Motorstorm: RC
|
Platforms: PS3, Vita
Release Date: 03/06/2012 Publishers: Sony Developers: Evolution Studios Genre: Racing |
Motorstorm: RC is a dramatic departure from the rest of the games in the series. Instead of the carnage and branching tracks that the PS3 games are known for, Motorstorm RC requires precise steering and track memorization. I didn’t expect to get much out of this game, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a huge variety of RC cars and tracks to keep things fresh and robust leaderboards to draw me back in to the competition.
Motorstorm RC takes the epic races that its console predecessors are known for and shrinks them down significantly. You no longer have to worry about taking the high or low road depending on which vehicle you choose. Each track has a single path to follow. The spectacular crashes are gone as well. Colliding with your opponents to slow them down is much less important now, especially since the clock is frequently your only opponent. All these design changes sound like they would weaken the experience, but instead they simply shift the focus. Races are as frantic as ever, but now you’ll be concentrating on cornering efficiently and gauging acceleration so you don’t overshoot your turns.
Motorstorm RC takes the epic races that its console predecessors are known for and shrinks them down significantly. You no longer have to worry about taking the high or low road depending on which vehicle you choose. Each track has a single path to follow. The spectacular crashes are gone as well. Colliding with your opponents to slow them down is much less important now, especially since the clock is frequently your only opponent. All these design changes sound like they would weaken the experience, but instead they simply shift the focus. Races are as frantic as ever, but now you’ll be concentrating on cornering efficiently and gauging acceleration so you don’t overshoot your turns.
The Jungles of Pacific Rift are back.
The controls aren’t immediately comfortable. Much like a real RC car, you use the right stick to accelerate and the left stick to turn side to side. This method is confusing at first as the camera is fixed and the direction your vehicle will go changes with its orientation. There’s an alternate left stick option that uses the full 360 degree range for steering. With this setup, you’ll always turn in the direction you point the stick. I found this setting to be more precise, though if you grew up using RC cars, the first option might feel more comfortable. After the first few races, you’ll get a feel for the driving mechanics and realize that letting off the gas is necessary for most tight turns.
Different events require different cars, and they all have unique handling. A big rig might be sluggish, but it won’t spin out around corners. A rally car accelerates quickly and has a high top speed, but can easily go out of control if you hit a corner too fast. There are seven types of cars in all and they provide wildly different racing experiences. In addition, you’ll unlock an eighth car type, the supercar, when you finish the main events. Each event area has an additional Hot Lap event where your skills will be truly tested as you hurtle around corners in a supercar.
Your friends are always there in ghost form to give you someone to beat.
Events are set up in four categories: Race, where you race against seven opponents, Hot Lap, where you try to beat a bronze, silver and gold time denoted by ghost a ghost arrow on the track, Pursuit, where the goal is to pass a certain number of cars, and Drift, where you must rack up 5,000 points by drifting around corners. These events are spread across four areas with four tracks each. From a jungle to frozen tundra to the side of a cliff, the tracks take you across the world and offer unique challenges. Memorizing the tracks and learning where to slow down or put the pedal to the metal is the key to being competitive.
And competition drives this game. You’re constantly reminded of your place on the leaderboards. Completing the gold challenge for a track isn’t enough; you’ll have to be almost flawless to be near the top. If a friend has beaten you in an event, their ghost is placed on the track to challenge you. A pit wall tab shows you a list of players that have beaten your scores recently and allows you to challenge your friends directly. Your score updates quickly after each race, and the leaderboards offer you a way to gauge your success in the events.
It took me a while to realize how much I liked this game. I played it for hours on end to beat all the events and sharpen my times, but it wasn’t until I was completely finished that I realized how much time I’d spent racing tiny cars around miniature tracks. I’d somehow become addicted without knowing it. It’s the perfect game to pick up for a few races and it feels like a natural fit for the Vita. The leaderboards and ghost players give you something to chase, and mastering all the cars and tracks takes time and skill. Motorstorm RC is a one-trick pony, but if you enjoy racing games, it’s a pretty unique experience. There’s enough content here to keep you busy for a while, and polishing your event times to rise up the leaderboards provides even more replay value.
And competition drives this game. You’re constantly reminded of your place on the leaderboards. Completing the gold challenge for a track isn’t enough; you’ll have to be almost flawless to be near the top. If a friend has beaten you in an event, their ghost is placed on the track to challenge you. A pit wall tab shows you a list of players that have beaten your scores recently and allows you to challenge your friends directly. Your score updates quickly after each race, and the leaderboards offer you a way to gauge your success in the events.
It took me a while to realize how much I liked this game. I played it for hours on end to beat all the events and sharpen my times, but it wasn’t until I was completely finished that I realized how much time I’d spent racing tiny cars around miniature tracks. I’d somehow become addicted without knowing it. It’s the perfect game to pick up for a few races and it feels like a natural fit for the Vita. The leaderboards and ghost players give you something to chase, and mastering all the cars and tracks takes time and skill. Motorstorm RC is a one-trick pony, but if you enjoy racing games, it’s a pretty unique experience. There’s enough content here to keep you busy for a while, and polishing your event times to rise up the leaderboards provides even more replay value.
