Previews// Motorstorm Apocalypse

By default, the 'Look At' function is assigned to the Triangle button – along with a new control scheme that's slightly different to that in Pacific Rift. While you can select a classic configuration if you'd rather, this new format moves the left and right ramming attacks to the Square and Circle buttons respectively. Handbrake and camera change is swapped onto L1 and R1 as a result. The aim is to make it easier to flitter from boost to ram using your thumb.

That boost continues to be your main method for shaving lap times and getting ahead of the pack, but with the mayhem that takes place on the track, you'll be more mindful of going too fast around a corner – especially when that corner is set in a dilapidated subway with escalators dotted around the place. It can be easier to crash if you don't pay attention. Then you have the classic boost overload to think about – hold the button for too long and your vehicle explodes.

Overall, there's a real sense of chaos and urgency that's present in Motorstorm Apocalypse that couldn't be found in the first two games. Maybe it's the cars launching overhead as you come out of a subway. Maybe it's the flurry of Crazies, military and other NPCs that scramble around the city in a blind bid for safety – and you being able to hit them in a satisfying manner. Maybe it's the ground collapsing beneath you as you're about to land a jump. Whatever it is, the game feels like a real rollercoaster ride.

And unlike its closest rival, Disney's Split/Second, replaying tracks over and over again to get a better time doesn't get boring – the scripted scenes are somewhat more impressive on a visual level. In the single-player Festival mode, this won't be a problem anyway – Evolution tells me that you will never play the same event twice, and a return to a specific location will maintain any previous structural damage from the last race, meaning the entire city will continue to destroy itself beyond what you have previously seen.

In an attempt to make the game more accessible, the Festival mode is split into three playable characters, each representing a difficulty level. Play through the 48-hour career with the beginner 'Rocky' character and you'll unlock the middling 'Survivor', and then onto the 'Veteran' named Big Dog. With regards to rubber-banding AI, Evolution is keen to maintain that feeling of constantly having 15 other racers on your back, but without making their challenges too relentless.

The multiplayer modes sound promising too, although I have yet to see these in action – the plan is to have up to 16 players racing online on one track, with a level structure that sounds similar to that of Bizarre's recent arcade hit Blur. Rather than earn more points by winning races however, experience is gained by betting points on opponents that you believe you can reasonably win against. Win consecutive times and you earn multipliers that help you level up quicker.

A whole host of customisation and user-generated content options will be available too, including Perks that are awarded to those on a lower skill level than their rivals. These provide Boost, Handling and Combat upgrades to suffering players. Other options involve body parts, body shells, vinyls, stickers and paint jobs for your vehicle to make yourself stand out.

The part that sounds the best to me, however, is the promise of four-player split-screen online play. If you want my opinion, every multiplayer game needs a feature like this (Halo's the only other game that comes to mind that supports this, but let us know in the comments if you can think of more).

The most interesting feature is a Mode Creator, which enables players to build 'rules' that help construct an entirely new multiplayer game. An example I was given was something along the lines of “if two vehicles come into contact, they both blow up” - string a bunch of sentences such as this together, and you have the potential for huge scope in the different modes.

Motorstorm Apocalypse will be displayed at E3, with more information bound to appear shortly after. You can bet that we will keep you updated on all the latest information on this impressive-looking sequel.


Don't forget to read our interview with Evolution lead designer Paul Rustchynsky.