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This thread has been linked to the game 'Motorstorm: Apocalypse'.
The Apocalypse is nigh so grab a vehicle and head to the start line for the most exhilarating race of your life. Motorstorm is back with a tremor for its 3rd outing on the PS3 and it is spectacular.
The setting of the latest Motorstorm festival is an island which has been hit hard by an earthquake. Mother Nature hasn’t quite finished yet, the residents move out and the motorstormers move in. And there is the small matter of a war going on. It is safe to say, this is not exactly Gran Turismo.
If you have played any of the previous Motorstorm games then you know exactly what to expect from the racing, it’s all about getting to the finishing line first no matter how, gentlemanly conduct is swiftly rammed out of the way. The racing can be chaotic at the best of times but it is amplified in the latest game in the series.
The vehicle classes from Pacific Rift return and bring with them 2 new bike classes and 3 new car classes. Each vehicle class has its strengths and weaknesses, not only in terms of performance and handling but also with regard to the terrain it is most suited to. The motorbikes are fast, handle well but are best suited to the roads. The monster trucks on the other hand are not quite so fast but they can handle any terrain with ease. Of course, the monster trucks also have the advantage that they can just drive over the smaller vehicles rather than waste time and effort going round them.
Each vehicle comes with a boosting capability for some extra speed. Boosting heats the engine and if the engine overheats your vehicle will explode therefore efficient use of the boost is essential. And boost exploding is still the only way to cross the finishing line in Motorstorm. The boost can also be used to execute a ram manoeuvre, no harm in giving an opponent a gentle nudge towards an obstacle as you pass.
The racing is now split into 3 categories of difficulty rather than a list of races to progress through but the biggest change of all is the story. Alarm bells should be ringing for any Motorstorm fan right about now. The story is told using comic book style images with limited animation and after the initial horror, I find myself appreciating the presentation and warming to them a little. But I never want to see them in a Motorstorm game again.
The story scenes will introduce you to the racers and cover their visit to the island in a behind the scenes documentary fashion. Many of the characters are irritating with huge egos, their adoring woman come with chest sizes to match the egos and all are fairly forgettable. You play a different character in each of the difficulty categories and you’ll be viewing the story from the perspective of the racer you control. It adds absolutely nothing to the racing and thankfully you can forget all about the story when you race.
One of the first things you will probably notice with Apocalypse is that you can no longer choose your vehicle, there is a set vehicle allocated for each race. It seems like a backwards step in a sense and more peculiar given that there are even more vehicle classes on offer. For the first time in Motorstorm you will have to be proficient with all vehicles to progress to the end.
Apocalypse comes with more tracks and variations than any of the other games in the series and the designers have done a fantastic job, there isn’t a dull track among them. The scale of devastation in each location is immense and you’ll find yourself distracted by the scenery rather than concentrating on the race. Few games convey a sense of devastation on this scale, it is simply stunning at times.
The variation in locations is also impressive. You will find yourself racing through the underground train tunnels, racing along the roads and bridges, racing through residential streets, racing on the beach, racing through the fairground, racing through deserted offices and racing along the roof tops. And you will be visiting several of these locations during a single race. Each track has multiple routes to explore and exploit to your advantage. The tracks are littered with obstacles from the devastation and you really do need an extra layer of concentration to what was required in the previous games in the series. At times it seems a little far-fetched but this is an arcade race and who cares about realism when it is this stunning?
I touched on a war earlier and the island is home to a running confrontation. A private security firm have been tasked with extracting the last of the population but these people have no interest in leaving and things get a little out of hand. The security firm are effectively a private army with tanks and attack choppers but the remaining population are fairly well armed themselves. You’ll find yourself driving in the middle of this war and you’ll get caught in the cross fire. And some of the people will get caught in your path too. You can be whizzing past (or right through) a group or people as they launch a rocket at the helicopter, your vehicle will take the bullets fired in return and at times the security firm will turn their attentions to the racers. It doesn’t add anything to the racing as such but it does make for another interest distraction and it can be especially distracting when you have a victim of your racing path still clinging onto your vehicle.
