But before we get carried away with the fabulously filthy fun that can be had in MotorStorm, let's start at the beginning. After a gloriously over-the-top intro sequence that talks of warriors doing battle in the desert (what!?) you're presented with a single game mode - Festival - that takes racers onto the off-road circuit in search of fame and glory. The racing game equivalent of a campaign mode, Festival is filled to bursting with 21 events - called tickets - although only three are accessible at the beginning. There are four races in each category, unlocked one-by-one by finishing in first, second or third.
Races are split into vehicle types rather than individual tracks so the same circuit can frequently appear in a single group of events. For example, there are three tracks in the In At The Deep End event - one set on the Raingod Mesa circuit, one on the Rock Hopper track and two on Coyote Rage - even though there are four races. However, only certain vehicles are eligible to compete in each race, with bikes, buggies, racing trucks and rally cars all grouped together rather than a free-for-all involving MotorStorm's entire garage of cars in one go.
That's not to say players are limited to a single vehicle. There are at least two to choose from for every race, albeit of the same type, and each available in multiple colours and designs. Although car-hungry gamers may feel cheated because they can't access every car right from the start, we like the way the cars are introduced gradually, given as a reward for winning races and earning points. What's more, each vehicle type handles very differently from the next, with heavy rigs gripping the track, ATVs bouncing around uncontrollably and rally cars sitting somewhere in the middle, so the staggered car roster helps players to gradually familiarise themselves subtle differences in handling.
The half-dozen tracks we played on are just as diverse as the vehicles too, not just in their design but also the different types of surface you race on. The Raingod Mesa track, which we covered in the last MotorStorm hands-on a couple of weeks ago, is located on top of a mountain and the hard stone surface provides fantastic grip, although boulders and sheer drops are lethally treacherous if you miss-time a jump or overdo it on the turbo.
A number of noticeable improvements have been made to the tracks since the last version of the game we saw, including an increased number of spectators (albeit static) cheering from the side, destructible scenery that stays destroyed throughout the entire race (opening up shortcuts in some cases) and huge video screens that display the race in real-time. Races take place at different times of the day too, with cars shining brightly under the dazzling midday sun or basked in red as the sun sets during early evening competitions.
Another track we've already road-tested, the Coyote Rage circuit, has also been given an overhaul. The loose dirt and mud affects the handling of cars much more than before, plus tyres ruts are much more evident, so much so the bloody great ditches carved out by big rigs can flip an ATV if it hits it at the wrong angle. Recovering from crashes in the mud is tougher too, with the wheels spinning and struggling for grip in the sloppy dirt.
The third track we tested, Dust Devil, is a much more open course with multiple routes snaking through rocks and other obstacles. Naturally some routes are safer than others, with wide sections of the track providing a danger-free - although lengthy - path through the desert. Shortcuts are much more hazardous, forcing drivers to squeeze through obstacles, which isn't easy when your buggy's pelting along at full whack.
The type of vehicle you're driving can affect the routes you take around the circuits, with heavy trucks capable of smashing through wrecked cars and advertising hoardings, while bikes must sneak through the gaps in between. Nowhere is this more evident than on the Rock Hopper track, which has multiple routes all the way around the circuit. Heavier vehicles are best off sticking to the low, undulating paths that stretch along the valleys, while buggies and bikes can take to air by leaping off jumps and speeding around banked curves that make up the upper section of the course. It's tremendous fun whatever you're driving, plus the speed has really been cranked up compared to previous versions of the game so gliding through the sky on a dirt bike really is an exhilarating blast you'll never forget.
The experience is further heightened by mud and dust that's kicked up off the ground, caking your windscreen in dirt. Get stuck behind a pack of buggies and it's almost impossible to see where you're going, especially if you switch to first-person. What's more, if you really want to admire MotorStorm's smorgasbord of next-gen effects, you can hit 'Start' at any time to freeze the action and zoom in, out and around your vehicle - Matrix-style. The balls-out racing action is perfectly complemented by the game's rib-shaking soundtrack too, with live tracks by Primal Scream, Slipknot, Nirvana and Kings of Leon thumping over the growl of revving engines.
Having spent a few hours caning cars, battering bikes and totalling trucks around some of most extreme courses we've seen in a racing game, we can happily report that MotorStorm really is shaping up to be the eye-meltingly fast racing epic it promised to be when it first debuted. It's fast, it looks incredible and, with almost a hundred race events to get stuck into, there's more than enough to keep speed freaks coming back for more. In fact the only feature missing was an online multiplayer mode, which apparently won't make it into the final Japanese game. However, it will make it into the US and European versions, along with downloadable content, so some things really are worth waiting for.
), da hat der auch dermaßen rumgetrollt. Furchtbar.
