250cc or a KTM, etc. These are all made up names such as rampage...
GAMEPLAY:
The AI is a bit of a mixed bag. If you set the difficulty on the "easy" setting, they truly are extremely easy. However, bump it up just a few notches and they start to get quite hard. Other than that I think the AI is pretty well rounded. I do like how, unlike "Unleashed", in "Untamed" the AI opponents don't bunch together, they tend to string out which is more realistic. I must say the game tend to be extremely frustrating many times, especially in freestyle. It is very hard to land correctly, even when it would be easily done in real life. Make sure you complete the trick at least 1 second before landing. Even if the trick is done and you are back on the bike right as you land your guy will fall off which is extremely unrealistic. I don't like how hard the backflip is. In "Unleashed" you could control when you stop flipping. In "Untamed" you keep flipping until you hit the ground. I understand they did this because it was very easy to pull of flips in Unleashed, but don't make it so damn hard. There are plenty of modes to mess around with and the X-Cross Tournament is quite fun as it gets you into more than just Supercross or Nationals. If you do pick up the game try the Endurocross mode, it is really fun and interesting. As for multiplayer, I haven't gotten into it much but it works just fine. The ability to race against up to 11 other players in single and multiplayer makes it much more realistic as apposed to 5 in the old game. The same vehicles from the last game are still there with the exception of the removal of the helicopter and airplane (thank god) and the addition of the ORV sport. Overall the gameplay is pretty well rounded with the exception of some bad spots.
CONCLUSION:
Unless you are into the outdoor racing this game may be a rent, however if you are into MX and ATVs, and everything that comes with it I encourage you to pick it up. Whether or not you like this game is a matter of personal opinion and is a total love hate relationship. I think you should give it a try if you are interested in racing.