MotorStorm
It's the flagship European launch title and fortunately, it's every bit as lovely as your shiny new console.
Version PlayStation 3 | Developer Evolution | Publisher SCE | Genre Racing |
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By Adam Doree
Welcome to MotorStorm - a fantastic, beautiful game that's only really let down by a basic singleplayer experience that ends rather quickly. Racing online against your friends is certainly the best way to enjoy the game, and the feature that offers most longevity, although its formula could offer greater depth. But it would be tough to improve the core fun value either online or offline, and for this reason, MotorStorm is a game that every PS3 owner needs to check out.
It's important to remember that we're reviewing MotorStorm as a newly released title costing around <% If CountryName = "UK" then %>£40<% else %>$60<% end if %> on the PS3, not the PS3 itself. And since many gamers will want to pick up MotorStorm as their first PS3 game, it's easy to confuse the costly purchase of the PS3 experience with its first wave of games - but whatever those overall feelings are, we're talking about MotorStorm in its own right here.
"In terms of single-player, it's a lot of fun while it lasts, but once finished there's little to tempt you back."
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It's not the fastest racing experience you can find either, even among the first wave of PS3 games, but it's certainly the most enjoyable. Full-on environment, vehicle, driver and crash physics add an unprecedented feeling of depth to the gameplay; as you bounce around the wildly undulating terrain in a buggy, go flying off your bike into a rocky wall, or smash through anything in your way in a truck, this is pure fun as you fight to keep control of the race and master each track.
If you clip a small bit of tyre on the edge of an imposing rock, get ready for a rough landing after a brilliant crash - you'll never just bump off a wall and carry on. Hit some barrels left laying around in the vast, object-rich environment, and it will tear down the track for hundreds of metres - and the rag doll driver animation is superb to watch, especially in slow motion as you're thrown into a cliff before your own bike lands and crushes back on top of you.
So the crashes are just plain awesome, and although the respawn delay is relatively lenient, you're bound to lose a few places in the race. This is the core action you'll enjoy in MotorStorm, and it's often spellbinding stuff.
In terms of the singleplayer game, it's a lot of fun while it lasts, but once you've completed it there's little to tempt you back, especially with the fun you'll be having in the online mode.
There are 21 singleplayer 'tickets' to play through in total, and as you accumulate points and gold medals, you unlock more tickets and vehicles. Each ticket is made up of between one and four tracks. Tickets get progressively more challenging, and there's some nice event variety too - like the manic, unpredictable all-bike battle just for starters.
Video Coverage (Latest Videos & Video FAQ) | |||
PLEASE DO NOT DIRECT LINK TO ANY MEDIA FILE ON KIKIZO | |||
Description | Dur. | Size | Details |
MotorStorm Trailer, HD Quality |
1:20 | 45MB | DF, HD, 16:9 1280x720p30 8Mbps |
MotorStorm Trailer, SD |
1:20 | 9MB | DF, SD, 16:9 640x360p30 2Mbps |
MotorStorm GC2006 Trailer, HD Quality |
1:08 | 50MB | DF, HD, 16:9 1280x720p30 7.0Mbps |
MotorStorm HD In-Game Engine Trailer (HD quality) |
1:08 | 57MB | DF, SD, 16:9 1280x720p30 8Mbps |
MotorStorm E3 2005 Trailer SD |
1.31m | 34MB | DF, SD, 60 640x480 3.5Mbps |
MotorStorm E3 2005 Trailer ED, CAM with DFA alt |
1.24m | 29MB | CAM, ED, 60 720x576 3Mbps |
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