MotorStorm [PS3]

MotorStorm's graphics serve to showcase the power of PS3. Vehicles are modeled in minute detail, and collisions make all that complexity turn into catastrophic debris. You'll also witness your ride constantly getting dirtier and more damaged as the race progresses. Mud will literally cake onto your hood before your eyes. Environments are eerily realistic, and each track has its own unique goodies: dino skeletons, hot air balloons, etc. The odd bit of popup and slowdown does happen and replays are absent, but by and large this is an absolutely beautiful game.

Does MotorStorm have its share of problems? Yes, it does -- quite a few, in fact. The beauty of the game, however, is that you don't really care about most of its shortcomings. You're having way too much fun blazing along, with all your senses being assaulted and tantalized, to pay them much mind. You have to retry a race for the 10th time because you took dead last again? Bring it on! Vehicles crash too easily? Hey, that just means you get to watch the destruction unfold more often! What will knock the wind out of your sails a little more severely are the lack of race options (why can't you just pick a track/vehicle for offline single-player?), and the fact that vehicle control isn't as responsive as in other games.

MotorStorm's online multiplayer puts a lot of next-gen titles to shame. It supports 12 player-controlled vehicles racing simultaneously. You'll never tire of the varied strategies and goofy behavior exhibited by your online opponents, and it's a great way to enjoy this game. It's still a shame that this -- along with more and more next-gen titles -- are missing local multiplayer. We accept the fact that the performance will suffer with split-screen; we still want to do it.

The audio deserves some praise as well. No expense was spared to provide a killer soundtrack. Songs by Nirvana and Slipknot are instantly recognizable, but even the lesser-known artists pack some power and perfectly complement the action. The sound effects are just as intense as everything else, and add to the experience.

Finally, Motorstorm gives PlayStation 3 owners another reason to make their 360- and Wii-owning friends jealous. MotorStorm is one of the best original next-gen offerings so far, a truly unique racer, and just a kick-butt video game overall. While we look to a sequel to fix the complaints, no PS3 owner should pass up the chance to get swept away by MotorStorm.