Cars, motorcycles, monster trucks and more all race together through improvised tracks in an abandoned city destroyed by an earthquake, in the fourth instalment in the MotorStorm series.
REMINDING YOU THAT THE EVENTUAL APOCALYPSE WILL BE RATHER DESTRUCTIVE!
The original Motorstorm was an highlight in the early days of the Playstation 3's life, providing gamers with both a visual treat, and an action packed arcade racing experience like no other. From it's multi-layered take on varied race classes that helped form a different method of track design, to it's stunning visual presentation. It's easy to see why that original Motorstorm game became one of the best selling launch titles in North America and Europe, showing off the capable power of Sony's newest console. But now in it's third iteration, one must question if Motorstorm's thrills still hold up in an Apocalyptic world.
Obviously Motorstorm: Apocalypse's most interesting addition is the event itself, meaning the destructive and violent end of the world. Taking place in a large urban city, for which organisers of the Motorstorm event have carefully put together courses that both challenge you as a racer and your sanity, you are a witness to all sorts of destruction. From massive skyscraper buildings collapsing right in front of your eyes, to tornadoes and earthquakes ripping up parts of the race track. The apocalypse plays a staring role, and for good reason as it's comfortably one of the most stunning features of the game. But it's not just mother nature you need to worry about, as citizens and military organizations fight throughout the city to cause yet more unpredictability. You've been warned!
Missile firing helicopters are the least of your worries in Motorstorm: Apocalypse.
Developers Evolution Studios must have been tempted to go crazy with this premise, though thankfully Motorstorm: Apocalypse is still very much about the racing and how each class of vehicle feels. Which is unfortunately the first road block for Apocalypse. Five new vehicle classes make their debut in addition to the already impressive car selection on offer, these include super bikes, muscle cars and more. While most handle efficiently and reasonably honest in an arcade sense, some feel unruly and simply handicapped for the sake of needing to feel different. It all makes choosing the right vehicle class for each track of the up most important.
The tracks in Motorstorm: Apocalypse take place throughout parts of the urban city and offer a variety of challenges to each and every vehicle. Dirt and water still play a large part of your strategic race plans as you boost down neighbourhood settings or over bridges on the verge of collapse. Fire to can affect your vehicles overheating concerns as you race through burning buildings or get attacked by crazed citizens throwing Molotov cocktails at you. Knowing when and where to use your boost still plays an important part in a Motorstorm race. Track design is for the most part great, Skyline is in particular one of the greatest arcade tracks in recent memory as you and sixteen other racers speed, jump and barely survive a race over the tops of skyscrapers, which continue to collapse around you, it's simply epic.
Festival mode returns with it's own animated story, which does a reasonably job of connecting the experience together. These animated shorts aren't anything special, but have their charming moments. Other then that not a great deal as changed with festival mode since the previous Motorstorm game, which was of disappointment. Sixteen player online play is present and will be where most gamers spend their time. My experience online was smooth and enjoyable, though it was frustrating that in the hours spent playing multiplayer, not once did a single race fill up entirely with an eleven player race the most I witnessed. A unique betting system is of interest in the multiplayer, and you can level and unlock extra vehicle, racers and parts as you level up. Overall online all to familiar but still a total blast from time to time.
Skyline is a real highlight when it comes to the tracks on offer. Visually Motorstorm: Apocalypse is a stunner, the end of the world as never looked this good. When one considers the amount of destructive action on screen, and the fact that it supports sixteen racers at once, it's amazing that there are so few frame rate drops. Tracks provide moments that will leave you speechless, matched by splendid sound that will leave your speakers rocking. But while it's all to easy to fall for all the pretty lights and colours, I couldn't help but feel that this is still very much a Motorstorm game. The destruction and unique race tracks don't hide an ageing arcade racer that needs more then a collapsing bridge to keep it fresh and gamers interested.
It's still a fun racer, and one of the best on the Playstation 3. But the same odd physics issues found in the original Motorstorm game back in 2007 are all to present, the lack of exciting or innovative new modes is disappointing and the harsh realisation that while other arcade racers have developed with each instalment, Motorstorm feels like it's still stuck exactly where it was upon it's inception. There's certainly a future for the franchise, and some gamers will more then get their moneys worth out of it. But Evolution Studios need to develop the series in a more worthwhile manner then just a simple location change or a destructive setting. If your a fan and know what to expect, than you'll be pleased with Motorstorm: Apocalypse though a rent is recommended for those on the fence.
SCORE: 3 STARS OUT OF 5.
Thanks for Reading, and Keep Gaming! Follow me on Twitter: JosephBayliss
REMINDING YOU THAT THE EVENTUAL APOCALYPSE WILL BE RATHER DESTRUCTIVE!
