Does Motorstorm Apocalypse for PS3 make up for the games smashed by angry fans who attempted to enjoy the first two installments and finally gave up? Actually, yes! In more ways that you could ask for! Mix a sick soundtrack, fabulous environments and graphics so real that they’ll have you dodging mud being splattered at your screen and you get a game that fans have been asking for!
Storyline
Asking for too much of a storyline does seem a bit greedy, the game is already giving so much compared to Arctic Edge and Pacific Rift. Still, you do get a little something there to add depth and keep you intrigued. Unlike its predecessors, Motorstorm Apocalypse relies on elements and plot. Although the game’s three stories aren’t insanely deep, they do all offer different objectives. Basically, you’re in the center of a city that is being destroyed by an earthquake and your mission is to actually make it out alive..
In addition to the devastation of the city crumbling around you, there is also a war going on between radical civilian groups and the military. Dodge them? Join them? What to do?
Gameplay
Motorstorm Apocalypse for PS3 certainly delivers a lot of opportunities as the game is split into a few different sections. If you played Pacific Rift, you’ll be familiar with this layout. There are three different modes being Wreckathon mode, Career mode and My Motorstorm Area. The Career mode will take about six hours and it is one crazy ride!
While you were permitted to choose the vehicle you wanted at the beginning of each race in the first two installments, this is no longer a luxury you are granted. You race what they give you. Rookie, Pro and Veteran are the three stages with the first acting more like a warmup before you exercise than part of the game. Fortunately, things really heat up in Motorstorm Apocalypse once you advance to the Pro level. When the the tsunami rages and a 50ft typhoon sweeps in, it’s time to perfect your skills, fast!
The Veteran level is just plain difficult but not so hard that you’ll be discouraged enough to stop playing. With so many parts of the environment collapsing around you, it can often feel more like an obstacle and less like a race but it proves to be exhilarating when you escape.
If there is one complaint, handing can seem a bit bouncy at time but it’s not so annoying that the graphics can’t make up for it.
Graphics
Graphically, Motorstorm Apocalypse for PS3 is beyond superb. Truly, the graphics are hot! Even the objects on the sides of the track offer definite texture. The detail of the storm and the devastation of the fallen buildings are almost heartbreaking because you’ll feel like you’re there in this fictional land that’s falling to pieces.
While some will enjoy the insane amount of sand, water and mud constantly flying, others may feel a bit of whiplash. This probably will depend on how large the screen is that you’re playing on and how big those pieces of debris actually become being sprayed in your direction.
Conclusion
If you are still boiling over the first two installments and protesting the third, you should give it a chance. Motorstorm Apocalypse for PS3 really is a superb title that will probably surprise you. Regardless which mode you play, the whole package just fits so well together, you’re sure to forget the hard feelings you had for the first two games.
8 / 10