MotorStorm [PS3]

The original E3 trailer for Sony's off-road racer gave the impression of a chaotic, high speed title with incredible visuals. The great news is that, for the most part, that's how the game turned out. Though the in-game graphics aren't quite up to the level of that initial glimpse, they're still impressive. There are some truly large tracks, taking place around and on top of the buttes of Monument Valley, Arizona, and the integrated environmental footage is really quite spectacular.

The gameplay is based around a burning-man type festival, where you compete in various groups of races, using one of seven vehicle types from motorcycles and ATVs up through buggies and trucks to big rigs. Naturally, this makes for some chaotic moments on the track as vehicles of varying speed and weight boost and bump each other into obstacles or off cliffs. The physics come into play more than in most games, as your vehicle reacts to the varied terrain and jostling from other racers. Crashes are commonplace as well, as players collide with boulders or other obstacles, resulting in a rain of parts scattering the track while a flaming chassis flies through the air.

A racing game based around a desert festival naturally has to have some decent music, and though the tunes are mostly from various hard rock bands, there's enough diversity for players to find a good selection they enjoy. The game also features online play for up to twelve players, and though the implementation is pretty bare, it gets the job done. There's no two-player offline mode to go head-to-head, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a great game and another solid new property for Sony. [4/5]