MotorStorm

Written by Adam Woolcott  on March 19, 2007

Review: Time to play in the mud, piggies!

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Evolution Studios is not a well-known developer on our side of the Atlantic, thus it's possible to assume that MotorStorm, its initial PlayStation 3 effort, would be sub-par based upon its apparently non-existent pedigree. Those in the know, however, know of said pedigree with the well-received and best-selling World Rally Championship games for PS2 in Europe; one of them even made it Stateside in 2002, published by the now-defunct BAM! Entertainment. As one of the more ballyhooed launch-window titles, no doubt placed under that microscope due to its infamous E3 2005 debut, MotorStorm has a lot to prove, namely pumping out next-generation graphics that compare to the Сtarget footage' originally presented, and giving PS3 owners an intense, immersive off-road racing experience. Does it? For the most part, yes, and MotorStorm does prove that PS3 has a future of technological achievements if it's allowed to reach its potential in the face of its recent price point plight. It might be a tad short on features (for now), but for a showpiece for the most expensive game console around, it succeeds.

Though it's not obvious, MotorStorm has a sort of universe to it, based in Monument Valley. Based on the real-life locale, there's a strange sort of taboo feeling to it all, with loud rock music - the soundtrack has numerous original songs that are Сremixed' with a loud, screaming crowd to make it feel as if they're there as part of the event, though I'm curious as to how they revived Kurt Cobain for Nirvana's turn at the microphone. The game never wastes time in creating a story or anything; it just presents itself as a Festival where race fans get together, party, rock out, and watch crazy people drive wacky vehicles in a manner that can only be described as death-defying. It's almost like NASCAR, just without pavement and more right turns than left. It's a sort of minimalist game design that doesn't throw anything in your face, and everyone can get the general idea of what's going on without it being obvious. It matters little in the long run, but it's something interesting to note.

The limited play modes mentioned at the outset isn't an exaggeration either Ц you get a series of single player СTickets' and online multiplayer. As of now, that's it. No single races, no time trials, no split-screen MPЕjust two modes of play. Supposedly more are coming to the PS Store, but that in and of itself raises controversy with microtransactions. Solo gamers do at least get a lengthy series of Tickets, which place you on one of eight tracks and typically locks you into one of an equal amount of classes, from dirt bikes to an ATV, a traditional rally car, even a huge big rig, all of which offer a unique series of strengths and weaknesses when approaching a course. Online play is pretty basic, but it works and is relatively lag-free and offers voice chat support, which is really all Sony needs to make their online initiative a success in the face of Xbox Live. What's missing is the ability to post lap times on the Network for some leaderboard fun Ц a frequently overlooked but entertaining diversion for those not into playing other people head to head and just want to compare times, like Ridge Racer 7 does.

What MotorStorm lacks in its feature set it makes up in brutal, challenging gameplay, where both opponents and the course itself are equal enemies. With 21 total Tickets in single player, each offering up to 4 races, there's plenty of progression, especially in challenge. The level 1 Tickets are occasionally challenging but rarely impossible, and level 2 Tickets are much the same. Moving to level 3 though, is where the game decides to destroy you with reckless abandonЕand don't even think level 4 will let you off easy. By this time, it's not only the strange nuances of the tracks, like randomly placed rocks that can screw up the smaller vehicles, or mud that slows some of them down, that give you fits, it'll also be the insane AI looking to not only win, but crush your very soul at the same time. It's a bit cheap Ц no way a big rig can keep up with a rally car, especially when you use boost, and it seems they're always on your tail no matter how capable you are or how well you've mastered the course. But what else is new when dealing with an arcade-style racer? It works both ways anyway, as it's almost impossible to actually be out of a race, the AI will compensate for you to make up for a mistake, and they make many mistakes themselves, a rare happening in a racer.

Though the depth is shallow, what's not is the intricate, varied way each vehicle class handles. 8 tracks isn't a lot, but at the same time, each class handles the tracks differently (mostly) so strategy is deeply involved in order to win. For instance, rally cars are extremely fast, but can't handle uneven terrain or mud, which makes you find high ground that's fairly straight and narrow to win most of the time. On the other hand, big rigs aren't very fast, but because of their size, it's possible to slam into pretty much any moveable object (including smaller opponents, which is basically anyone not driving a big rig) and drive in muddy terrain without a problem, thus winning with brawn rather than speed. There's plenty of combinations inbetween, making it interesting to figure out what path works best when you're pigeonholed into a certain class, which happens more often than not. There's certainly a learning curve here Ц the controls are great, even the Sixaxis motion sensing works well, but there's an amazing amount of concentration required to perform well because the courses keep you on your toes. Combined with the crazy AI, you get one intense experience. This is really where a time trial would be welcome Ц having the ability to scout a track without opposition would make it easier to figure out the best paths.

MotorStorm is one of the few games that truly is aided by its visual presentation, in numerous ways. There are obvious things, like the random rocks and pebbles that can screw up the more Сprissy' vehicles, and the lack of slowdown when you get a half-dozen cars on the screen at once, and various weather effects that pop up during the Tickets. Most importantly, the mud effects that cover the screen occasionally serve as a rear-view window of sorts, making it easy to judge how far ahead you are. Sure it's possible to quickly press in the right analog stick to get a view, but when the screen gets dirty, you know someone is on your six. It's got only one real hassle though; on darker courses, it's sometimes impossible to see what's going on when the mud covers the TV, leading to some mistakes that seem unavoidable unless you have a complete mastery of the course. But my word, MotorStorm is quite a looker, and one of those titles that prove PS3 has a lot to offer in the coming years. For a Сlaunch' game, it does its job well.