MotorStorm [PS3]

In fact the aggressive way the AI cars react, not only to you but to each other, often plays a big part in the outcome of races. If you nudge an opponent into a rock they'll come back at you, slamming into your tail until you spin off. Admittedly they're not so evil that the entire pack will hunt you down if you go around ramming other cars, but a careless side-swipe could lead to a revenge attack that costs you a win.

Nowhere is this fierce AI more evident than on some of the later tickets in the game. By the time you reach the fourth difficulty level, which is roughly 15 out of 21 tickets in, finishing anywhere near the top three - which you need to do to progress to the next round - is a constant struggle. Get embroiled with another car and you'll almost always come off worse, either losing the racing line or being wiped out completely. Even if you get ahead of the pack you can't afford to make a single mistake, otherwise the other 14 racers will be all over your backside, viciously fighting for first.

As such, playing MotorStorm on the later levels can be quite a frustrating experience, because all too often you'll be having the race of your life, only to make a mistake - a tiny one at that - on the final bend and up out of the competition. We don't mind a stiff challenge, but when the other drivers seem to have an unfair advantage - they rarely make mistakes and will pretty much always beat you in one-on-one jostles for positions - it can be a bit annoying.

Thankfully, there's some respite to be had from other drivers in the form of the turbo boost. As anyone who's been following MotorStorm will already know, boosting out of corners and over jumps holds the key to winning races. Likewise, most will already know that if you boost for too long your engine will overheat and your car will explode. Learning when to best use turbo is a game in itself then, working out when a few precious seconds of speed boost really makes the different.

This is especially true when it comes to the online game. Rather than offering a traditional catch-up feature, MotorStorm gives any racers trailing at the back of the pack extra turbo boost which, if used correctly, gives them the chance of rejoining the front runners. In practice it works really well, with players of varying skill levels competing on a much more even playing field. Naturally it can be turned off though, in which case the turbo boost works in exactly the same way as the single-player.

In fact MotorStorm's multiplayer game is just as enjoyable as the single-player experience, possibly even more so. Admittedly the menus look a bit half-finished, but in-game every race is just as intense when you're competing against 11 other human racers as it is against AI opponents, plus you've got a better (or at least equal) chance of coming out on top in a fight for first. Nobbling other human players is infinitely more satisfying than ramming a faceless computer car too. In other words, anyone who's considering buying MotorStorm should definitely make sure they get their PS3 online, otherwise they really will be missing out on a huge, extremely enjoyable chunk of what is one of the best launch games for PS3.

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