MotorStorm: Arctic Edge

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge

If the previous title in the Motorstorm series, Pacific Rift, was the racing game equivalent of a Super Mario fire world, complete with volcanic larva and a wilting sun, Arctic Edge is the ice level, all endless snow drifts and icy slush.

While this, the first handheld title in the Motorstorm series, is the first to be developed by BigBig, the slick, good-looking visuals and fast-paced off-road racing will be familiar to its many fans. This is good news for Sony, who no doubt hopes that, alongside the sim-like Gran Turismo PSP, this arcade racer can help revive its somewhat ailing handheld platform.

Featuring 12 tracks, all of which are split into four distinct zones, you’re once again able to choose from a wide variety of different off-road vehicle types, all of which race against one another simultaneously. The result is a frantic scrabble across the cold Alaskan countryside, the sheer spectacle and kinetic excitement of huge trucks tearing jostling for position with snow buggies and motorbikes an immediate highlight. BigBig are no strangers to the handheld, having created the impressive Pursuit Force and its sequel, Extreme Justice and their ability to draw the very best from the technology is plain to see. Indeed, Arctic Edge is one of the most visually arresting games on the system, its steady framerate and wide-open vistas acting as a late-blooming showcase for the PSP.

The main campaign is engaging and compelling. You earn points for your performance in every event that count towards an overall rank. While most of the time you’ll be racing circuits for pole position in the game’s 100 challenges, bonus stages can be unlocked with different win criteria. The circuit design throughout the game is excellent, Snowgod Canyon’s giant leaps complemented by Log Jam’s down-to-earth lumberyard and Vertigo’s thrilling down hills.

The eight vehicle classes, however, represent something of a mixed bag, the giant Big Rigs too slow to respond to inputs, the rally cars too quick. However, a gentle difficulty curve, supplemented by some average AI competition, ensures that the game rarely puts up an insurmountable challenge. In fact, it’s fair to say that this is a far easier game than its PlayStation 3 counterparts, a fact that will count as a positive or a negative depending on your skill.

A multiplayer option for up to six competitors over both ad hoc local play and online infrastructure mode provides additional challenge for when you’re tired of facing up to the computer. Indeed, this generous functionality reflects the sheer attention to deal the rest of the game has enjoyed. Far from being a second rate spin-off to the series, Arctic Edge feels like a core entry, the polish, production value and design easily comparable to that of the earlier games. Whether it has the power and style to overtake Sony’s own Gran Turismo this Christmas, however, remains to be seen.

4 out of 5