Phew! The European version of MotorStorm has a decent online aspect. Granted it’s not perfect, but it’s all we needed to be able to give it the 90-plus per cent it deserves. Perhaps that should make us feel a little better about the delay of the PS3. Perhaps. But then MotorStorm isn’t all about the multiplayer, as there’s much about the game that deserves not only note, but celebration. We’ll grant you that the initial premise may seem a little simplistic for the likes of the average PS3 owner, who, at this stage at least, is going to want something distinctly different from what’s gone before. It’s not though. In terms of rally driving, MotorStorm does nothing new at all. In terms of pure, hardcore fun however, it does it all, and it does it all very well indeed.

We’re not aesthetes by any means, but the most striking thing about MotorStorm is the sheer beauty of the piece. It’s not just the wonderfully rendered environments, vistas and locales, it’s the wondrousness of how perfect everything is. The only possible niggle with the visuals is the rather scripted damage modeling, that doesn’t really relate to the kinds of crashes and scrapes the car/bike/rig endures. Past that, however, nothing is lacking. Even with a world of paint-scraping agony going on around you, every detail can be seen and appreciated even with all the mud flying around.

And what about that mud, eh? Is that the sexiest brown stuff you’ve ever seen or what? The dusty sections almost manage to evoke a coughing fit, while the soggier pools of mud and the splatters they leave around your motor bring to mind thoughts of straining washing machines and Wellington boots. It’s not just the physics of the slop that amaze either, as the environmental effects stagger the player in a similar fashion. There’s clearly a great deal of skill present in the Evolution team, and they’ve been given time to produce a slick showpiece for the PS3 which taps into areas that many other PS3 titles simply aren’t doing. We’d happily concede that MotorStorm’s premise isn’t anything out of the ordinary; essentially you’re just hammering it around a muddy track avoiding the traffic. There’s a boost button, but that adds little to the mix apart from a welcome feeling of speed when the action dulls a little. Yes, MotorStorm really shouldn’t be this good.

It is though, and most of that comes from the sheer brutal mess of it all. Jostling for position in amongst a mélange of high-speed grinding metal, bashing bikes on one side and big rigs on the other makes for some truly exciting racing. In much the same way that Black stripped things down and started again with the basics, MotorStorm offers pure gaming delights that few will be able to resist. That mix of vehicles also ensures that you’re unlikely to get bored of it for a fair while, as each has its very distinct advantages and disadvantages. The grimy mix of multi-vehicle racing is a very different beast to an all-bike, or all big-rig affair, and it’s possible to arrange your preferred matchups in the online lobby. Whilst the options aren’t massive online, there’s everything you need to create a hugely enjoyable race and little fuss to do so. One clever addition is the absence of headlights on many of the cars, meaning that racing at night actually requires a high degree of track knowledge, something not only rare, but intelligently implemented as well. The online sessions are the kind you might encounter on, say Counter-Strike; there will be big favourites, with setups honed to get the tightest games possible, while other rooms will prefer less common setups for those after a more varied experience. The great achievement is that everyone has a chance. MotorStorm isn’t the kind of precision racer that’s so common now. No, the joy comes from the constant battle with your motor, as well as everyone else’s, as you struggle to keep it from rolling, flipping or just flying off the nearest cliff. Get out in front and whilst things become a little easier, the challenge is still there, as you’re buffeted and abused by a road surface that really, really doesn’t want you to have kids. At no point does MotorStorm ever become anything less than great fun.

That’s the most important aspect really. With an online mode – one that’s bound to be supremely popular – MotorStorm has to be one of the top titles on the PS3. Sure, like all things, it has its niggles, but then the simplicity of the game means that those niggles are significantly less irksome than they’d otherwise be. You just can’t fail to enjoy the combination of speed, aggression, excitement and mud that MotorStorm, and only MotorStorm supplies. Buy it with your PS3, get online and kick some butt – you’re going to love it.

Tom Leclerc