What's next for the mud-slick, mountainous, nitrous-charged racer? Where should developer Evolution Studios steer this hotted-up ride?
Digital Foundry : Evolution Studios' Motorstorm is one of the first, finest and most fondly remembered of launch titles for PlayStation 3. It's a release designed to answer the question posed by each new console generation: what makes a game 'next-gen'? With its robust physics engine and massive tracks, Motorstorm serves up a bold affirmative answer to this question, delivering an experience that could never have existed on prior console hardware. At the same time, the path to release was fraught with challenges that almost serve as a microcosm of the PlayStation 3 release situation itself. It was a success, however, with a trilogy of PS3 releases, plus PSP, Vita and even PS2 off-shoots.
After Driveclub and Onrush, the dev team will now contribute to and assist with the development of the upcoming NFS.
I would give anything to have a full compilation of the series remastered to play on PS5 with full DS support. Feeling the deformation of the tracks as you race in pacific rift or the snow laden tracks in arctic edge... that would be sweet.
Yes MotorStorm World Tour for PS5 damn it Sony make it. The Desert, Pacific Islands, The Arctic and City races.
Motorstorm Pacific rift was awesome! I think MotorStorm: Apocalypse was what killed the franchise due to its change of direction...
Pacific rift is the best (IMO) but apocalypse wasnt what killed it. At least it was still somewhat of a MS game. The RC one is really a departure from the norm. None of which were bad as they were all fun in their own ways.
RC was a blast to play on Vita.
Apocalypse had unfortunate timing due to the 3/11 earthquake in Japan. I never got around to playing that one.
Evolution had some harsh experiences. I had Driveclub from launch and the server issues weren't that bad and certainly didn't prevent you from enjoying the game.
Agree Apocalypse didn't kill it, it's just racing games in general just became less popular nearing the end of the PS360 generation as it was flooded with medicore racers and the extremely niche but enjoyable ones like Motorstorm, Blur, Spilt Second, and Forza Horizon (still going strong, but actual sales have been decent fro a racer, and often expanded by console bundles and now GamePass)
But since the PS4/XBO generation had a lack of arcade racers, it's a prime time for games like this to come back.
I've said for the longest, the additional income of PS+ Premium should be used for, Remastering, Remaking, or recreating sequels / spinoffs of classic PS franchises to launch into the service. Many PS3 games fit this mold of looking good enough that a quick remaster to 4K@60 with better texture maps would give them near PS4 quality.
Remasters: A game like Motorstorm look good enough where it can simply be remastered in 4K @ 60fps, and have better textures for mud, mountains/rock structures, and vehicles and it would hold up WELL.
Remakes: Games like Legend of Dragoon, Warhawk (could be a simple remaster also), and so many others could get remakes like FF7.
Recreates: Shorter sequels/prequels/spin-offs to other classic PS IPs like how Infamous First Light / Blood Festival (BF was a highly underrated vampire game) and Uncharted Lost Legacy. Give spin-offs to things like Heavenly Sword, The Order 1886 (1786 or 1986), Puppeteer, Tokyo Jungle, and more.
This is also why Sone NEEDS to get PS3 emulation up and running. It gets rid of all the PS3 server farms and replaces it with software that can work on EVERY future PS console with updated coding.
At bare minimum emulation could double the resolution and framerates of all PS3 games making many of them 1440p@60fps without any real work, and a few 4k@60fps.
As for full-on remakes again updating to 4K@60fps with completely revamped textures, and an option for 1440p@60fps with global illumination can make these games shine with a new lease on life.
Also I'm still waiting on my DriveClub 1440p@60fps update 😭
Apocalypse was actually pretty good i don't think that's what killed the series. PR was the best though.
I was late to PS3 and Pacific Rift was the first game I picked up on it... huge miss to not have one on PS4, hope it gets some love on PS5 (as well as Ridge Racer and Wipeout).
Never really got into it myself I remember getting it with ps3 and being a bit underwhelmed I preferred the RC version they did for vita 🙌🏻🤣
Going from ps2 to ps3 was not underwhelming when I first played motorstorm, it was like nothing we'd ever seen before ?
Each to their own didn’t like it myself. 🤷🏻♂️✌🏻 ;I didn’t say going from ps2/3 was underwhelming just the launch game motorstorm, bit different but hey ho.
PS3 was a slow burner for me it’s my least favourite Sony console, maybe as I had my 360 as my main at that point but yeah wasn’t impressed with first couple of years to be honest but that’s just me. Once uncharted MGS4 GT5 Last of us GTA4/5 dropped sure but launch games weren’t all that imo. Resistance was alright wasn’t as big a change as ps4 or even now ps5 for me. PS3 took out rumble and basically went HD it’s wasn’t exactly a revolutionary start. 🤷🏻♂️✌🏻 ;
Robert Workman (Prima Games): Sony experimented with its cloud-based PlayStation Now service over the past several months, but few people took advantage of it due to the high prices. After all, who wants to pay $40 to rent Earth Defense Force 2025 for 90 days when you can buy it on your PS3 for $20 at GameStop? That said, the company remedied this problem with the introduction of a new subscription model that kicks off next week. Whether you pay $19.99 a month or $44.99 for three months, there's more value offered with this program.
