MotorStorm: Pacific Rift
| MotorStorm: Pacific Rift | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Evolution Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Sony Computer Entertainment Europe |
| Series | MotorStorm |
| Engine | MotorStorm Engine (modified) |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3 |
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer |
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift is an upcoming racing video game in development by Evolution Studios and to be published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) for the PlayStation 3. It is the sequel to MotorStorm and will use a modified engine. It was announced by Sony after their acquisition of Evolution Studios and is scheduled for release on 28 October 2008 in North America.[1]
Development
The first target render teaser trailer of the game was released on 12 March 2008 and showed pre-rendered cut scene featuring destructible environments and realistic character modelling along with the song "Tarantula" by Pendulum who appeared in the first game also with "Slam". The monster truck ploughs through a biker and the running down a yellow buggy, whilst the black monster truck (a van, perhaps) crashing through an old building, causing it to collapse and then trapping a rally car. An ATV uses the wreckage as a ramp over and a biker ducks through a collapsed platform, while the other one crashes into it.
Demo
A demonstration version of the game was made available in Europe and North America on 11 September 2008. In Europe the demo was made available to randomly selected users.[3] Access to the North American demo required users to purchase episode 4 of Qore[4]. It was available to all users on the PlayStation Store on 16 October 2008.
The demo consists of a single-player race and a 2-player split-screen race on Rain God Spires. A total of 8 vehicles are available in the demo: a bike, a monster truck, two buggys, two racing trucks (one of which can be selected in both modes) and two rally cars.
Gameplay
The game will move away from the desert environments of the original title and relocate itself in "a lush island environment, full of interactive vegetation"; also included will be monster trucks and four-player split-screen capability. Monster trucks will be able to ride over cars (except big rigs), break most vegetation, and destroy structures. Custom music tracks using a player's own music stored on their PS3 hard drive will be available, and camera angles will be improved for crashes; vehicle damage will also be improved. Confirmed race terrains are volcanic mountain sides, beaches, jungle, caves, and a run-down sugar factory.
==Tracks== [10]
The 16 tracks (compared to eight tracks originally available in the first game) will contain "thick mud, tangled undergrowth, swift flowing rivers, choking volcanic clouds and searing lava pools". They will be divided into the four elemental zones: earth, air, fire, and water, with four tracks per zone. These are as follows:
Earth Zone
"Earth is the element of life and the muddy interior of the island is full of it. Rotting swamps, strewn boulders, and overgrown jungle await you there. Treacherous in it's own way, the Earth Zone is still the most grounded and stable on the island."
Kanaloa Bay is "one of the easier and more forgiving tracks" and "introduces you to the tranquil ocean views and moody jungles that cover the island. There are plenty of areas to get ahead in this race for any of the vehicle types."
Mudslide is "set deeper in the steamy jungle" and "is full of mud. You can, however, try to avoid it by taking the dryer of the two intertwining paths, providing a very technical and dangerous race for both mudders and finesse vehicles."
Razorback. "Nestled into the highlands above the festival, resides the largest, deadliest, and most diverse track on the MotorStorm circuit. Razorback will have you clinging to cliffs, jumping over the plunge pool of a giant waterfall, and sliding through the old, collapsing lava tubes, all while fighting the vehicles around you for the narrow racetrack."
Sugar Rush is "set in the quiet fields of sugarcane around an abandoned refinery." On Sugar Rush "you'll be smashing your way through plant and metal alike. Multiple racing lines provide shortcuts and challenges for all classes of vehicles. But you're certain to crash into a rusty scrap pile or two, so don't forget your tetanus shot."
Air Zone
"The most mobile and dynamic of all the elements, Air is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It is existence without form. High above the cloud line in the farthest reaches of the island, steep cliffs, spine-tingling jumps, and jarring crashes await you, where once only the gods were rumored to travel."
Badlands is set "on the high-altitude, volcanic plateau" where "almost no life grows. There's only the alien landscape of ash drifts, steam vents, and sulphurous outcroppings, that give this track its name. Race around gaping fissures and along narrow cliffs in the blinding sun for an experience like none of the other tracks can provide."
Raingod Spires is "set high in the inland hills amidst thick foliage and dense cloudbanks." "If you like catching air, then this is your race." "You'll sling around high-speed descents and launch to ear-ringing landings as you make your way through the spires that give this track its name."
Caldera Ridge. "Take an easy ride around the precarious volcanic ridge and through the old observatory as you jockey for position and send foes tumbling down the mountainside. Be prepared for lots of steep climbs and descents around the craters and iron-rich outcroppings on the ridge."
The Edge. You're going to want traction for this track, and lots of it. You'll almost never be on flat ground, as you cling precariously to side of the ocean cliffs on the steep side of the island. Falling to the crashing waves and boulders below will be something you should avoid."
Fire Zone
"The most dangerous and unpredictable of the elements, Fire represents the power of nature in its most raw form. Getting this close to lava lakes and noxious sulphur gases is something only the extremely brave or the extremely stupid would do."
