Released on 18/09/2009

• Motorstorm: Arctic Edge

  Roaring onto your PSP

  Being a new title for a console launch is never easy. There are two ways things can turn out. The first is that you crash and burn, never to be seen again as customers only want to buy brands they know and enjoy playing. The second is that you flourish under the pressure and manage to sell enough units that you not only spawn a sequel, but also a spin off game on a different platform.

  Ahead of the pack

  Motorstorm has achieved the second with flying colours/cars. With its stunning visuals and chaotic gameplay Motorstorm captured the PS3 launch crowd and has since become one of consoles best games, spawning the incredible sequel Pacific Rift.

  The Spin off from the franchise is Arctic Edge on the PSP. Maintaining the same set up as the previous Motorstorm games, players find themselves taking part in a festival for racing, conducted in the harshest environments the planet has to offer.

  The festival itself isn’t short either; you’ll battle the AI through 100 events.

  Big Things, Small Packages

  You’ll sit behind the wheel of a variety of vehicles to tear through the deadly track. Like the PS3 versions the tracks feature multiple routes, jumps, drops, rivers and cliffs; basically everything you’d expect to find in a Motorstorm game. There are twelve tracks in total on Motorstorm Arctic Edge, but because of the various routes and track sizes you’ll think there are more. The festival itself isn’t short either; you’ll battle the AI through 100 events, which is guaranteed to keep you going for a while.

  The vehicles in Motorstorm are also much like the PS3, with a slight difference. You can now customise their appearance; colour, headlights, accessories, livery, sponsors and other options can be tweaked until you have the vehicle looking how you want it. Each vehicle type handles differently too. Trucks are slow to turn and need room for their wide turning circle compared to the bikes’ twitchy and sharp cornering. Admittedly the handling isn’t as “clean” as the PS3 version but its good enough.

  Eight players can hurtle around the snow covered tracks either online or ad-hoc.

  One big feature for Motorstorm has always been the sound; Motorstorm has always been loud and proud. Although it’s not as loud as its bigger brothers, you still know it’s there. With a similar music palette and engine noises Motorstorm could be the loudest game on PSP. But it doesn’t stop there! If you have MP3 tracks on your PSP you can pull them into the track set of the game and listen to your music whilst hurtling around the ravines.

  Adrenaline fueled glory

  Multiplayer is also bundled with Motorstorm. Eight players can hurtle around the snow covered tracks either online or ad-hoc which means there are leader boards to be conquered. If you really want to give your friends a laugh though you can always take a picture of yourself wiping out in game and send it to them, or save it as wallpaper for the PSP. Motorstorm keeps on giving, as you fight through the events you can unlock bonus content to go through at your leisure, and there is plenty of it.

  When compared to the PS3 versions Motorstorm Arctic Edge is brilliant, a welcome addition to the PSP. In my opinion Motorstorm Arctic Edge could possibly be the best racer on the PSP, even rivalling the very impressive Gran Turismo. Packed with events, multi-route tracks, a massive garage of vehicles, tons of bonus content, vehicle/music customisation and multiplayer, it really is amazes how they managed to squeeze it all in.

  GAME's Verdict

  

  • +Fantastic on the PSP
  • +Has more features than the PS3 version
  • +Online/offline Multiplayer
  • +Custom Soundtracks

  

  • -Not enough people to challenge online
  • -AI occasionally jumps in difficulty
  • -Can only customise the vehicle aesthetics

  Review by: Tom 'MotorStormed' Daly
  Version Tested: PSP
  Review Published: 02.10.09

  Published: 02/10/2009

• MotorStorm 3 rumours surface

  MotorStorm 3 rumours surface

  Another day, another big videogame rumour. Following on from InFamous 2 - which has now been officially announced - it's MotorStorm 3's turn in the speculation spot, as some rough photos of the game have appeared on the net.

  The pictures - thanks Kotaku - suggest that the game will be set in an apocalyptic and partially collapsing version of San Francisco, a plan which would provide plenty of opportunity for the game's jouncing take on off-road battling.

  Eurogamer's been studying the images closely and suspects that one shows a well-tuned racer trying to get past skyscrapers before they collapse, while another has pedestrians fleeing while a helicopter burns in the background.

  It sounds more like Split/Second: Velocity than the kind of things the developer Evolution Studios has done in the past, as it's tended to stick to natural wildernesses for its action, ranging from the desert to volcanic islands and the Arctic. That said, the shots look fantastic, and the only thing better for a gamer than a destroyed city is a destroyed city you can race around in on quad bikes and big rigs.

  Sony has yet to comment on whether the shots are genuine, but MotorStorm 3 is looking like a good bet for an E3 unveiling.

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