With that, over 100 games will be available at launch to choose from, with unlimited play for each of the titles (without extra fees). These include a number of obscure games and popular favorites. With that in mind, we have 10 suggestions for what you should play after signing up, so you can get the most from your seven-day trial.
I will be on board with this as soon as they can offer the completely lineup of specific franchises. I don't want to sign up to play Uncharted if I can't play parts 2 and 3. Likewise I don't want to play Killzone 3 when I haven't played 1 or 2.
Well I never played Killzone 1 and I've been enjoying the series since 2.
Heard mixed stuff about k1.
But I have to agree with Uncharted. You gotta play them all!
I mean I played Shadow Fall on the PS4 without playing any of the other KZ games and I really enjoyed it, so I definitely want to go back to experience all the others.
Same with Infamous, since Second Son was my first game in the series.
Hmm... Only 3 are must plays in my opinion. But that's my opinion. Not the author's nor yours. Only mine.
Evolution Studios has been known for World Rally Chapionship and the Motorstorm series now Evolution Studios is creating the upcoming Driveclub game but will they ever return to the Motorstorm series?
I hope so, but I am glad they took a break from the series to make DriveClub. Hopefully they rotate between MotorStorm and DriveClub for making new installments
True, the only problem I had with this is that Polyphony already make the Gran Turismo series so there's no need for another simulation racing game for the Playstation Motorstorm is unique but I'll wait and see how Driveclub does.
The thing is though is that DriveClub isn't a pure simulation racer like Gran Turismo. Evolution even said the following
“It sits in the middle between simulation and arcade. It’s grounded in realism, so the cars have a sense of weight, a tactile feel with the road, but we want to make sure it’s easy to throw them around the corners, it’s all about having fun with the cars."
That's precisely why I cant wait to play DriveClub. A racing game with intense speed and is more about fun than recreating a realistic driving feeling is what Im craving to play
If Driveclub is a success I doubt they will go back to Motorstorm, instead they will continue with the Driveclub ip.
Both IP s can exist, they can take the destruction and layer it on the Driveclub engine and add weather effects and I'd buy it in a heart beat, every one of the motorstorms have sold well on PS3.. the first one selling the best, but still amazing
Gonna try DriveClub but Motorstorm is more my type of racer.
Hope it comes back.
Yeah I'm more into arcade racers but I do like to play simulation racers sometimes too.
The last one crashed and burnt in terms of sales and was no critical darling either. They have to make another one so not to leave the MotorStorm legacy forever tarnished.
Yea but only because the timing of a game about an apocalypse being released when the world had an apocalypse which then caused it to be either banned or delayed in many places around the world.
It was really poor timing. It did suffer because of that catastrophe. I had a lot of fun with it and I would like to see more.
I sure hope so!
Although MotorStorm Apocalypse didn't have a massive success(Sony fault!), it's the one I enjoyed the most.
Unfortunately, I think if Driveclub doesn't succeed, MotorStorm won't came back. Maybe Sony even close the studio.
I was a huge fan of this series going into, and even after, Motorstorm PR -- Now, not so much. I think the direction they've taken has sent it off the track and with it, my radar all together.
I wish Sony and Evolution all the best, but they won't get my money with this one as they had with MS and MSPR. And if they do it'll be used or if they graciously decide to toss it up on the PSN as a download. That I will buy into.
I wonder if a speedboat version of MotorStorm would be possible. Kind of like Jet Moto or Hydro Thunder with hurricanes, maybe?
Moon Racing! Yeah Boy! Motorstorm Space Racer.
Only two options. One, go global. Instead of just one island, several different countries. You can drive through the jungles of Africa, the swamps of Louisiana, Deserts of Eygpt etc. They could even keep the apocalyptic theme if they wanted. Or Two,futuristic space.Future Lunatics find a way to modify their vehicles to drive on planetary surfaces and decide to race on every planet in the solar system including the Moon (but not Jupiter. It isn't very solid if I remember correctly). It would be awesome to race a monster truck across the red planet to victory.
After playing the demo I popped the first game into my PS3, the one that me hooked for the best part of 2007. Back then I didn't care for splitscreen, rumble or 16 tracks, imo the game was just perfect the way it was. Tracks like Grizzly, Dust Devil, Sidewinder Gulch, it was great pushing a rallycar through one of those. The drivingphysics were perfect, and you needed skill to maintain a high speed. Online was great, with simple but functional lobbies instead of matchmaking.
From what I've seen of MS Apocalypse I get the impression the driving itself takes a backseat. It's all speed, destruction, chaos and kaboom. I'm sure it looks pretty in 3D, but I can't help thinking what the hell ever happened to my favorite off-road racer. Games can change, I guess the changes they made in MotorStorm are just not for me, and it's probably still good fun for others, but I will unite with the lunatics later this year.