Each race is a packed event but it doesn’t stop there. The island is fragile and the forces of nature haven’t stopped yet and the tracks radically alter as you race. Buildings collapse, roads and bridges collapse, a train comes flying off the tracks and runs along side you (if you’re lucky enough not to be in its path), a helicopter launches missiles in your direction, a ferris wheel rolls into your path. It is all scripted, all very Hollywood summer blockbuster like but it works wonderfully and often the track is unrecognisable by the final lap which adds an initial curve to learning the tracks. It is spectacular at times and simply has to be seen, words will not do it justice. The first time you drive past the tornado with wild waters, debris flying all around and boats being thrown onto the beach you will quickly realise you are in one of the most unforgettable races in gaming.
As the major events happen in each race you will be prompted to press the square button to focus on the incident. This temporarily slows down the action to let you watch what is going on and it pays to take note as you are not being shown this for fun, it’s about to have an impact on where you are headed at breakneck speed. The little QTE event feels like an unwelcome intrusion to the frantic racing but the incidents are worth seeing and you can also ignore the prompt if you want. You won’t find a dull lap anywhere, the designers have done a great job and even after you have seen the track changing moments they still don’t lose their appeal.
The final race of each difficulty category involves escaping from island. The earthquake activity up till now has only been the starter, the main course is about to be served and the motorstormers know it is best to evacuate. The final races are simple a race against time as the surrounding area collapses all around you and it makes for a tense finale to each category.
Online, the game borrows ideas from the first person shooters and it is all the better for it. There is a perk system to allow you to choose and earn some extra benefits. There are all manner of accolades and medals to earn which means that you can still increase your ranking points regardless of where you finish. It certainly helps maintain the interest if you are not capable of challenging for first place and there are parts to be unlocked for each vehicle to help you create your own unique rides. It is a lot deeper than any of the equivalent modes in the other Motorstorm modes and being able to earn rewards no matter where you finish is a welcome addition to those not good enough to compete... and no, I don’t mean people like me. I’ll have you know I’m at rank 10 and I’ve finished 2nd. Once.
A simple but highly effective touch to the online racing is the betting system. You can choose another player to bet against which creates a race within a race. Beat your rival to win the bet and earn more points which you can gamble for multipliers. Suddenly you don’t care that you are in 12th place, all you care about is that your rival is in 13th.
The game supports 3D and I’ve never wanted to play a game in 3D as much as this, I can only dream of how much it could add to the spectacle.
I’m a bit of a Motorstorm fan and I’ve found this game to be one of the most jaw dropping games of this generation, it really is a game which has to be experienced. But if you have never liked the way Motorstorm plays then this won’t change your mind, underneath all of the spectacle it handles and plays the same as the others. It comes with the same frustrations, particularly when the difficulty is upped and losing the ability to choose a vehicle can result in some unnecessary frustration if you are not adept with all vehicles. I think it is great though.
It’s hard to imagine where the series goes from here. I can’t help but think that this is a fitting end.
9
The setting of the latest Motorstorm festival is an island which has been hit hard by an earthquake. Mother Nature hasn’t quite finished yet, the residents move out and the motorstormers move in. And there is the small matter of a war going on. It is safe to say, this is not exactly Gran Turismo.
If you have played any of the previous Motorstorm games then you know exactly what to expect from the racing, it’s all about getting to the finishing line first no matter how, gentlemanly conduct is swiftly rammed out of the way. The racing can be chaotic at the best of times but it is amplified in the latest game in the series.
The vehicle classes from Pacific Rift return and bring with them 2 new bike classes and 3 new car classes. Each vehicle class has its strengths and weaknesses, not only in terms of performance and handling but also with regard to the terrain it is most suited to. The motorbikes are fast, handle well but are best suited to the roads. The monster trucks on the other hand are not quite so fast but they can handle any terrain with ease. Of course, the monster trucks also have the advantage that they can just drive over the smaller vehicles rather than waste time and effort going round them.
