Motorstorm Pacific Rift

Last year, Sony published an awesome arcade racing title known as Motorstorm.  The title was released with very limited content and features.  Despite this, players fell in love with the awesome graphics and exciting gameplay.  Sony continued to improve the franchise by releasing several updates to the title.  Although some of the updates were paid updates, Motorstorm gave PlayStation 3 owners something to brag about.  Now a year later, the sequel to Motorstorm has been released.  Known as Pacific Rift, the title is more feature inclusive than the original game and promises to offer even more down the road.  But does this make the title worthy of a purchase?
 
Motorstorm: Pacific Rift throws sixteen different tracks at the player—this is double the number of tracks included in the first title!  One of the biggest joys of Motorstorm can be found in the variety and execution of these tracks.  The team didn’t simply add slight variations of old courses; these are some of the finest racing courses ever seen in a next-generation racing title.  Examples of the courses include a level racing through lava, another course through a sugar plantation, rocky canyons, thick jungles, and sandy beaches.  Each of the levels is beautifully rendered—taking full use of the power found in the PlayStation 3.  Even with the gorgeous and detailed visuals, the load time for each course has decreased from the original title. 
 
Players can compete against computer controlled AI (Artificial Intelligence) or race against others online.  Players can compete in races with up to twelve other drivers. Because the courses can include multiple paths for different vehicles, you can spend most of the race driving a completely different path than other racers.  This adds a lot of variety to Motorstorm: Pacific Rift and makes the game have much more replay value than other titles in the genre.  Also included is a split screen mode that allows for four players to race against each other. 
 
Adding to the arcade feel of Motorstorm Pacific Rift is the turbo boost to help you speed through a level.  Unlike other titles that simply let your racer run out of boosting speed, Motorstorm Pacific Rift will allow you to continue boosting as long as you want.  However, this can have some serious consequences.  Mainly this results in you exploding—losing valuable time to stay towards the front of the pack.  Pacific Rift does feature a full set of Trophies for players to unlock.  One of these achievements is finishing a race in first place as your vehicle explodes!  Despite trying to unlock a trophy, it is usually best to not explode during a race.  To help achieve this, players can look for paths through water to cool off their overheating vehicle.  This will allow you to gain some extra time boosting with turbo speeds.
 
Overall, Motorstorm Pacific Rift is an excellent addition to the franchise and a title you will want to add to your PlayStation 3 library.  Historically, this franchise, in its last iteration, was updated several times in its life.  We fully expect and anticipate Pacific Rift receiving similar treatment to keep the title fresh and fun over the next eight plus months.