Motorstorm just got dirt in it's face.
Fortunately unlike ATV and more recently Baja: Edge of Control, Pure is ahead of the competition, and after playing this and comparing it to Motorstorm, the race has just got seriously competitive. Pure mixes the mad stylings of SSX and plonks the boarders on bikes but still manages to encapture the exhilerating thrills that Motorstorm has been famed for.
Tricks are insane and gain you boost the more do, but the more air you gain, the more comprehensive and totally bonkers the tricks become, from sticking their leg out to literally break dancing on a moped. This excitement is further heightened by the stuning character animations, which are fantastically smooth, and add a sense of realism to what is essentially impossible.
The courses look fantastic and offer much more diversity to those on offer in the original Motorstorm title. Almost photo realistic tracks offer jaw dropping views and tremendous detail but it's all about that small detail - tyre tracks in the mud, bendy plants, dust, wind and splashes. Though compared to Motorstorm, Pure's track are very narrow and don't offer as much variety in choice of direction, but, they are a damn sight better looking.
Controlling your ATV is simple and very easy to get to grips with, whilst tricks are mapped to the face buttons, and though feel very arcadey input, is made up for with the addition of a directional push from the left stick and makes for a control scheme band in the centre to Skate and Tony Hawks, but on a bike not a board.
The option to customise your ATV also is a very in depth and technical process that isn't just there to tweak asthetics but could win you races if it's modified accordingly.
The main competition mode is at first astoundingly quick paced and doesn't grow entirely boring until the last half of this mode, where tracks do repeat themselves greatly and there is no two player split screen which is a big downer for me but when the racing is this good, it's a minor complaint in an otherwise enjoyable racer.
Overall Pure is a new exciting take on the dirt racer that feels fresh and exhilerating. It could have perhaps done with a wider variety of vehicles but this racer is definately more enjoyable than the original Motorstorm and is definately the racer that passes the checkered flag first. Pacific Rift has it's work cut out.