This is long overdue, but better late than never, am I right? Let's get right to it: first we'll post other site's scores of the title, then when you click through the "continued" link you can hear what we've got to say about MotorStorm. What'd the big review sites say?- IGN: 8.9 / 10
- GameSpot: 7.9 / 10
- Game Informer: 8.5 / 10
- EGM: 7.5, 7.5, 9.0
- GamePro: 4.5 / 5
- 1UP: 7.5 / 10
Decent scores all around. Read on if you want our pros-cons of the game and our experience playing it.
I won't hide it: I don't play racing games. In fact, the only one I actually own on any PlayStation system is Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec. I'm not counting the original Twisted Metal because it's not really about racing. At all. That being said, you can expect what I'll say about MotorStorm. It's awesome. Look again. I said it was awesome. I don't play racing games, so how can this be? Aren't I supposed to be biased against something I don't generally enjoy? Not at all. I didn't like RPGs when I first played them (Dragon Warrior on the NES), but once I tried them again (Final Fantasy II/IV) I realized how amazing they were. Same with MotorStorm. Let's do some pros, then our cons.
What I liked about this game were threefold: Intense sense of speed despite lacking rumble, a real feeling of success based on the vehicle chosen, and the graphics. Gameplay was fine, but there's only so much you can do with "win a race". That's why the sense of speed and feeling of success were mentioned -- they keep the normally mild formula spicy. Multiple paths available for certain vehicles, shaking screens and blur effects all keep the experience original, titillating, and fun. These hold true for online play, too.
What did I not like about this game? The limited objectives, the load times, and the shoddy/lengthy time it takes to get a match online. And the scoring of online races. Instead of just straight-up racing, what about a crash limit? Crash once, you're out. This will make punching people on the smaller vehicles more exciting and dangerous to get near. Big rigs will be very dangerous, etc. It's a good idea, Sony! Integrate it. Give us more than "win race durr". The load times suck, period. I want to quickly scroll between the three different buggy skins -- why do they have to load every time I scroll through them? Another long wait comes when you try to join an online match. I hate waiting for something I can do three times as quickly on my own. Speaking of online, the scoring system is terrible. Only getting a positive point for placing first in a race? Everything else seems to speak negatively of your skills. Give us a Gold, Silver, and Bronze section. Tell people how many others we've caused to crash by belting them across the face. Something more than "win" and then "loss, deaths, negative thing #3, #4, etc".
We sound like we tore the game a new one, huh? Maybe we did, but it doesn't mean the game wasn't fun. It was. Lots of races to unlock, different vehicles to master... it's a great game. But small gripes tend to add up and things will get on your nerves. Hopefully the rumor of an online update is true and it addresses some of these issues. Anyway, here's our score:
PS3Fanboy gives MotorStorm 7 wrecked ATV's out of 10.
Feel free to complain or praise in the comments section.
