non-gravity

User Score
8.7

Presentation - 8.5
Gameplay - 8.5
Value - 9.0

Pacific Rift improves heavily upon its predecessor, but is it enough?

MotorStorm: Pacifc Rift is the second installment in Evolution Studios’ new MotorStorm series. The original MotorStorm was one of the PlayStation 3’s early must-have titles at the ps3’s launch. Taking place at Monument Valley the off-road action was great, but lack of game modes, tracks and long loading times prevented it from being a true pearl.

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift moves away from the dirt and is now centered on a tropical island heavily inspired by the Hawaiian Islands. There are two new game modes, a new monster truck class, 4-player split-screen, plenty of difficulties, 12-player online multiplayer, and loading times have greatly been reduced.

The driving physics and painful crashes are outstanding in Pacific Rift and believe me you’ll crash a lot. Every stone has  an impact on your vehicle and the plethora of crashes will put a smile on your face. With 8 vehicles classes: Bikes, ATVs, Buggies, Rally Cars, Racing trucks, Mud Pluggers, Big Rigs and Monster Trucks there is something for everybody. My favorite classes are the bike and monster truck classes. And my least favorite are the ATV’s as ATV’s mostly only have disadvantages on most tracks. Each vehicle has a learning curve but you will get used to each class quickly. The key to winning a race is the use of boost. Boosting will make you drive faster than your opponents but using it too much will overheat your engine which results into your vehicle exploding. This provides a great sense of strategy.

A new game play feature is the use of water and fire. Driving through water will cool down your engine thus giving you a chance to boost some extra. Fire, heat and lava on the other hand will heat up your engine and, if you’re using too much boost, will overheat you engine more quickly.

In the single-player there are 3 different game types in which your results will unlock new events, tracks, vehicles and skins. But if you need to, online every track and vehicle is unlocked for you from the start.

First there is the Race mode that any racing game features: race up to 15 opponents in 2/3 laps and be the first to cross the finish line.

The Second mode is the Speed mode: complete a set-out track in a set time without crashing too much.

And third my favorite mode, the Eliminator mode: You’ll be racing on a track and after 15 seconds or so the player that is on last place is eliminated and his vehicle will explode.

Besides this you still have a custom mode, 4-player split-screen and time-trials which require you to beat a ghost record on every single track using every single vehicle. Yet all these modes remain about driving as fast as you can within a track, so there could have been room for some different modes.

The online multiplayer has ranked and unranked races. Matchmaking, selecting a track, a vehicle and loading the track will take 2 min maximum. But the chaos of racing against 11 other real opponents is worth it. Unfortunately you won’t be able play online with a friend split-screen.

The 16 tracks contain thick mud, tangled undergrowth, swift flowing rivers, choking volcanic clouds and searing lava pools. They are set around volcanic mountain sides, beaches, jungle, caves, and a run-down sugar factory. The game claims four zones with each containing 4 tracks: Earth, Water, Air and Fire, but most tracks could easily fit into two zones. Each track has multiple branching paths. Some paths will be faster for your chosen vehicle class than others, so finding the right path for your specific vehicle is a must for winning a race on harder difficulties. It will take you some time to figure out the right paths.

Though there could have been some more game modes and the vehicles’ sounds are not the best I’ve heard, frame rates are smooth, graphics are mostly great and the gameplay is great fun. In addition it’s one of the few racers that lets you play with 3 friends split-screen. What else do you want in a game? With so many branching paths unfriendly opponents can come from anywhere and battling the obstacles of a track can be difficult and the slightest mistake or bump can send you off course. But MotorStorm Pacific Rift will certainly get you heart beat rising.  Overall a great game. If you’re looking for one of the best off-road racing experiences available look no further.