Each vehicle comes with a boosting capability for some extra speed. Boosting heats the engine and if the engine overheats your vehicle will explode therefore efficient use of the boost is essential. And boost exploding is still the only way to cross the finishing line in Motorstorm. The boost can also be used to execute a ram manoeuvre, no harm in giving an opponent a gentle nudge towards an obstacle as you pass.
The racing is now split into 3 categories of difficulty rather than a list of races to progress through but the biggest change of all is the story. Alarm bells should be ringing for any Motorstorm fan right about now. The story is told using comic book style images with limited animation and after the initial horror, I find myself appreciating the presentation and warming to them a little. But I never want to see them in a Motorstorm game again.
The story scenes will introduce you to the racers and cover their visit to the island in a behind the scenes documentary fashion. Many of the characters are irritating with huge egos, their adoring woman come with chest sizes to match the egos and all are fairly forgettable. You play a different character in each of the difficulty categories and you’ll be viewing the story from the perspective of the racer you control. It adds absolutely nothing to the racing and thankfully you can forget all about the story when you race.
One of the first things you will probably notice with Apocalypse is that you can no longer choose your vehicle, there is a set vehicle allocated for each race. It seems like a backwards step in a sense and more peculiar given that there are even more vehicle classes on offer. For the first time in Motorstorm you will have to be proficient with all vehicles to progress to the end.
Apocalypse comes with more tracks and variations than any of the other games in the series and the designers have done a fantastic job, there isn’t a dull track among them. The scale of devastation in each location is immense and you’ll find yourself distracted by the scenery rather than concentrating on the race. Few games convey a sense of devastation on this scale, it is simply stunning at times.
The variation in locations is also impressive. You will find yourself racing through the underground train tunnels, racing along the roads and bridges, racing through residential streets, racing on the beach, racing through the fairground, racing through deserted offices and racing along the roof tops. And you will be visiting several of these locations during a single race. Each track has multiple routes to explore and exploit to your advantage. The tracks are littered with obstacles from the devastation and you really do need an extra layer of concentration to what was required in the previous games in the series. At times it seems a little far-fetched but this is an arcade race and who cares about realism when it is this stunning?
I touched on a war earlier and the island is home to a running confrontation. A private security firm have been tasked with extracting the last of the population but these people have no interest in leaving and things get a little out of hand. The security firm are effectively a private army with tanks and attack choppers but the remaining population are fairly well armed themselves. You’ll find yourself driving in the middle of this war and you’ll get caught in the cross fire. And some of the people will get caught in your path too. You can be whizzing past (or right through) a group or people as they launch a rocket at the helicopter, your vehicle will take the bullets fired in return and at times the security firm will turn their attentions to the racers. It doesn’t add anything to the racing as such but it does make for another interest distraction and it can be especially distracting when you have a victim of your racing path still clinging onto your vehicle.
Each race is a packed event but it doesn’t stop there. The island is fragile and the forces of nature haven’t stopped yet and the tracks radically alter as you race. Buildings collapse, roads and bridges collapse, a train comes flying off the tracks and runs along side you (if you’re lucky enough not to be in its path), a helicopter launches missiles in your direction, a ferris wheel rolls into your path. It is all scripted, all very Hollywood summer blockbuster like but it works wonderfully and often the track is unrecognisable by the final lap which adds an initial curve to learning the tracks. It is spectacular at times and simply has to be seen, words will not do it justice. The first time you drive past the tornado with wild waters, debris flying all around and boats being thrown onto the beach you will quickly realise you are in one of the most unforgettable races in gaming.
As the major events happen in each race you will be prompted to press the square button to focus on the incident. This temporarily slows down the action to let you watch what is going on and it pays to take note as you are not being shown this for fun, it’s about to have an impact on where you are headed at breakneck speed. The little QTE event feels like an unwelcome intrusion to the frantic racing but the incidents are worth seeing and you can also ignore the prompt if you want. You won’t find a dull lap anywhere, the designers have done a great job and even after you have seen the track changing moments they still don’t lose their appeal.
