This review was written by member Libea Bramburti – thanks Libea!

I’ve always had a soft spot for the first Motorstorm as it was probably the only thing worth buying when the PS3 launched. It was a fun, pretty and compelling little game which worked well with the Sixaxis pad. It also showed what the PS3 could do if not constrained by cross-platform programming. I admit to being a little worried when Evolution Studios announced Motorstorm Pacific Rift. The original was a simple, easy to play title and follow-ups usually come with more functions and combinations of fiddly button pushing. I needn’t have worried; Pacific Rift is the same but better.

I’m pleased that Evolution named it Pacific Rift rather than Motorstorm 2 as the description is more accurate. It is, by and large, precisely the same game and not a total remake. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it! This genre is a growing one and with games such as Disney’s Pure (which is a fiddly cocking-button-fest) I can only be impressed that there hasn’t been a knee-jerk reaction of adding more and more button combos that, say, make your rider hang off the bike or summersault or break wind in an amusing manner.

As the title suggests, the main change is the scenery and the addition of a larger selection of tracks to smash round. And by god the designers have had fun with this one. Courses vary hugely taking in abandoned sugar plantations, beautifully rendered beaches, volcanoes and even an immense waterfall meaning it’s never dull. Within each track are countless different routes to suit the differing vehicle types (such as the brutal new Monster trucks) and finding a suitable route is key to getting the podium positions. It is, however, grin-inducing to try to get a monster truck up a tiny track crushing bikers as you go.

Everything in the game adds to the tropical feeling and the design of the buildings, foliage and tracks add seamlessly to the atmosphere. The textures used are also works of art with fantastic water, fire and mud effects as well as such things as rusting tin roofs and faded paint. The vehicles themselves have been meticulously modelled showing all the workings of the suspension, brakes and engines which are all detachable. This makes crashing a perverse pleasure which is never the same twice.

The other improvement is the new race types. Both eliminator and speed events (think checkpoints) have been done a thousand times before, but still mix it up a bit and they work well in the Motorstorm environment.

The boost mechanics have had a polish as well meaning that the boost bar climbs more rapidly when near fire, whilst driving through rivers and pools cools it quicker. It’s a nice touch and lends some strategy to your routes.

The final and most important change is the inclusion of split-screen multiplayer for up to four players which is fun if you’ve got some mates round (and was the only multiplayer I could use as the Sony servers seemed to be having a touch of the gremlins).

However, a few of the niggles from the old game do mar things a little. First up is that the bikes and quads still handle poorly at low speeds meaning you start off weaving like a drunken Hells Angel until you get enough speed to smooth things out again. Also, some invisible walls seem to spring up meaning that crashes are occasionally completely unfounded. I ought to point out that this is a very rare occurrence.

To sum up though, Motorstorm Pacific Rift is a worthy follow up. There’s enough new stuff to make the price justifiable and it addresses the failings of it predecessor in true style. If you liked the first one, then buy Pacific Rift as it doesn’t disappoint.

88%

8-D
• Beautifully designed new tracks, vehicles and race types.
• Improved visuals and sound. Decent sound track. Lots to keep you busy.
• Trophies aren’t too easy. Split screen mode. Crash and
• Ragdoll physics still hilarious.

>:-(
• Bike and quad handling still frustrating.
• Some uncalled-for crashes.
• Online gremlins.