Wildfire "takes place in the no-mans land between deadly lava and an unforgiving ocean. The landscape is burning down around you, and in the distance the volcano continues to spew ash and fire" Not a place you'd normally come, for sure, but for the Stormer it offers up distinct challenges to overcome, not the least of which is the visibility through the smoke and ash."
Paradise Beach is "not as much paradise or as much beach as you'd think. Just a bunch of old lava tubes and burnt stumps, in an area that may, at one time, have been pristine. Feel the power of the volcano through its aftermath, and subsequent eerie beauty that's left behind."
Scorched "is as dangerous as it is hot. Scorched is set in some of the most extreme environments the island has to offer, so you'd better have flame-retardant clothing ready. Drive over and around active lava flows and sharp volcanic rock on your way to victory, and hopefully, not the hospital."
The Rift is "a short, fast, and messy race through the twists and turns of the mile-long tear in the ground called The Rift Zone. This track features an excess of uneven terrain, crumbling walls and alternate routes through the lava tubes that splinter off and return to the mayhem of the narrow valley."
Water Zone
"Water is a substance without stability. Its ever-changing state can be both gentle and at times ferocious. You'll cross path with both in the Water Zone, navigating through crashing waterfalls and the lapping waves of the lagoon."
Beach Comber. "Weave your way through the remnants of WWII on this oceanfront track. You'll encounter the remains of planes, gun turrets, and tank traps on the wide open-beaches, perfect for you straight-away burners. Make a wrong move at the wrong time, though, and you might never catch up."
Cascade Falls is set in and around an ancient, multi-tiered waterfall." It "goes back and forth between thick, overgrown jungle and the mud and water around the plunge pool. Be sure to stick to the man-made bridges and ramps to maintain maximum speed through the track.
Colossus Canyon is a "complex, multi-route mudfest" and is "packed with narrow passages and hazards around every turn as it weaves in and out of the dense jungle and over the raging river cutting its path through the canyon. If you're averse to getting wet, it's best to stay away from Colossus Canyon."
Riptide is a "mostly man-made beach track" and contains "many of the more mundane motoX elements you're used to, like banked turns and on-track obstacles interspersed throughout the puddle-filled passages that dip into the jungle. We've thrown in a few surprises, as well, just to keep you on your toes."
Another new feature in Motorstorm: Pacific Rift is the presence of water in the form of rivers and pools. Water also cools down the car's engine, which presents a whole line of new tactics; vehicles will slow down as they go through deep water, with buoyancy featuring for vehicles that venture into water too deep for that vehicle type.[5] Vegetation will fight back against the smaller vehicles and only the bigger vehicles will be able to go through it.[citation needed]
Vehicles
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift features all 7 vehicle classes from the original game (Bikes, ATVs, Buggies, Rally Cars, Racing trucks, Mud Pluggers and Big Rigs) as well as a new class, Monster Trucks. Monster trucks are relatively fast and capable of crushing opponents and vegetation, however because they are so big and high up, their centre of gravity isn't that low, making them very easy to overturn. They will not be able to run over Big Rigs because Big Rigs are the second toughest vehicle in its class (thanks to its very high strength, and its difficulties of being crushed to the side) and they are the only ones who can battle against the Monster Trucks.
All vehicles featured in the original MotorStorm will appear in the new game as well as a whole new array of vehicles. This includes vehicles downloaded as part of game packs such as Revenge Weekend and Devil's Weekend.[citation needed]
Multiplayer
The game will support 16-player[5][6] online play and 4-player split-screen, offline play. Sony is also said to be "pushing" to make the game's web services integrated with the game in the same manner as SingStar.[5]
Soundtrack
The game features 45 licenced music tracks, nine of which are exclusive to the game. This is in contrast to the original game which had 21 music tracks. Notable artists featured on the Motorstorm: Pacific Rift soundtrack include Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age, David Bowie, Death From Above 1979 and Fatboy Slim as well as up and coming unsigned bands like March[7] and The Planets[8].
Reception
Eurogamer scored the game 7/10 stating that some of the tracks are brilliant and that the vehicles are "individually refined too, most notably with the excellent bikes". But continue, "these moments of inspiration are ultimately fleeting" and suggest that many of the tracks are too cluttered and become "noisy and indistinct"[9].
See also
References
- ^ a b David Bull (2008-09-11). "MotorStorm Pacific Rift crosses the finish line October 28th". Sony Computer Entertainment. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^ http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=262041
- ^ http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=230388
- ^ http://kotaku.com/5040760/qore-customers-get-motorstorm-2-demo-a-month-early
- ^ a b c Bramwell, Tom (2008-03-13). "Sony unveils MotorStorm 2". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
- ^ "Motorstorm Pacific Rift". SCEE. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
- ^ http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/10/13/motorstorm-mondays-the-motorstorm-festival-demo-coming-this-week/
- ^ http://www.myspace.com/theplanets
- ^ a b Tom Bramwell. "EuroGamer - Motorstorm Pacific Rift Review". EuroGamer.
10. http://www.us.playstation.com/motorstormpacificrift/#/home