The final race of each difficulty category involves escaping from island. The earthquake activity up till now has only been the starter, the main course is about to be served and the motorstormers know it is best to evacuate. The final races are simple a race against time as the surrounding area collapses all around you and it makes for a tense finale to each category.
Online, the game borrows ideas from the first person shooters and it is all the better for it. There is a perk system to allow you to choose and earn some extra benefits. There are all manner of accolades and medals to earn which means that you can still increase your ranking points regardless of where you finish. It certainly helps maintain the interest if you are not capable of challenging for first place and there are parts to be unlocked for each vehicle to help you create your own unique rides. It is a lot deeper than any of the equivalent modes in the other Motorstorm modes and being able to earn rewards no matter where you finish is a welcome addition to those not good enough to compete... and no, I don’t mean people like me. I’ll have you know I’m at rank 10 and I’ve finished 2nd. Once.
A simple but highly effective touch to the online racing is the betting system. You can choose another player to bet against which creates a race within a race. Beat your rival to win the bet and earn more points which you can gamble for multipliers. Suddenly you don’t care that you are in 12th place, all you care about is that your rival is in 13th.
The game supports 3D and I’ve never wanted to play a game in 3D as much as this, I can only dream of how much it could add to the spectacle.
I’m a bit of a Motorstorm fan and I’ve found this game to be one of the most jaw dropping games of this generation, it really is a game which has to be experienced. But if you have never liked the way Motorstorm plays then this won’t change your mind, underneath all of the spectacle it handles and plays the same as the others. It comes with the same frustrations, particularly when the difficulty is upped and losing the ability to choose a vehicle can result in some unnecessary frustration if you are not adept with all vehicles. I think it is great though.
It’s hard to imagine where the series goes from here. I can’t help but think that this is a fitting end.
9
Thanks people.
Sort it out pb, get the game ASAP :)
Chris, you need to at least watch some video footage of it.
Sort it out pb, get the game ASAP :)
Chris, you need to at least watch some video footage of it.
Great review. I missed getting this when GAME had it at £19.99 and kicked myself.
Will probably trade in some other games for this and Portal 2 though.
Will probably trade in some other games for this and Portal 2 though.
Great review dav :)
Played the first motorstorm, wasn't that impressed by it. Fun game, but not one for me personally. Will pass on Apocalypse.
Played the first motorstorm, wasn't that impressed by it. Fun game, but not one for me personally. Will pass on Apocalypse.
The Apocalypse is nigh so grab a vehicle and head to the start line for the most exhilarating race of your life. Motorstorm is back with a tremor for its 3rd outing on the PS3 and it is spectacular.
The setting of the latest Motorstorm festival is an island which has been hit hard by an earthquake. Mother Nature hasn’t quite finished yet, the residents move out and the motorstormers move in. And there is the small matter of a war going on. It is safe to say, this is not exactly Gran Turismo.
If you have played any of the previous Motorstorm games then you know exactly what to expect from the racing, it’s all about getting to the finishing line first no matter how, gentlemanly conduct is swiftly rammed out of the way. The racing can be chaotic at the best of times but it is amplified in the latest game in the series.
The vehicle classes from Pacific Rift return and bring with them 2 new bike classes and 3 new car classes. Each vehicle class has its strengths and weaknesses, not only in terms of performance and handling but also with regard to the terrain it is most suited to. The motorbikes are fast, handle well but are best suited to the roads. The monster trucks on the other hand are not quite so fast but they can handle any terrain with ease. Of course, the monster trucks also have the advantage that they can just drive over the smaller vehicles rather than waste time and effort going round them.
Each vehicle comes with a boosting capability for some extra speed. Boosting heats the engine and if the engine overheats your vehicle will explode therefore efficient use of the boost is essential. And boost exploding is still the only way to cross the finishing line in Motorstorm. The boost can also be used to execute a ram manoeuvre, no harm in giving an opponent a gentle nudge towards an obstacle as you pass.
