Platform: PlayStation 3

Developer: Evolution Studios

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Release Date (NA): March 6, 2007

Genre: Racing

Nerd Rating: 9 out of 10

Reviewed by Nerdberry

Blasting onto the screen is MotorStorm; one of the baddest ass racing games of the 7th generation. Wait, “baddest ass?” Or is it “bad ass-est?” Either way, what I’m trying to say is that MotorStorm for the PS3 was, and still is, a very cool game. With exceedingly detailed graphics, a stellar soundtrack, and some seriously intense off-road races, adrenaline junkies will get their fix and some.

2007 feels a lot further away than it actually is. Realistically, it was ONLY 8 years ago, but the ever-changing video game landscape that we live in has made the year 2007 feel like it might as well be ancient history. But there is literally no reason why you can’t pick up a copy of MotorStorm and play your heart out today, and I’m here to tell you why.

You don’t have to be a fan of racing games to appreciate certain aspects of the genre, but it sure as hell does help if you are. MotorStorm is a racing game at heart, but it functions like a human being with multiple organs all playing a major part in its overall functionality. I guess that makes the graphics the liver? Or a kidney, maybe. Let’s not get too serious about this analogy because you get the point I’m trying to make. MotorStorm has many layers, each playing a vital part in the game’s distribution of enjoyment to its gamers.

When you start MotorStorm, you are immediately fingerblasted by the high quality graphics. TO BE HONEST, I’m not sure if I can tell the difference between reality and CG. They are THAT good. The excitement level is high and anticipation and anxiety is even higher! The camera takes you high above the desert as a man grits out a sandpapery introduction:

“In this ageless valley, a new breed of warrior has been born. Born to rage against the silence of these ancient rocks. Born to tear apart the very fabric of the desert. Born to win at any cost. The stage is set. A storm is coming. The land braces itself. Welcome… To MotorStorm!”

Boom! Queue intense desert racing music. YES! Now THIS is the hardnosed and edgy racing game I’ve been waiting for. So apparently you’re at racing festival of sorts because there are tents, lights, racing fanatics, and other shenanigans happening all around you. I like the vibe. It reminds me of that scene in the original Fast & Furious movie where they go to the desert for a racing convention / big party with like-minded individuals. Except nobody gives a shit about looks at MotorStorm. Chromed-out engine and purple strobe lights coming out of your butthole won’t impress anybody here. This is strictly about racing.

I have to admit folks, I haven’t been this into an extreme-racing game in a long long time. Maybe since Jet Moto 2 or the original ATV Off-road Fury (kart racing games not included). Each and every race screams at you with furious energy. A typical race includes 2 or 3 laps around some of the roughest terrains you’ve ever seen in a video game as you battle 10 to 15 challenging and moderately aggressive opponent racers. Depending on your vehicle of choice, you may benefit from choosing one particular path over another, but no path is wrong, some are just better. One of my favorite aspects is how most courses provide gamers with an abundance of trajectory options. You may choose to take the ramps that’ll keep you and your dirtbike riding high above the destructive semi-trucks, but your dirtbike’s speed/acceleration also makes you very susceptible to losing control around a sharp turn sending you falling to your death. The best part is that the choice is yours and you can do whatever suits your style of play!

Rough terrain and rougher opponents make MotorStorm a challenging game, but one of the biggest challenges is that many races force you to play with a certain type of vehicle. Each vehicle is drastically different from each other in terms of size, weight, speed, power, and handling characteristics. By forcing you into using vehicles you may have never tried, you WILL learn this game inside and out and become an expert! I promise you. And I’m not very good at video games as a whole, although I do seem to excel at racing games over any other genre. At times it can be rather annoying to “have” to play with a certain vehicle, but you’ll get over it quickly once you’ve mastered them all.

Any game can get by if one aspect far outweighs another, but that game will never be fully appreciated by its audience. For example, strong graphics can typically help gamers forgive the forgettable soundtrack. But with MotorStorm, every aspect is exceptionally detailed and well thought-out. It really feels like the developers invested some serious time into this game. The graphics and sound effects give the gamers plenty of eye and ear candy, but the soundtrack really sets the tone for MotorStorm’s intensity. The artist line-up includes Nirvana, Slipknot, Kings of Leon, Monster Magnet, Pendulum, Wolfmother, and Queens of the Stone Age to name a few. Regardless of your musical tastes, all of the songs here are a perfect fit.

MotorStorm manages to cover the spectrum when it comes to ease of use, challenge, enjoyability, and replayability. It’s not easy for a developer to make a game that finds the perfect balance to meet the needs and wants of the leisure gamer AND the hardcore gamer, but somehow Evolution Studios hit the nail on the head. With excellent graphics that stand up nearly a decade later, intense races, and a variety of racing options, MotorStorm is about as fun of a racing game as they come, regardless of its age. If you’re looking for a fantastic value (I picked this up at GameStop for $.89, yes, that’s eighty-nine cents), some well-designed fun, and some intense race battles, then you need look no further! MotorStorm is the answer.

I haven’t played any of the other MotorStorm games, but I reckon they can only get better!

Nerd Rating: 9 out of 10

Reviewed by Nerdberry