MotorStorm: Apocalypse was delayed for two months following two devastating earthquakes that happened this year – the one in Japan and the one in Christchurch, New Zealand. Since the delay the game has now been released in New Zealand but how does it play?
MotorStorm: Apocalypse is the third MotorStorm title from Evolution Studios to grace the PS3 and the fourth overall MotorStorm game. Does MotorStorm Apocalypse game bring anything new to the table? Is this a game that can be enjoyed by Gran Turismo fans too?
Lets find out as we take a look at the HOTs and NOTs of MotorStorm: Apocalypse.
HOT
Graphics
The special effects in this game are that of a major Hollywood blockbuster movie. If you’ve ever seen Roland Emmerich’s 2012 you will know what I’m talking about. Even though the game is set in an apocalyptic American city, its not the depressing and dark environment that I thought it would look like such as in Fallout 3.
That’s because the race tracks are all set in different parts of the city and and different parts of the day too. One day you might be racing across broken rooftops high above the city at noon while on another track, you can be racing on the beach at night with a huge Tornado whirling around you!
Unpredictable Races
The environment you race in always changes which makes races very fun and unpredictable. Even if you’re coming last, there’s still a chance you will be able to come first. This is because there’s a strong chance your opponents will crash thanks to the changing environment.
While you are racing, numerous objects can fall onto the race track making it harder for you not to crash. I’m not talking about something small like a car but whole fractions of entire buildings and even the ground beneath you can move at any moment.
This is turn makes things more exciting and keeps you on your toes at all times. If you thought Burnout games gave you high adrenaline, wait until you play MotorStorm: Apocalypse.
Cutscenes
You wouldn’t expect a racing title like MotorStorm: Apocalypse to have cool looking cutscenes but it has – plenty of them I might add. There described as “motion comics” and are beautifully animated. It seems as if the art department are heavily inspired by Marvel’s X-Men as some the character designs are familiar.
The cutscenes share an insight to some of the characters’ background as to why they are racing in a world that is falling around them. I found myself playing the game’s Festival mode a lot just to try and unlock all the cutscenes.
It’s something that was sorely missed when I was playing Marvel vs. Capcom 3. A game that you should come to expect to have cutscenes and a storyline…
Content
The amount of content that is on offer in this game is incredible. There are over 30 tracks and all of them are unique. As I mentioned before, all the tracks are set in different parts of the city and changes almost every second. There’s a good chance that not a single race you play will be exactly the same. If anybody remembers Auto Modellista, you’ll know that over 30 tracks is plenty compared to the mere 7 that was available in that game.
There’s also a good chance you won’t be racing the same vehicle type all the time either. 13 different classes of vehicles are here on offer ranging from motorbikes, ATVs, buggies to even huge trucks.
There are also a lot of hidden characters that you can unlock too. They can be quite difficult for you to unlock them all but I’m sure it’s a challenge most MotorStorm fans won’t mind achieving.
Broken Limbs and Bodies
As with every other MotorStorm title, the slow motion effects when you crash are awesome to witness. Not only that but you can also take a picture of all the action at any time during the race.
Your driver isn’t the only one that will suffer the consequences of a crash either. You can now hit the square or circle button to try and ram your opponents off course too.
There are also citizens on the road sometimes that can get in your way and you will often run over them. For a moment you will be thinking you’re playing a GTA game and not a MotorStorm game the first time you will do this.
NOT
Not For Everyone
If there’s one thing that this game won’t appeal to are people who are into real world racing. If you’re someone like my brother who loves Gran Turismo 5, there’s a good chance that this game won’t be your cup of tea.
Things that I disliked about the game included the way other racers raced beside you. It’s like once they bump you you’re attached to them like a magnet. It can get very annoying especially if you’re wanting to get ahead of your opponent.
The other annoying thing is racing against different vehicles classes at the same time. Although this makes the game more fun (sometimes) it can often result in more crashes if you’re racing on a motorbike as trucks and other bigger vehicles will run you over constantly…
The fact that this game has fake vehicles and physics won’t be that appealing to gamers who are looking for a more realistic game like Forza Motorsport 3 or Gran Turismo 5.
No replays
Although you can take photos in this game, you still cannot view any replays. You would think a game like this will have a replay feature to view all the spectacular crashes you will see in each race. Sadly, there are no replays so any memorable crashes you witness can only be remembered via still photos instead.
Verdict
MotorStorm: Apocalypse manages to bring the series into a whole other dimension. The way the tracks change and evolve almost every second makes every race fun and unpredictable. The game may not be to everyone’s taste but if you’re a fan of the Burnout series, you will find that MotorStorm: Apocalypse pushes the boundaries into a whole new level. This is high adrenaline racing at its finest.
*Note the online section of the game was not reviewed yet. We will post our opinions on the multiplayer mode when the PSN is back online.
[Editor’s Note: MotorStorm: Apocalypse was reviewed on the PlayStation 3 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]