The racing is now split into 3 categories of difficulty rather than a list of races to progress through but the biggest change of all is the story. Alarm bells should be ringing for any Motorstorm fan right about now. The story is told using comic book style images with limited animation and after the initial horror, I find myself appreciating the presentation and warming to them a little. But I never want to see them in a Motorstorm game again.
The story scenes will introduce you to the racers and cover their visit to the island in a behind the scenes documentary fashion. Many of the characters are irritating with huge egos, their adoring woman come with chest sizes to match the egos and all are fairly forgettable. You play a different character in each of the difficulty categories and you’ll be viewing the story from the perspective of the racer you control. It adds absolutely nothing to the racing and thankfully you can forget all about the story when you race.
One of the first things you will probably notice with Apocalypse is that you can no longer choose your vehicle, there is a set vehicle allocated for each race. It seems like a backwards step in a sense and more peculiar given that there are even more vehicle classes on offer. For the first time in Motorstorm you will have to be proficient with all vehicles to progress to the end.
Apocalypse comes with more tracks and variations than any of the other games in the series and the designers have done a fantastic job, there isn’t a dull track among them. The scale of devastation in each location is immense and you’ll find yourself distracted by the scenery rather than concentrating on the race. Few games convey a sense of devastation on this scale, it is simply stunning at times.
The variation in locations is also impressive. You will find yourself racing through the underground train tunnels, racing along the roads and bridges, racing through residential streets, racing on the beach, racing through the fairground, racing through deserted offices and racing along the roof tops. And you will be visiting several of these locations during a single race. Each track has multiple routes to explore and exploit to your advantage. The tracks are littered with obstacles from the devastation and you really do need an extra layer of concentration to what was required in the previous games in the series. At times it seems a little far-fetched but this is an arcade race and who cares about realism when it is this stunning?
I touched on a war earlier and the island is home to a running confrontation. A private security firm have been tasked with extracting the last of the population but these people have no interest in leaving and things get a little out of hand. The security firm are effectively a private army with tanks and attack choppers but the remaining population are fairly well armed themselves. You’ll find yourself driving in the middle of this war and you’ll get caught in the cross fire. And some of the people will get caught in your path too. You can be whizzing past (or right through) a group or people as they launch a rocket at the helicopter, your vehicle will take the bullets fired in return and at times the security firm will turn their attentions to the racers. It doesn’t add anything to the racing as such but it does make for another interest distraction and it can be especially distracting when you have a victim of your racing path still clinging onto your vehicle.
Each race is a packed event but it doesn’t stop there. The island is fragile and the forces of nature haven’t stopped yet and the tracks radically alter as you race. Buildings collapse, roads and bridges collapse, a train comes flying off the tracks and runs along side you (if you’re lucky enough not to be in its path), a helicopter launches missiles in your direction, a ferris wheel rolls into your path. It is all scripted, all very Hollywood summer blockbuster like but it works wonderfully and often the track is unrecognisable by the final lap which adds an initial curve to learning the tracks. It is spectacular at times and simply has to be seen, words will not do it justice. The first time you drive past the tornado with wild waters, debris flying all around and boats being thrown onto the beach you will quickly realise you are in one of the most unforgettable races in gaming.
As the major events happen in each race you will be prompted to press the square button to focus on the incident. This temporarily slows down the action to let you watch what is going on and it pays to take note as you are not being shown this for fun, it’s about to have an impact on where you are headed at breakneck speed. The little QTE event feels like an unwelcome intrusion to the frantic racing but the incidents are worth seeing and you can also ignore the prompt if you want. You won’t find a dull lap anywhere, the designers have done a great job and even after you have seen the track changing moments they still don’t lose their appeal.
The final race of each difficulty category involves escaping from island. The earthquake activity up till now has only been the starter, the main course is about to be served and the motorstormers know it is best to evacuate. The final races are simple a race against time as the surrounding area collapses all around you and it makes for a tense finale to each category.
