MotorStorm: Apocalypse 3D Hands-On

Written by Connor Beaton, published 26th August 2010

This is not a driving game. You’re in a car, hurtling through a city which is actively falling apart, and there’s so much more to worry about than other drivers. There are buildings literally falling onto the track, there are pedestrians running across the road and dark, unsafe tunnels filled with abandoned cars. No, this is something more than a driving game; it’s a race, but there’s so much happening that it’s easier to define MotorStorm: Apocalypse as an action game rather than a racer. You’re not keeping an eye on your speed or your gears, you’re focussing only on getting to the finish line without exploding, and the exhilaration experienced is far more palpable than that provided by a vanilla driving game like Gran Turismo 5.

Stop caring about pedestrians. They’re obstacles, and running them down while your car dives from a makeshift ramp and loses its bonnet carries no consequences. This isn’t Carmageddon - there’s no gore and there are no extra points, there’s just the darkly hilarious result of a terrified passer-by dangling from your rear spoiler before falling towards the camera, an even better experience when playing in 3D. In fact, everything is more stunning when playing in 3D; there’s a real sense of danger as you can see how close the falling building looming above you really is from crushing your fragile vehicle. This is far more impressive than Killzone 3’s simulated depth; here, you can watch the world fall apart around you and the level of immersion is unparalleled.

And despite my earlier claim that there is so much more to worry about than other drivers, it all does boil down to the race. Fortunately, the environment can be used to your advantage in this respect; you can knock motorcycles into the newly-formed abyss that was previously part of the motorway, or watch an enemy car explode as it collides with a truck in an obstructed tunnel. Be careful not to fall victim to these death-inducing traps yourself, as seconds are valuable if you want to win the race. Watching your own vehicle explode majestically is frustrating, and every moment lost is a moment in which you can be overtaken. Cut corners, avoid death, and be ruthless, and you might just make it into first; Apocalypse adds an all new dimension of difficulty to the somewhat repetitive nature of racers. No cops, no Burnout-esque trashings, just the ever-present danger of death. This is definitely one game to keep an eye on.