MotorStorm's the PS3 launch title everyone's been talking about. The aim is to give the racing genre a much needed shake up by offering a Mad Max meets Colin McRae style rally.
The environments are all Grand Canyon-esque off road and the vehicles are bikes, buggies and trucks. After a flood of ‘realistic’ titles, we’re glad to see a racer that’s more about excitement than mirror, clutch, manoeuvre.
There’s a lot riding – excuse the pun – on MotorStorm. It’s the PS3 poster boy, so has to deliver the kind of buzz the pre-release videos hinted at.
They say:
1UP: “The online mode was truly MotorStorm’s best quality and more than anything else provides a tantalizing glimpse of the future of this franchise.”
IGN: “The variety in vehicle types is great, the track designs are awesome and the online is extremely fun. We simply cannot wait for a sequel.”
We say:
For those eager to get straight on the track, you’re in luck. MotorStorm has no tacked on storyline to speak of, so thankfully all you have to do is choose your vehicle and get racing.
The vehicles range from monster trucks to tiny motorbikes and each has its own set of defined physics. Bikes, obviously, let you slip down the inside of fellow racers, while trucks can just barge straight through.
The vehicle you choose determines the route you take. Only the bikes can reach the highest and most perilous parts of the course, so forget choosing a truck every time and flattening the opposition.
MotorStorm’s not easy by any means. Your early races will be characterised by crashes, spins and last place finishes as you get to grips with the bouncy physics. Don’t expect your PS3 controlled opponents to make things easy for you either. Other racers aren’t just programmed to win, but to ram you at every opportunity.
OK, so we’ll hold our hands up. We ended up in the dirt a lot. It wasn’t down to a rival’s good luck either – they’d obviously thought about the best way to send us packing. We’ve rarely seen such subtle AI in a racing game and hope that this is a sign of great things to come.
MotorStorm’s controls are basic and that’s just how we like it. Aside from steering, all you have to play with is accelerate, brake and boost. You’ll find yourself boosting a lot as it’s hard to pass an opponent on these tight tracks otherwise, but use it too much and your vehicle will explode.
Taking a corner too fast won’t just give you a dent either – you’re more likely to smash into a thousand pieces and have to restart near the back. It sounds harsh, but death or glory is way better than trundling in last with a dodgy gear stick.
Expect your jaw to regularly hit the floor by the way. Motorstorm is a seriously good looking game. The PS3’s hefty power has been put to great use here with cars splintering into pieces and mud flying everywhere.
We haven’t even got started on the online options yet. Sony seems to taking online seriously – finally – and MotorStorm doesn’t disappoint. Despite the enormous amount going on, the online game is as smooth as the single player.
Sony’s got a podium finish with MotorStorm, no problem. Time to open whatever booze off roaders celebrate with. Tennants Extra anyone?
FORMAT REVIEWED
PS3
OTHER FORMATS
None
POSTED...
Fri 6 Apr 2007 at 6:30pm
