Impressions: MotorStorm

From GameDaily: "MotorStorm doesn't follow the conventional rules of road racing. Here, wrecks can be just as routine as jumps and turns. A vehicle may quickly careen into a solid rock wall, or fly off the edge of a cliff into the desert abyss. This solo track has danger around every turn, complete with jumps, signs, and very little protective railings to keep the action within the confines of the course. Shortcuts are scattered throughout, each with advantages and dangers to consider. For instance -- one involves traveling along a higher ridge and then being able to jump off, slightly ahead of unsuspecting racers. However, if you're going too fast or botch the jump, you can easily fly off the cliff or get involved in a nasty wreck.
Thus far, The game looks gorgeous. The vehicles animate extremely well and tear apart gorgeously in the slow-motion car wrecks. The details around the track are purely next-gen, whether players speed around a sloping ridge to avoid sliding off or burst through temporary walls to access a new shortcut. The camera system borrows a page from Project Gotham Racing 3, allowing the user to see all angles of the race with the right analog stick. Rock music blares in the background, with Nirvana's "Breed" leading the pack. The final soundtrack for the game will include this song and several other fast-paced alternative songs.

What's really cool about MotorStorm is how the racing experience can change with each given vehicle. The first vehicle, a four-wheeled truck, vigorously tackles the road. It handles jumps quite efficiently, although it can easily fly off the handle on a turn if the driver goes too fast. Its physics are very true to form and it packs a great deal of power. This will come in handy when it comes to ramming other vehicles off the road or smashing through objects to discover new paths. The truck also uses a delicate turbo system. Using it properly will allow a driver to get ahead, but if it's used too much, the engine gets fried faster than KFC's chicken.

By the same token, the motorcycle also has its own plusses and minuses. It runs faster than most of the four-wheeled vehicles and can slip through narrow pathways that the larger vehicles cannot fit through. The motorcycle riders can also knock off competing bikers by swinging their fists, ala Electronic Arts' old school racer, Road Rash. However, this small ride has some faults. While fast, it lacks power, so any hope of going through a breakable wall should be quickly discarded. Likewise, the larger vehicles can easily knock a motorcycle off of the course, or come down hard on it after a mid-air jump. It's enough to make you want to get car insurance."

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