Customer Reviews

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To tell you the truth, I didn't particularly care for Motorstorm when I played it on the PS3. But then I started reading about this one and I got excited that it was coming to PS2 (I don't own a PS3, and I don't want one). I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting into considering there weren't very many reviews (Currently a rating of 72 out of 100 on Metacritic), but I had a blast with this game and I can say that it's the most fun I've had with a racing game in years. I sure wish Sony would do this with all their franchises. Release them on PS3 first, then put an entry in the franchise on PS2. Here's my opinion for why I think you should buy this game.
WHAT THE GAME IS: Welcome to Northern Alaska. It's time to compete in a number of racing events and unlock tons of cool stuff. This game is a destructive racing title, as the franchise has been known for. There's no actual storyline behind it, you just race lots of awesome vehicles in awesome tracks.
GRAPHICS: These aren't the greatest graphics you'll see on the PS2, but in a day and age where PS2 releases are slimming down as each month goes by, it looks pretty good and the developer did actually put effort into the detail of everything. All the levels are very well-designed, interesting to look at, and full of all sorts of paths. This area is pretty good for the most part, but there are some texture issues.
MUSIC: This game is loaded with all sorts of music from different bands and it fits the mood pretty well. It certainly gets the blood pumping and they go along with the intense races quite well.
SOUND: There's plenty of crashing noises, explosions, and the vehicles do seem to sound realistic. No gripes with this area.
GAMEPLAY: This is the real meat of the game. It doesn't matter what event you compete in, they are all fast-paced, intense, and adrenaline-pumping. There are a dozen tracks in the game, 24 unlockable vehicles, 34 vehicle upgrades, and plenty of other modes to unlock as you go along. You get all sorts of vehicles such as big rigs, dirt bikes, dune buggies, snowmobiles, rally cars, and more. These vehicles do control well most of the time, but I felt that the snowmobiles where somewhat iffy because it felt as the controls for that vehicle were slippery. As you'd expect from a racing game, you go up in rank as you compete in events and complete the task given to you such as placing first or getting through obstacles at a certain speed. There are other events as well, but there are too many to count. For the most part, these events are simple and even casual gamers can get into it. To drive your vehicle you must press R2 and L2 to reverse. You can use boost whenever you want on any vehicle with a simple holding down of the X button, but don't use it beyond the boundaries of the gauge limit, otherwise you will explode. Beware of running into walls otherwise you may crash or spin out of control. You can also cause your other opponents to crash and nothing beats the sight of seeing a motorcyclist fly through the air like a rag doll. Multiplayer unfortunately suffered problems because the split-screen mode seemed cramped and it seemed more difficult to race because of camera issues during multiplayer. It's still fun and you and your friend will still have a good time, but the camera does dampen the experience. Despite snowmobile and camera issues during multiplayer, this game is still a blast to play and the gameplay and controls work as they should.
OVERALL: Looking for a new racing game on PS2, or just looking for a new fun PS2 game? Then Motorstorm: Arctic Edge is the perfect choice in this day and age of dwindling PS2 releases. This game is addictive, adrenaline-pumping, exciting, and destructive and you will have a hard time putting it down. A perfect holiday gift.
THE GOOD: Good graphics, good music, great gameplay, lots of unlockables, lots of vehicles and modes, and tons of destructive gameplay.
THE BAD: Slippery snowmobile controls, camera problems during multiplayer, and some texture problems.

Motorstorm is a (near) next-generation racing experience on the PS2. The graphics are great, the presentation is slick, the controls are good, the vehicle variety is cool, wipeouts and explosions are wild, the sound is fantastic, the split-screen is fun, etc. If you've been wondering if the PS2 still has any life left in it the answer is "yes" and Motorstorm is the proof! I mean, sure there is no online, no PS3 HD graphics, etc (unlike the previous Motorstorms released for the PS3). But for only 30 bucks (or less) who can complain? This is the closest thing to next-gen experience on the PS2 that I have experienced. So pick this bad boy up and enjoy! Motorstorm is here!

I got this game right after it came out for PS2 and a couple months later I got it for my PSP. The graphics are exceptional compared to most PS2 and PSP games, The festival mode has plenty of events, and it gets extremely competitive near the end. The vehicle customizations are endless, and you'll always have something to do with the free play(called wreckreation, yes "wreck"reation)mode. Almost two years later and I still love playing this game. Even though it's on a different console and made by a different developer, this game holds true to the motorstorm name.