Motorstorm Apocalypse Review

Anyone who played either of the first two Motorstorm games know that they have a very distinct feel and vibe. The gritty, physical gameplay, music, and presentation gave it such a distinct and noticeable feel. This is what makes Motorstorm apocalypse so hard to adjust to, as the static changes to the stores have given it a vastly different vibe.

Motorstorm Apocalypse: Core Concept

The whole idea behind Motorstorm Apocalypse is that a city (very clearly inspired by San Francisco) is being torn apart by earthquakes, tornadoes and the likes at the end of the world. When they hear about it, the Motorstorm crew head over to hold a festival there. This sets you up for racing as the city around you- the buildings, the cars, the subways, the boardwalks- all falls to pieces, with massive explosions and obstacles constantly in your face.

Motorstorm Apocalypse: Story

Motorstorm apocalypse its the first entry that makes an attempt at an actually story, and it didn't exactly pan out. you won't care about the characters out what's going on, and will just see them  as an obstacle between you and your next race. The story us pointless, the characters are lifeless, the cutscenes are poorly done, and the voice acting is bad. It was a noble try atadding a story to a racing game, but it really was quite the failure. Luckily, I don't think anyone is looking to buy this game for its story.

Motorstorm Apocalypse: Graphics

Motorstorm does not have mind-blowing visuals. Let's get that out of the way right now. In fact, I would say that I found the visuals to be worse than those of Pacific Rift. With that said, there was obviously a trade-off made here- the graphics are not that impressive, but the sheer amount of activity on the screen is quite impressive. Buildings collapse, cars catch on fire, people and helicopters are shooting at you, all while little bits of debris and paper float down, and the game never even hiccups. Considering how much is happening on the screen, it is completely understandable and forgivable  that the graphics are not on a level with games like Uncharted.

Motorstorm Apocalypse: Gameplay

Gameplay is easily the most important part of any game, and luckily it's one of Motorstorm's biggest strengths. However, there is a stipulation: IT DOES NOT FEEL LIKE MOTORSTORM. I was a huge fan of Pacific Rift, so when I finally got my hands on the demo for the third entry, I was not especially impress. Gone was the slippery, slidy feel that the cars had. Gone was the exhilarating feeling of going off a huge jump, gone was the feel that the slightest nudge could send you completely flying. No, this game tightens up the controls significantly. Driving feels much easier to control, and the cars feel more weighty. It doesn't feel as easy to flip, and there aren't nearly as many massive jumps to launch yourself off of. Some people may think this sounds great, but I always felt like those were some of the elements that made Motorstorm really unique. All of these changes were made for good reason, though. Apocalypse shifts the danger from the floatiness and your fellow drivers of games past to the city around you. There are crumbling buildings to dodge, people to avoid (or smash through), and all sorts of other perils that you will face as you drive. This provides plenty of interest, and though it may take some time to adjust, it really is an exhilarating game once you can get past how much it departs from the Motorstorm formula.

Motorstorm Apocalypse: Multiplayer

Multiplayer has been significantly beefed up here. There is four-player split-screen offline, two-player split-screen online, as well as just regular online. With over 40 tracks, there's plenty to keep you interested here. Online multiplayer has been rounded out very nicely. There is now a Call Of Duty- esque perks system ,which allows you to give your car slightly better handling, breaking, etc. There is also now a betting system where you can place a bet on one person that you believe you can beat. This makes the game competitive even for lower level players, which is quite ingenious. You can customize your vehicles now as well, and, more importantly, you can create custom game modes. With this game mode creator, you can control boost, handling, which vehicle classes can be used, gravity, and much more, and then use these customized settings in either offline or online play. All in all, the multiplayer is much deeper this time around.

Motorstorm Apocalypse: Final Comments

Motorstorm Apocalypse is a very entertaining and very good game. Its problem is that it changes so much from what we know and love about the series. Even still, on its own merits, Motorstorm Apocalypse is a great game. Motorstorm Apocalypse is a fantastic racing game, just not necessarily  a fantastic Motorstorm game.

Campaign	The story is God-awful, but the races are diverse and still enjoyable	7
Graphics	The graphics aren’t gorgeous, but the amount of stuff going on is enough to immediately forgive this	8
Gameplay	Nothing like Motorstorm, but the controls feel good once you get past that. The fight to survive whats going on around you is a blast	9
Multiplayer	A deep, well thought- out experience with plenty of options that will keep you interested	9
Overall	Though it doesn’t feel like Motorstorm and the story isn’t up to par, there’s no denying that this is a very fun and deep game that will keep you on the edge of seat	8.5

Motorstorm Apocalypse: Buy the Game

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