02 Jan 09
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift
Platform: PS3
Price: £30
The sequel to Motorstorm moves the action from the desert to a tropical island.
Pacific Rift features 16 tracks with elemental themes - earth (jungle), air (cliffs), fire (volcanoes) and water (beaches and waterfalls). This isn't just for show: the eight types of vehicle tackle these themes in different ways. Big rigs and monster trucks, for example, can cross rivers that motorbikes can't.
So, while all competitors start and finish the race at the same place, the path taken depends on their vehicles. It's an idea that that works well and adds replay value as you try to master each course in a different vehicle. The island itself is beautifully presented and the soundtrack is suitably loud, featuring bands such as Nirvana and Queens of the Stone Age.
Pure
Pure
Platform: PS3, PC
Price: £25
If you want your off-road racing to be a bit more rad, or possibly even sick, Pure is what you're looking for. It's off-road racing using quad bikes, with the ability to do tricks thrown in for good measure.
Three types of race are offered. Race and Sprint are similar in that they are point A to point B runs, with Sprint merely being shorter. The best event, however, is Freestyle. This is where points are scored by tricking, which proves to be quite, er, tricky, but also hugely satisfying to pull off.
Your quad bikes can be highly customised, tailoring them individually to each type of race, although why you'd want to spend valuable tricking time locked in a virtual garage is beyond us.