Online, the game borrows ideas from the first person shooters and it is all the better for it. There is a perk system to allow you to choose and earn some extra benefits. There are all manner of accolades and medals to earn which means that you can still increase your ranking points regardless of where you finish. It certainly helps maintain the interest if you are not capable of challenging for first place and there are parts to be unlocked for each vehicle to help you create your own unique rides. It is a lot deeper than any of the equivalent modes in the other Motorstorm modes and being able to earn rewards no matter where you finish is a welcome addition to those not good enough to compete... and no, I don’t mean people like me. I’ll have you know I’m at rank 10 and I’ve finished 2nd. Once.
A simple but highly effective touch to the online racing is the betting system. You can choose another player to bet against which creates a race within a race. Beat your rival to win the bet and earn more points which you can gamble for multipliers. Suddenly you don’t care that you are in 12th place, all you care about is that your rival is in 13th.
The game supports 3D and I’ve never wanted to play a game in 3D as much as this, I can only dream of how much it could add to the spectacle.
I’m a bit of a Motorstorm fan and I’ve found this game to be one of the most jaw dropping games of this generation, it really is a game which has to be experienced. But if you have never liked the way Motorstorm plays then this won’t change your mind, underneath all of the spectacle it handles and plays the same as the others. It comes with the same frustrations, particularly when the difficulty is upped and losing the ability to choose a vehicle can result in some unnecessary frustration if you are not adept with all vehicles. I think it is great though.
It’s hard to imagine where the series goes from here. I can’t help but think that this is a fitting end.
9
The setting of the latest Motorstorm festival is an island which has been hit hard by an earthquake. Mother Nature hasn’t quite finished yet, the residents move out and the motorstormers move in. And there is the small matter of a war going on. It is safe to say, this is not exactly Gran Turismo.
If you have played any of the previous Motorstorm games then you know exactly what to expect from the racing, it’s all about getting to the finishing line first no matter how, gentlemanly conduct is swiftly rammed out of the way. The racing can be chaotic at the best of times but it is amplified in the latest game in the series.
The vehicle classes from Pacific Rift return and bring with them 2 new bike classes and 3 new car classes. Each vehicle class has its strengths and weaknesses, not only in terms of performance and handling but also with regard to the terrain it is most suited to. The motorbikes are fast, handle well but are best suited to the roads. The monster trucks on the other hand are not quite so fast but they can handle any terrain with ease. Of course, the monster trucks also have the advantage that they can just drive over the smaller vehicles rather than waste time and effort going round them.
Each vehicle comes with a boosting capability for some extra speed. Boosting heats the engine and if the engine overheats your vehicle will explode therefore efficient use of the boost is essential. And boost exploding is still the only way to cross the finishing line in Motorstorm. The boost can also be used to execute a ram manoeuvre, no harm in giving an opponent a gentle nudge towards an obstacle as you pass.
The racing is now split into 3 categories of difficulty rather than a list of races to progress through but the biggest change of all is the story. Alarm bells should be ringing for any Motorstorm fan right about now. The story is told using comic book style images with limited animation and after the initial horror, I find myself appreciating the presentation and warming to them a little. But I never want to see them in a Motorstorm game again.
The story scenes will introduce you to the racers and cover their visit to the island in a behind the scenes documentary fashion. Many of the characters are irritating with huge egos, their adoring woman come with chest sizes to match the egos and all are fairly forgettable. You play a different character in each of the difficulty categories and you’ll be viewing the story from the perspective of the racer you control. It adds absolutely nothing to the racing and thankfully you can forget all about the story when you race.
One of the first things you will probably notice with Apocalypse is that you can no longer choose your vehicle, there is a set vehicle allocated for each race. It seems like a backwards step in a sense and more peculiar given that there are even more vehicle classes on offer. For the first time in Motorstorm you will have to be proficient with all vehicles to progress to the end.
Apocalypse comes with more tracks and variations than any of the other games in the series and the designers have done a fantastic job, there isn’t a dull track among them. The scale of devastation in each location is immense and you’ll find yourself distracted by the scenery rather than concentrating on the race. Few games convey a sense of devastation on this scale, it is simply stunning at times.
