When the PS3 was launched, it started that age-old school tiffle taffle about which console people were going to get. By this time I already had a Wii, but most people’s attentions were drawn towards the successor to the highly successful PlayStation 2. When the launch games were first revealed, I got the distinct impression that it was all the same and that despite the consoles extreme power, nothing would live up to it, and none of them had me interested in the least bit, except for one, the one that everyone had an eye on as it was the only game that as yet showed what the new console was capable of, that game being MotorStorm. While at the time I did not want a PS3, I did want to play MotorStorm, and I did, at a branch of Curry’s. A couple of years or so later, a sequel game was Launched in the form of MotorStorm: Pacific Rift. About less than a year or so later, I bought my PS3 and about a month later, got MotorStorm: Pacific Rift.
MotorStorm Pacific Rift (produced by British Studio Evolution Studios) in Essence is a Racing game, but is different than any other. The game’s setting follows on from the previous game where an annual motor rock festival takes place and drivers from all around the world come to celebrate. You play one of these drivers as you race across the landscape in a variety of vehicles on a variety of courses. The gameplay is different to that of other racing games as others such as Gran Turismo, Project Gotham Racing, Need For Speed or Forza Motorsport usually take place in a city or on a track in a stadium. In MotorStorm the racing takes place on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean, an island with many hazards including, abandoned buildings, volcanoes, rivers and trees. So as the player is racing on this island, he has several different elements to look out for and avoid, but it’s not as easy as that.
There are 8 vehicle classes to choose from when in a race. Motor Bikes, ATV’s, Buggies, Rally Cars, Racing Trucks, Mud Pluggers, Big Rigs and Monster Trucks. While it is technically possible to use your vehicle anywhere on the course, different vehicles prefer different areas of the track, and there are usually 3 type areas that most vehicles prefer. The lower areas such as large amounts of water and mud suit the bigger vehicles such as Big Rigs and Monster Trucks while the higher areas of the course such as hard ground and less room between obstacles suit the smaller vehicles such as Bikes, ATVs and Buggies, while the areas in between those are more suited for vehicles that need fewer obstacles so they can go faster such as Rally Cars, Racing Trucks and Mud Pluggers.
Each vehicle has other particular strengths and weaknesses. Smaller vehicles are very fast, but are very easily bullied by vehicles such as Monster Trucks (And also, ATV and Bike Drivers can punch each other off their vehicles). Rally Car’s are also very fast, if not the fastest cars, but are very fragile and if they took a hit, it would be game over pretty much for them (If it wasn’t for the re-spawn tool in the game where your car magically is restored and can continue in the race). Racing Trucks are possibly the best all-rounder, strong body so it can take a beating, but is also very nippy. Big Rigs and Monster Trucks meanwhile are pretty much unstoppable, while not being the fastest vehicles on the circuit, nothing gets in their way and can easily, just run over the competition.
Tactics in racing is always important and in Pacific Rift, it’s the same. You need to know what land is best for the vehicle you have chosen, but you need to remember a few other things also. You get a nitrous booster on your vehicle allowing you to speed up, but if you use it too much, you will blow up. If you are on a course with a lot of lava, the booster will heat up quicker and you could blow up sooner, or if not watching the road clearly, accidently drive into the lava, don’t worry, you’ll re-spawn (But I can not help think that there must be some cloning conspiracy behind this whole festival). If you drive through water though, you can cool yourself down, and the boost will last longer, however it is not advisable that you drive through water if you are a bike or ATV (please do so if you want to, but you won’t win the race).
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift is amazing fun. It is great to play a racing game that does something different. Instead of being on a track it is in the wild or in the middle of a lava flow or torrential river. Instead of being tied down to certain classes (at least not for the most part) you can choose a whole load of vehicles. You can drive really fast and dodge all others, or you can just drive right up and over them. It’s also a great multiplayer experience as you don’t need all that skill to play it, compared to other racing franchises. Much like ModNation Racers and Mario Kart, MotorStorm is very easy to pick up and play. Give it a go, its brilliant fun.
GENEPOOL
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