MotorStorm
Finally setting the stage for the ultimate Big Rig vs Tiny Motorcycle fight.
Tags: MotorStorm Categories: PS3 Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Michael Hanning on Mar 19th, 2007
| Title | Players | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| MotorStorm (title page) | 1 - 4 | ||
| Developer | Publisher | Genre | Online |
| Racing | No | ||
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The last PS3 racing game that I reviewed, Formula One: Chamionship Edition, was an extreme in one direction that racing games could take. Concerned with realism to the utmost degree, extensive in its simulation, it could almost be described as a clinical racer; ideal for the man who wants nothing less than absolute realism. Motorstorm comes as F1’s polar opposite in almost every way, a carefree physics-be-damned racer that doesn’t even bother giving you a speedometer. Presumably it would just be the words “FAST” and “REALLY FAST” scrawled in magic marker anyway.
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Motorstorm takes place around a racing festival in Monument Valley where eight courses have been set up and anything goes as far as vehicle types. Everything from 18-wheel trucks to motorcycles represent and it’s a credit to the game that no one vehicle is obviously superior to the others. Bigger vehicles are slower but more stable, where smaller vehicles are quicker but easily wreck or spin out of control. There are even multiple paths to take on every track depending on your vehicle class and personal skill, adding new layers of depth so that the limited number of tracks isn’t as much a hindrance.
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You unlock track by track according to racing tickets – placing on one ticket earns you the next race on the same ticket, doing well on each of these races earns you points to move on to the next ticket. It’s just linear enough to make sense, though an unnecessary complication to what is more or less a straightforward affair of unlocking one race at a time. Whatever makes it feel like we have more choice, I guess.
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Graphically the game is nothing short of amazing. Every course has been rendered in exquisite detail as far as the eye can see, tire tracks are left in the mud and the framerate is flawless. If you’re looking for a game to show off that new plasma screen this is definitely one of the PS3’s heavy hitters. Combine this with rock-solid sound design and a soundtrack full of popular rock bands and you’ve got a tour de force for your home theater. The only drawback here are brutal load times – the visuals come at the cost of long waits, especially when you’re choosing your vehicle. It’s not a dealbreaker, but certainly takes the wind out of your sails when you’re looking for a shot of speedy adrenaline.
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Even the prettiest game still needs to be fun to play, and that’s where things start to get complicated for Motorstorm. When the game works, it works – the cars handle well, the camera seldom gets in the way and when you’re neck and neck with your fellow racers there’s nothing in the world like it. Where the game becomes frustrating is its absolutely merciless attitude towards even the slightest of slip-ups. The crashes are spectacular and look awesome, but knock you so far behind it’s impossible sometimes to take back your position. I lost track of the number of times that I was in first place until a slight bump or a nudge from a racer in second sent me spiraling back to languor in last place. If you don’t finish in the top three you don’t unlock anything, so that kind of setback in the final seconds of the race is especially frustrating. At least when you’re racing other humans online (up to a dozen) you’re not the only one struggling with this.
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Motorstorm may appear to lack a bit on the surface, but offers a surprising amount of depth once you dig in. With multiple paths for every track and the wildly varying strategies necessary for seven different vehicles it offers a lot for the dedicated racer, but the simple pick up and play mechanics and high-speed fun make it a great choice for the casual gamer as well. If you own a PS3 and like racing games at all this one is a must-have.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
+ Great racing action + A surprising amount of depth, but simple controls won't scare anyone away + Looks absolutely stunning |
9.0 |
| What Doesn't | |
|
- Load times are a hassle. - Absolutely merciless when you make a mistake |
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| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| Motorstorm might be the first truly essential racer for the PS3. It offers something for everyone and is almost infinitely replayable, definately some of the most fun the system has seen. | |
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Tags: MotorStorm
Posted by Michael Hanning on Mar 19th, 2007 and is filed under PS3 Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