The variation in locations is also impressive. You will find yourself racing through the underground train tunnels, racing along the roads and bridges, racing through residential streets, racing on the beach, racing through the fairground, racing through deserted offices and racing along the roof tops. And you will be visiting several of these locations during a single race. Each track has multiple routes to explore and exploit to your advantage. The tracks are littered with obstacles from the devastation and you really do need an extra layer of concentration to what was required in the previous games in the series. At times it seems a little far-fetched but this is an arcade race and who cares about realism when it is this stunning?
I touched on a war earlier and the island is home to a running confrontation. A private security firm have been tasked with extracting the last of the population but these people have no interest in leaving and things get a little out of hand. The security firm are effectively a private army with tanks and attack choppers but the remaining population are fairly well armed themselves. You’ll find yourself driving in the middle of this war and you’ll get caught in the cross fire. And some of the people will get caught in your path too. You can be whizzing past (or right through) a group or people as they launch a rocket at the helicopter, your vehicle will take the bullets fired in return and at times the security firm will turn their attentions to the racers. It doesn’t add anything to the racing as such but it does make for another interest distraction and it can be especially distracting when you have a victim of your racing path still clinging onto your vehicle.
Each race is a packed event but it doesn’t stop there. The island is fragile and the forces of nature haven’t stopped yet and the tracks radically alter as you race. Buildings collapse, roads and bridges collapse, a train comes flying off the tracks and runs along side you (if you’re lucky enough not to be in its path), a helicopter launches missiles in your direction, a ferris wheel rolls into your path. It is all scripted, all very Hollywood summer blockbuster like but it works wonderfully and often the track is unrecognisable by the final lap which adds an initial curve to learning the tracks. It is spectacular at times and simply has to be seen, words will not do it justice. The first time you drive past the tornado with wild waters, debris flying all around and boats being thrown onto the beach you will quickly realise you are in one of the most unforgettable races in gaming.
As the major events happen in each race you will be prompted to press the square button to focus on the incident. This temporarily slows down the action to let you watch what is going on and it pays to take note as you are not being shown this for fun, it’s about to have an impact on where you are headed at breakneck speed. The little QTE event feels like an unwelcome intrusion to the frantic racing but the incidents are worth seeing and you can also ignore the prompt if you want. You won’t find a dull lap anywhere, the designers have done a great job and even after you have seen the track changing moments they still don’t lose their appeal.
The final race of each difficulty category involves escaping from island. The earthquake activity up till now has only been the starter, the main course is about to be served and the motorstormers know it is best to evacuate. The final races are simple a race against time as the surrounding area collapses all around you and it makes for a tense finale to each category.
Online, the game borrows ideas from the first person shooters and it is all the better for it. There is a perk system to allow you to choose and earn some extra benefits. There are all manner of accolades and medals to earn which means that you can still increase your ranking points regardless of where you finish. It certainly helps maintain the interest if you are not capable of challenging for first place and there are parts to be unlocked for each vehicle to help you create your own unique rides. It is a lot deeper than any of the equivalent modes in the other Motorstorm modes and being able to earn rewards no matter where you finish is a welcome addition to those not good enough to compete... and no, I don’t mean people like me. I’ll have you know I’m at rank 10 and I’ve finished 2nd. Once.
A simple but highly effective touch to the online racing is the betting system. You can choose another player to bet against which creates a race within a race. Beat your rival to win the bet and earn more points which you can gamble for multipliers. Suddenly you don’t care that you are in 12th place, all you care about is that your rival is in 13th.
The game supports 3D and I’ve never wanted to play a game in 3D as much as this, I can only dream of how much it could add to the spectacle.
I’m a bit of a Motorstorm fan and I’ve found this game to be one of the most jaw dropping games of this generation, it really is a game which has to be experienced. But if you have never liked the way Motorstorm plays then this won’t change your mind, underneath all of the spectacle it handles and plays the same as the others. It comes with the same frustrations, particularly when the difficulty is upped and losing the ability to choose a vehicle can result in some unnecessary frustration if you are not adept with all vehicles. I think it is great though.
It’s hard to imagine where the series goes from here. I can’t help but think that this is a fitting end.
9