Brutal off-road racing in an urban metropolis
Format: PS3 Dev: Evolution Studios Pub: Sony Out: 31/03/11 Players: 1-4, 2-16 online
About five minutes into MotorStorm Apocalypse you realise you can’t put this and Gran Turismo in the same sentence. MotorStorm Apocalypse is highly visceral adrenaline rush of a game that throws realism out the window for the sake of fun, and isn’t that what video games are about?
Races are chaotic and very much every man for himself. The shunt feature, introduced in Pacific Rift, allows you to boost to the side to try and knock an opponent off or even force them into an oncoming wall. This isn’t great news for those who only like to ride on the bikes, but it really adds to the experience.
Vehicles are all controlled excellently and are well balanced to allow for a races that give every vehicle class a individual edge. The trade-off between speed and risk works great and before each race you’ll find yourself debating which route to go down, is it worth using the bikes for speed even though they’re a lot easier to wreck?
The highly destructible, ever-changing environments are what takes MotorStorm Apocalypse from being a good game to a great game. This time races take place in a city that being torn apart by frequent earthquakes. Tracks are filled with rubble and flying debris and are a constant struggle to get through, you’ll be competing against these as much as other racers. Buildings collapse around you to create conveniently placed jumps and there’s never one clear route to take, giving you a range of possibilities on each lap. Just like everything else in this game, the environments look great, really great.
The ins and outs of the game are presented in a fun, but pretty forgettable story mode. Developer Evolution Studios hasn’t tried to shove an awkwardly detailed story down your throat and I appreciate it – they know people play these games for the racing and they deliver. What will keep you coming back for more are the great offline and online multiplayer modes. You’re given a few different game modes to toy around with, such as elimination, but all you really need are standard races. The thrill of competing against other racers around the world kept me hooked for hours. That, coupled with intuitive, easy-to-use online lobbies makes MotorStorm Apocalypse one of the best online racing experiences so far this year.
There’s no pretence or convolution in MotorStorm Apocolypse, just plain fun. Here’s a game that doesn’t pull its punches when it comes to thrills creating the definitive arcade racing experience.
Dan Key
Tags: driving, motorstorm, racing, sony
