"A Storm is coming... MOTORSTORM!!"
MotorStorm PS3 (12+)
Reviewed by Matt Adcock
Every console should have a least one 5 star, AAA game to inspire legend and make people really want it but few ever have one to launch with… The Playstation 3 however, well it might just have got one for its Euro launch in the mud splattered shape of the ultimate off road racer MotorStorm!!
MotorStorm is an awesome experience – it taps into the ‘pure gaming spirit’ that has previously manifested itself in the original WipeOut on PS1, Grand Theft Auto III on PS2, Halo on Xbox and Zelda on the Gamecube… It’s a zeitgeist – a phenomenon - it’s a portal to utter gaming pleasure that even the most ardent fanboy from other platforms cannot help but deep down admit that they’d love it to be theirs.
I took the day off work in order to set and experience the PS3, it didn’t take long to set it up, fire it up and get online – after a preliminary browse of the Playstation Store (and a quick download of Gran Turismo HD for free) I began working my way through the launch games that I’d picked – Resistance Fall Of Man was first up, more on that later but first impressions were good. Next came Tiger Woods ’07 which was all that could have been expected of a next generation version, then came the moment which I had probably been pleasure delaying subliminally…
MotorStorm…
Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.
The opening voice over and movie sets the tone for an epic and the game itself does not disappoint. Sure it takes a few games to find your bearings but before you realise it you’re living the MotorStorm and the adrenalin is pumping through your veins. Nothing else matters, you work your way through the various vehicle options – from the light and frisky motorbikes and quads, through the rally cars and trucks, up to the ground tearing big rigs…
Welcome to MotorStorm, the world's most brutal off-road racing event where the goal is to win at all costs. Survival is the priority, real-time deforming terrain sprays in all directions… The course literally gets torn up with each passing vehicle, causing every lap to be different. You’ll marvel at the advanced particle effects as the debris splatters each vehicle – the crashes are spectacular, burning wreckage never looked so good!! I’m talking Hollywood-style crash sequences that set new standards for game visuals. Then take the race online for some of the most intense head-to-head off-road racing you’ll witness (at least until the additional content comes online in a month or so and keeps coming until MotorStorm 2 rewrites the rules again... I can’t really find words for the feeling off pulling up level with the leader – in this case a self branded Australian, landing a clean punch which knocks him sprawling from the his ride off a 700 foot drop and burning ahead to win the race… Even if you’re not online you can witness the A.I opponents simulating human traits, like showing off, attacking, taunting, and doing whatever it takes to win. A nice change from the ‘on rails’ dubious A.I. that has plagued so many racing games up until now!
Yes the PS3 is expensive, it’s late and it’s got a big lead to overhaul from the 360 and Wii but if MotorStorm is any indication of the exclusive material that PS3 owners can look forward to (and Little Big Planet, Killzone 2, Ratchet & Clank are fast approaching), I am absolutely delighted to have witnessed the future of racing… If you’ve ever enjoyed a racing game, you owe it to yourself to spend some hours in the company of the mind wrecking, motor carnage of MotorStorm which is unmatched on any platform.
'ThreeSpeach' is reporting that a time trail mode will soon be made available: "PS3 owners who play MotorStorm online will receive a new 'Time Trial Mode' automatically – you won’t even need to download this one from the PLAYSTATION Store. Take any vehicle out on the track of your choice and go hell for leather to lay down the quickest lap time. You can race against ghost vehicles of your previous efforts, other players’ times and the best attempts from the MotorStorm development team – and then upload your best times to the global online rankings. In addition, more tracks, vehicles and game modes will be available later in the month, and thereafter on a regular basis... " NICE!!
Darkmatters rating system (out of 5):
Overall öööö1/2 (have never witnessed racing action as good!)
"Vrrooommm... speed blur insanity - love it!"
"Time to get a new motor perhaps!?"
Other reviews:
GameSpy
3/16/2007
4 out of 5
80.0%
GameSpot
3/5/2007
7.9 out of 10
79.0%
IGN
4/1/2007
8 out of 10
80.0%
Worth Playing
3/18/2007
8.5 out of 10
85.0%
Yahoo! Games
3/6/2007
4.5 out of 5
90.0%
Darkmatters: H O M E
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