As questionable reimaginings go, it's up there with making Red Faction: Armageddon a corridor shooter and turning GoldenEye into a CoD clone.
The switch to radio-controlled cars and an isometric view utterly divorces the game from its trademark impact and bustling sense of competition. Festival mode homages the last four games with 16 tracks from Monument Valley, an island paradise, artic wastes and an 'apocalyptic' city, but this just highlights how emotionless and dull it all is.
Urban wasteland? More like Slough car park. Courses are micro-scaled, and forget moving parts and triggered events, the bread and butter of the main games.
Some race types are moreish. Hot Lap hones your skills and familiarizes you with tracks, ending only when you've caught three icons of different speeds, while drift events demonstrate how handling changes from monster truck to muscle car to mini.
Admittedly, there's a decent sense of speed, but cheaper, better racers exist on the App Store. Nothing differentiates this besides more accurate twin stick controls (accelerate with the right stick, turn with the left) and slightly crisper visuals.
Comments
16 comments so far...
sagiram on 21 Feb '12 said:
have you guys even played the game? as i understand it the vita is not on par with the ps3 for many things ,.hmmmm i think not....
also you say you can obtain cheaper racing games hmmmm £4.97 for a game that you get 2 versions of...ps vita and ps3 strange that.....also as i understand there is 4 way split screen capabilities via the ps3 amongst leaderboards and different methods of racing against people world wide....maybe you should try the full title later today and then review your review
clayf1ghter on 22 Feb '12 said:
First bad review I've read on this one. I'm gonna get it anyway I love the motorstorm series and I used to love micro machines. It's less than a fiver so gotta be worth a punt.
flash501 on 22 Feb '12 said:
It's absolutely criminal that this doesn't have an online mode. In this day and age, a micro machines clone like this is pointless without an online mode!
dwhlufc on 22 Feb '12 said:
Absolutely no way you've played this CVG,unfortunately psn doesn't have the app store so that's a stupid comparison right there and the best thing on the app store is Draw Race which isn't as big as this,cost £2 and you get one version.
Idiots.
svd_grasshopper on 22 Feb '12 said:
to criticise this for not bring like the big motorstorm games is to say the least, missing the point - and retarded, quite frankly.
and WTF are they talking about the app store... this is for ps3/vita. if there is a better knockabout racer for these platforms at £4, please speak up. this sounds like great value, cross platform play, and even has a platinum.
this reviewer needs two slaps. the review is plain wrong.
the descent continues...
dwhlufc on 22 Feb '12 said:
Two platinums if you own a vita & ps3 mate.
TheLastDodo on 22 Feb '12 said:
This review has to be an inside joke surely? I've read more detailed reviews from tweens on iTunes and they stick rainbows and smileys in their reviews
. Nevermind written during lunch hour, was this written during a toilet break?
I have literally no idea how the reviewer even arrived at the 6.1 score.
voodoo341 on 22 Feb '12 said:
Huh!!!
Mmmmgrolsch on 23 Feb '12 said:
This is the worst review I've read on this site and that's saying something. Reviews are down to personal taste but to compare it to the original motorstorms? When it's a RC racer? Seriously?
And to say there are cheaper and better games on the 'App' store???? This isn't for the f**king iPhone! It's for the Vita. Next you're going to review a 360game and say there are cheaper and better games on Nintendo's Game store!
Ellscore on 23 Feb '12 said:
Can I just say that this game is awesome. Its a quirky, fun, addictive, fast, RC racer. It has that trials "wanna do better" feel. It costs just £4.97 and the criticisms on here do not tally at all with the game I'm playing on my PS3. Think micro machines EVOLVED (not micro machine clone). I f**cking love this game!!
10699 on 23 Feb '12 said:
I'm glad i'm not the only person who thought this was a poorly written and misjudged review. I gotta say Ben, you've missed the point entirely here, and it deserves a re-write.
Look at the reviews across the web, it's meta-ing 86% (highest rated vita game can i add) and I got it last night and its cracking little racer. Plus 4.79 for two versions, and fantastically addictive, highly accessible gameplay, not to mention the size of the game, make this fantastic value. There is not a racer thats as good on itunes, and if you can name it and say why I'll take that back.
I always think cvg's reviews are fair and not as harsh as say edge can be, but this is a travesty!
The Bossman on 24 Feb '12 said:
I disagree entirely, it's an 8/10 game. It's cheap, we knew it wasn't a full on Motorstorm game, it's addictive and it's fun.
udobald on 24 Feb '12 said:
Red Faction Armageddon was a great game.
coruscant on 24 Feb '12 said:
As with the others I have to say this is a terrible review. Motorstorm RC is a very fun little racer with a lot of content and fun for the price. The cars handle as you'd imagine RC cars would but it's quite easy to get the hang on them. For gamers on the go it's good because it is easy to drop into an event. Also I found it quite addictive to play, trying to perfect my lap times against the Motorstorm time. The only thing I didn't like were the controls for acceleration, which you can (and I did) change.
Kegs11 on 26 Feb '12 said:
What an utter load of rubbish.
Did the reviewer even play the game or just read about it?
For one, name me just one game on the app store that has 3D functionality?
Oh, that come as a shock to the reviewer? That Motorstorm RC supports stereoscopic 3D? Wouldnt surprise me.
"Hot Lap hones your skills and familiarizes you with tracks, ending only when you've caught three icons of different speeds."
Those "icons" are called medals. Something Im sure you would know if you`d actually played the game.
"Drift events demonstrate how handling changes from monster truck to muscle car to mini."
Hahaha, you can only compete in drift events in a Muscle Car. Another instance where you have clearly NOT played the game.
"forget moving parts and triggered events, the bread and butter of the main games."
Err, only Motorstorm Apocalypse had triggered events, so now you are demonstrating a complete lack of knowledge about the series as well. So how the hell do you know what the Motorstorm Ethos is to say it doesnt get it right?
Something else you clearly missed is that with a good friends list this game just comes alive. Social interaction within this game is amazing, as soon as you`ve beaten a friends time, you can instantly send the time as a challenge along with a personalized taunt. Oh, but as the reviewer probably doesnt have friends, how would he know of this?
dwhlufc on 26 Feb '12 said:
Well said,my money is on this clown only playing the trial and reviewing it.
I think CVG should hold there hands up and actually get someone to play it and review it properly.The site already has extremely low credibility for its reviews and this just hammers home why.