Back at E3 2005, Sony chose MotorStorm as one of the titles to show what the PS3 was capable of technically. They showed numerous videos that day, and MotorStorm was one of the best. Sadly, it was soon revealed that the video was not using any in-game assets, and Sony had now put itself in a really tough spot, promising something they may not be able to deliver. Fast-forward to March 2007, the release date of MotorStorm here in Canada. Can the E3 promise be delivered?

Physics-Based Racing

The game was developed by Evolution Studios, a British company known for World Rally Championship games. Needless to say, MotorStorm is easily the most hyped game in the company’s history. The pressure they were under after the E3 2005 showing must have been tremendous. I’m glad to say that this racer tends to live up to a good deal of the hype.

The first thing you will probably notice is that racing has a real flow to it. The game uses the Havok physics engine really well, and this allows races to develop organically, never feeling like the same race twice. The various vehicles (7 different types in all) all drive around the track with the appropriate weight, and really give you a sense that the tires are digging into the track. You won’t want to just jam on the gas; you have to feel the track out and use the appropriate amount of acceleration and breaking for each corner. Each vehicle is unique without being unbalanced with the others, which makes for some good fun when all the vehicles race together. 

Depending on terrain, the vehicles will leave tracks in the dirt which actually make you have to change your strategy sometimes. For instance, if riding on a motorcycle, you may be able to take one lap in the mud, but on the next lap you will have to take a different route as the mud has been thoroughly stirred, making cornering and acceleration much more difficult; however, in a large truck you would want to continue with the original route, as they perform much better in thick mud.

There are 8 different tracks, but you wouldn’t know it. There are so many variables that go into just one lap that each seems completely different from the next, really forcing you to think on your feet. Broken bridges, scrap cars, mud and other distractions, all can block paths, and make you swerve into danger areas. On top of that, there are numerous routes, both high and low, that you can take. You won’t be stuck to that route most of the time, so the game doesn’t feel artificial at all. In fact, it’s easily the best race course design in an off-road game that I have ever played. The design of the tracks really adds to the feeling of racing in real vistas.

Another thing that adds to the experience is the intelligent A.I. It’s some of the best in any racing game. If you bump into that vehicle on the first corner, expect that if he/she is near you on the next corner he/she may try to spin you out. It really feels like a rivalry, and is yet another element that adds to the game’s organic feel.

In the non-organic department: this game sports 21 “tickets” which are basically 1-4 race events neatly split-up. You earn points depending on your place, and are able to unlock the tickets as you go. There are 4 different skill levels, any of which will give you a real good challenge.

The game has a cool soundtrack that really adds to the flavour of the game. They definitely bring the level of intensity in the races up a notch; not that they needed to do that anyways.

E3 2005 Haunts the Developers

Why Sony ever decided to create a false impression of what MotorStorm would look like, is probably the biggest question. This game doesn’t look bad by any stretch of the imagination. Mud will splatter your vehicle, the track will deform under your tires, and vehicles will become damaged realistically. Sadly, the game doesn’t come close to the E3 2005 demonstration, and that may have hurt it for those who have been following this game. The environments don’t look as real as they could, with a few too many sharp rocks and ledges, and vehicles/riders are not very detailed at all. The game definitely looks good, just not as good as was first shown, not by a long shot.

E3 2006 Haunts the Developers

At E3 2006, Sony unveiled that they had decided to implement motion sensors into the PS3 controller. This decision was made in response to Nintendo’s Wii controller, which had only just been revealed 8 months prior. This rushed addition led many developers to rush implementation. The result for MotorStorm is the ability to quickly turn on motion controls in the pause menu. This feature is not very responsive though, and will lead to lost races.

Along with motion sensing, a lawsuit by the company responsible for patents in rumble technology lead Sony to abandon rumble in the PS3 controller. This is definitely a missed feature, as the game is so tactile, it just lends itself to some sort of physical feedback.

Chaotic Racing

The game features online multiplayer which is super-smooth. The game is already chaotic enough, but get 12 real people together on a course and you have yourself an insane lug through the mud! Unfortunately, getting into a game is a bit of a pain. With so few players online, wait times for a game can be up to ten minutes or more.

All in all, MotorStorm is easily the best game that you can get on the PS3 at the moment, and kudos should go to Evolution Studios for being able to pull off such an excellent racer, despite all the pressure and hype surrounding it since E3 2005.