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While I do play and love a wide variety of game genres, I could count the number of racing games I've truly enjoyed on one three fingered hand. Ever since the release of Hydro Thunder, which I greatly enjoyed, I've been trying new racing games in an effort to prolong my thrill ride. I rented Mod Nation Racers and Split Second, and after about an hour with each, I got terribly bored and stopped playing. After spending ample time with my most recent rental, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, I figured our why the previous two games put me to sleep. Both games were significantly lacking in a particular sensation that I need to feel in order to enjoy a game in the genre. And it's a feeling that isn't easy to describe.
I was convinced that it was the gimmicks that made arcade style racing games fun. We seldom see racers these days that don't have at least one major unique feature. Mod Nation was a kart racer and Split Second had track destruction. And while I adore Burnout 3: Takedown, I don't think my love for that game has much to do with the ability to easily make other drivers crash. It's about a feeling.
It's the feeling that I'm sure every real life race car driver experiences; yet one that is rarely felt in most of the racing games that I've played. Burnout, Wipeout, Hydro Thunder, and now Motorstorm all do an excellent job at giving me this feeling of barely hanging on. Driving any sort of vehicle at very high speeds isn't easy. Not just during turns, and not because another driver is throwing turtle shells at you – the feeling of driving insanely fast should always feel dangerous. I grip my controller tighter than I do with other racing games because I know that one wrong move at very high speeds could send me flying off the track.
I seem to get this rush more with Motorstorm: Pacific Rift than I do with any other racing game. The tracks are well made, but insanely treacherous. And while the different vehicle types have your typical differences in speed, handling, and the like, it's the way the different vehicle types play into the track design that make this game shine. A light buggy might have nice handling, but the monster truck class doesn't really have to avoid the log, fence, or sign, that the buggy has to navigate around. It's like the differences between Legolas and Gimli. Sure the elf can walk on top of the snow, but at least Gimli isn't a bitch. Or something.
But again, this "gimmick" isn't really why I'm loving this game. It's those times when I have two wheels on the track and two wheels teetering off the edge of a cliff -- and never slow down. It's those moments when a giant truck drops out of the sky from god knows where and lands inches from my little buggy -- and I never slow down. It's those moments when I hit a rock at a really bad angle, do three barrel rolls, and somehow manage to land on four wheels -- and never slow down. It's the speed, the punishing tracks, the close calls, the rush. It's the fucking danger. I'm Maverick. Your Ice Man. You don't like me, but I just blew myself up and flew past you for the win.
Comments
14 years, 7 months ago
I've never really gotten into racing games before, but I know what you mean about the tense feeling a good racing game can inspire. You summed it up better than I would have been able to.
14 years, 7 months ago
I've also had trouble getting into racing games. I've never really been able to find the joy in games like Gran Turismo or Project Gotham Racing. Like you though I loved Burnout: Takedown and never have been able to find a game quite like it. I might check out Motorstorm now.
14 years, 7 months ago
I absolutely loved Hydro Thunder, since back in the day it was a new experience of arcade type racing for me. It had tracks in which where I wouldn't think the would put in (like the grand cathedral stage or the canals). Racing games that involved roads (such as Split Second or the Crusin' series) has much to offer, but then again they limit themselves because of the absence of the absolute rush. On the other hand, the RUSH series (excluding the latest ones) had to where you can drive almost any road and find shortcuts that involved ramps and flying over buildings)
So why gaming companies like Criterion or the people who made Split Second or Blur limit themselves on the racing track, rather than just drive freely on areas that anyone wouldn't expect to be in (like the gigantic Midway office of RUSH 2)?
Now I know that Hydro Thunder's tracks have boundaries, but it doesn't stop them from making unique shortcuts or stuff that is out of the ordinary (like the kraken or Zeus).
What I'd like to see is Criterion pick up the RUSH series and see what can they do with (in which has to involve crazy stunts or anything that is not physically possible at all).
I haven't played much Motorstorm to be honest, but it does seem fun (except when you're driving the motorcycle, since it has a different style to drive)
14 years, 7 months ago
I picked Motorstorm PR as soon as you played it live on the feed. Just by watching Brad play I even got nervous on what the hell was going to happen next. The amount of stuff that goes on while racing in PR is insane compared to other games in the racing genre.
14 years, 7 months ago
It is funny you write this, I finally got to play Dirt 2 recently and what you are talking about is exactly why that game is so intense. It has that feeling of danger and pushing a car to the limits. It is definitely a game that fills the senses. So much so that I can't really play it for too long (plus it is a real work out playing with a wheel). Maybe you should give that game a shot, though you might not like it as it does teeter slightly more towards realistic racing than an usual arcade racing game.
14 years, 7 months ago
Where else in game reviewing universe could you get such a wild yet accurate description of Motorstorm . Nowhere else thats why 4playerpodcast rules
14 years, 7 months ago
Yeah, i love motorstorm, got forza the other day, after all the praise it's gotten, and i thought it was awful, boring racing, whereas if you were physically in the car in real life, i'm sure it'd be brilliant.
14 years, 7 months ago
You recently were looking for opinions on F-Zero GX, Brad, and I think you should at some point try it out. I can't really tell you what you might enjoy, but it's a good game without a doubt and every time I come back to it I'm impressed by the sense of speed. The story mode missions can be really intense (just pretend that this game doesn't have a story, God, I can't believe how cheesy everything in F-Zero is). It's fun.
14 years, 7 months ago
Burnout has the feeling of "High speed, high risk." The faster you go, the more likely you are to crash and burn. However, high speeds are necessary to takedown opponents and to win races in general.
In the Burnout series, driving dangerously awards you with boost. Driving in the oncoming lane, near-missing traffic, drifting, and taking down enemies all give you boost. Burnout: Dominator has chain boosting, where burning all of your boost without stopping or slowing down and gaining enough boost for another whole boost bar (if that makes any sense?) awards you another full boost. So technically you can be boosting infinitely; constantly going at extremely high speeds. Needless to say this makes the game extremely intense and puts you on the edge of your seat at all times.
14 years, 7 months ago
I know what you mean Brad, awesome article.
14 years, 7 months ago
I'm so glad Brad has a respect for racing games. I thought he just didn't like the genre but I'm glad to be wrong. I mean I know he enjoyed Hydro Thunder and played the other 2 listed racers on the feed, but I had no clue Brad cared about that feeling that has me looking for wii racers. I don't know if Brad would disagree with me on the wii though since he has plenty of hate for most of the crap on the system.