The original Motorstorm was an highlight in the early days of the Playstation 3's life, providing gamers with both a visual treat, and an action packed arcade racing experience like no other. From it's multi-layered take on varied race classes that helped form a different method of track design, to it's stunning visual presentation. It's easy to see why that original Motorstorm game became one of the best selling launch titles in North America and Europe, showing off the capable power of Sony's newest console. But now in it's third iteration, one must question if Motorstorm's thrills still hold up in an Apocalyptic world.
Obviously Motorstorm: Apocalypse's most interesting addition is the event itself, meaning the destructive and violent end of the world. Taking place in a large urban city, for which organisers of the Motorstorm event have carefully put together courses that both challenge you as a racer and your sanity, you are a witness to all sorts of destruction. From massive skyscraper buildings collapsing right in front of your eyes, to tornadoes and earthquakes ripping up parts of the race track. The apocalypse plays a staring role, and for good reason as it's comfortably one of the most stunning features of the game. But it's not just mother nature you need to worry about, as citizens and military organizations fight throughout the city to cause yet more unpredictability. You've been warned!
Missile firing helicopters are the least of your worries in Motorstorm: Apocalypse.
Developers Evolution Studios must have been tempted to go crazy with this premise, though thankfully Motorstorm: Apocalypse is still very much about the racing and how each class of vehicle feels. Which is unfortunately the first road block for Apocalypse. Five new vehicle classes make their debut in addition to the already impressive car selection on offer, these include super bikes, muscle cars and more. While most handle efficiently and reasonably honest in an arcade sense, some feel unruly and simply handicapped for the sake of needing to feel different. It all makes choosing the right vehicle class for each track of the up most important.
The tracks in Motorstorm: Apocalypse take place throughout parts of the urban city and offer a variety of challenges to each and every vehicle. Dirt and water still play a large part of your strategic race plans as you boost down neighbourhood settings or over bridges on the verge of collapse. Fire to can affect your vehicles overheating concerns as you race through burning buildings or get attacked by crazed citizens throwing Molotov cocktails at you. Knowing when and where to use your boost still plays an important part in a Motorstorm race. Track design is for the most part great, Skyline is in particular one of the greatest arcade tracks in recent memory as you and sixteen other racers speed, jump and barely survive a race over the tops of skyscrapers, which continue to collapse around you, it's simply epic.
Festival mode returns with it's own animated story, which does a reasonably job of connecting the experience together. These animated shorts aren't anything special, but have their charming moments. Other then that not a great deal as changed with festival mode since the previous Motorstorm game, which was of disappointment. Sixteen player online play is present and will be where most gamers spend their time. My experience online was smooth and enjoyable, though it was frustrating that in the hours spent playing multiplayer, not once did a single race fill up entirely with an eleven player race the most I witnessed. A unique betting system is of interest in the multiplayer, and you can level and unlock extra vehicle, racers and parts as you level up. Overall online all to familiar but still a total blast from time to time.
Skyline is a real highlight when it comes to the tracks on offer. Visually Motorstorm: Apocalypse is a stunner, the end of the world as never looked this good. When one considers the amount of destructive action on screen, and the fact that it supports sixteen racers at once, it's amazing that there are so few frame rate drops. Tracks provide moments that will leave you speechless, matched by splendid sound that will leave your speakers rocking. But while it's all to easy to fall for all the pretty lights and colours, I couldn't help but feel that this is still very much a Motorstorm game. The destruction and unique race tracks don't hide an ageing arcade racer that needs more then a collapsing bridge to keep it fresh and gamers interested.
It's still a fun racer, and one of the best on the Playstation 3. But the same odd physics issues found in the original Motorstorm game back in 2007 are all to present, the lack of exciting or innovative new modes is disappointing and the harsh realisation that while other arcade racers have developed with each instalment, Motorstorm feels like it's still stuck exactly where it was upon it's inception. There's certainly a future for the franchise, and some gamers will more then get their moneys worth out of it. But Evolution Studios need to develop the series in a more worthwhile manner then just a simple location change or a destructive setting. If your a fan and know what to expect, than you'll be pleased with Motorstorm: Apocalypse though a rent is recommended for those on the fence.
SCORE: 3 STARS OUT OF 5.
Thanks for Reading, and Keep Gaming! Follow me on Twitter: JosephBayliss
Good review. I enjoyed the demo quite a lot but the apocalyptic theme doesn't really work for me as much as the tropical one from the last game did, I'd have preferred to see the snowy/arctic theme from the PSP game done on the PS3, things did seem to get very chaotic and crazy though, there's a lot more going on in the environment than there was in the other games.
It's not my favourite racing franchise ever but it seemed a lot of fun. I'll probably pick it up when it drops in price a little.
Definitely looking forward to this, and just a shame that they (rightfully) decided to delay release on account of the Japan disaster. While playing Harms Way, the thing that kept coming to my mind is that Motorstorm needs mounted turrets the player can hop in to.
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