Does MotorStorm hold up to its mega-million predecessor? YES.
Yes.
Similar to the first one, it holds it key to speeds with improvements and double the maps. The original one only held 8 maps excluding downloadable content. Pacific Rift holds 2 for 4 elements represented in the game. The game itself is based on a lush tropical island with the races are based on. The elements are fire, water, air, and earth. Four maps are exclusive to each element and are based around it.
Your main objective is to race to first among 96 challenges, which you unlock more and more as you progress further through. These challenges involve around racing with time limits and wreck limits as well. Being done with all this, there is online to rank up in racing, as well as time trials beating the game developer's ghosts.
As for gameplay, there is a multitude of accessible vehicles to choose from, which you unlock throughout the game. Just like the last game, it has motorcycles to big rigs. The actual racing is fast and decisive in itself with beautiful scenery all around. It seems all great, with the visuals able to make up its idea of what its suppose to be. There is the ability of using "boost" to keep up and go ahead of your opponents. Unlike other racing games, you are given unlimited boost, but limited use. Over use of this will having your vehicle into an explosion. Seeming like a downside, it isn't. This explosion can help you to the finish line if you use it wisely, as your flying carcass can finish it up for you. And the use as a weapon. Explosions can knock off other vehicles and also detonate them. There is a gauge for seeing your boost, it's all 'kay for this. Boosts are effected by heat and stuff like that. Effects are water and fire. Water, where you're cruising your truck through the river or riding your ATV inside a waterfall, your boost will go down hecka much faster or go up much slower. This will happen with fire too. It your near or driving over fire, or jumping over lava, your boost gauge will go on fire which let's you have the opposite effect. So, really, water is good but it can actually let your towing power go slow.
People in the game be often pushy. You know what they say, if they push back, push them harder. This really depends on vehicles, let's say, do you think you can push a car down a cliff by slapping that thing with a motorcycle? Nope, use a truck. Another added gameplay is that every course has routes for those designated drivers. Trucks can only go straight, while, a car for say, or buggy, and go one with everything else. Each vehicle class has its up and downs which makes this game quite balanced through its rough outside appearance. Motorcyclers or buggy-ests cannot go through water hazards as, it won't end good for you or your driving friend. And, no, no one can go through lava. Some areas are restricted just for that special class, there are, in some courses, where there are holes in the wall just big enough for a motorcycle-man or tall enough or an ATV.
For graphics, the moving objects and real-tracks give it the feeling of speed, and fast movement. It's practically moving art that you drive on, well, virtually. There are destructible environments and the ever-so dreadful flat surface texture. Really, the destruction against the vehicle isn't so beautiful unlike some other games(...ahem*Burnout*ahem), but its good and colorful to say. There is people flying out here where you can select player models to use, boy from girl. Choose one please. Rag doll physics when you crash on to something, which you can do it you are bad at driving(like me) or some guy smashes you hard onto that rocky wall.
Online is practical and simple. It consists of people head-on-head to win on a randomly selected course. It is between either 2 modes; Ranked or Casual. Ranked matches is where you compete to first for leveling up your rank. The better place you get, the more experience points you are given. Casual is the same thing but without the intents of losing points when you began to start playing 'horrible', just the sheer fun. Seems that there is ALWAYS that guy who is better than you in every race. When you are done with the game, do some trophy challenges for fun, such as, err, ahem "The Money Shot Trophy: Boost Explode to Win 10 Matches." ...Yeah.
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Try and get this game. It's great, and a justly different racing game among others. It's all about the fun and enjoy-ness in it. If you don't have money, get a loan, or (not recommended), take some money from your parents, or more better, ASK some money from your parents. This game has some problems like its physics, but is fun. I like it. Get it.