So while I was trying out Pure, PlayStation 3 owners willing to pay for Qore were testing out an old build of Evolution Studio’s MotorStorm: Pacific Rift. A month later, Sony released the very same build to the masses. I finally get to try it. Does this demo amaze me like the original MotorStorm’s demo did? Or was I mistakened for putting so much faith in this sequel? Well, I wasn’t as starry eyed as before, but it was plenty of fun.
I mentioned this before already, but my MotorStorm experience did not extend past the demo. I couldn’t convince myself to throw down the green for an “incomplete” game. I was impressed by it though. It was an eye pleasing game to say the least. The slick framerate and solid texture work accompanied by the physics heavy style of offroad racing was just something I had not experienced before. Pacific Rift’s demo retained a lot of what MotorStorm offered.
The framerate is still slick without a hint of slowdown, however I believe the original’s demo was visually more impressive. I know it’s an older build, but I couldn’t miss the pop-in of bushes and other vegetation. Again, I know it’s several passes away from being the final product, but this demo is supposed to showcase the game’s glory — not its smeared texture work.
Despite the demo’s offer of just one track, I never repeated the same route twice in one race. There are plenty of paths for the 16 racers and their vehicles to take. The demo offered the trusty dirt bike, truck and monster truck. Evolution Studios have emphasized the fact that there are certain tracks geared for certain types of vehicles and even in this single track, that point was proven.
I favored dirt bike’s nimbleness on the track, but that monster truck’s destructive power wasn’t something I could ignore. Even though it didn’t guaranteed me a spot in the top three, I enjoyed exercising the behemoth’s size over his opponents. It was surprisingly tough to control, though. I was surprised how fumbly the monster truck could be.
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift has made it on my list of games to acquire. I don’t know how, but I will get this game sooner or later. It’s a bit difficult to ignore this demo’s lack of visual sheen, but just head over to official site and check the more recent media. The demo is very limited and doesn’t even show off the game’s water related gameplay. So treat this demo as a very small taste of what’s to come. If you like what you’ve tried, perhaps you too should put this on your holiday list.
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift debuts on October 28th, 2008. Visit the official website for more information.
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