MotorStorm: Pacific Rift

Play UK

The PS3's most dramatic and beautiful racing game. [Issue#172, p.72]

GamingTrend

Fans of Motorstorm will love Pacific Rift.

Game Chronicles

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift is a great sequel that offers more of what we loved in the first game. You have more tracks and better designs and four unique environments, and with streamlined presentation and navigation, challenging AI, and awesome online play when the AI isn't enough, Pacific Rift is the arcade racer to beat.

GameShark

There are a larger variety of vehicles this time around, with additions such as the ATV and monster truck almost bookending the assortment of bikes, buggies, and trucks that you can select.

MEGamers

A very good racing game worth any attention you have left in this very busy gaming season. If you have a break from work or school anytime soon though, keep this game on your shopping list. Racing game fans? Pick it up right now!

Electronic Gaming Monthly

An improvement in every possible way over the original MotorStorm, this is what we all knew the original could be. [Dec 2008, p.76]

Gaming Age

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift is everything I would have hoped for in a MotorStorm sequel. Sure, it still has some of those quirks found in the original that players may love or hate, but Evolution Studios has put together a well-rounded racer that improves greatly on the original in every way.

1UP

As it stands, Pacific Rim edges out "Pure" as the most enjoyable off-road racer on the market.

GamePro

Fans of the previous MotorStorm title or off-road racing in general will definitely enjoy this follow-up. But the easy learning curve and fast-paced action might be enough to keep gamers who don't normally play racing games entertained.

Worth Playing

I definitely enjoyed Motorstorm: Pacific Rift far more than I did the original, and the additional content and race styles do a lot for a game that already had some solid mechanics behind it.

PALGN

Pacific Rift is what the original MotorStorm should have been, and is a must for any racing fans with a knack for destruction and chaos.

ImpulseGamer

In conclusion, MotorStorm 2: Pacific Rift truly delivers on the original game that has improved graphics, better gameplay and new vehicles.

IGN AU

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift has been a long time coming - and has had other off-road contenders like Pure nipping at its heels - but the old magic that made the first one a ripper is back, with more vehicles, loads more tracks and a better implemented online feature set. Unless you hate off-road car games with a venomous passion this is pretty much a must-have.

Extreme Gamer

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift is the perfect treatment for gamers who want a down-and-dirty old school racing experience.

IGN UK

It's the multiplayer that perhaps been given the most love since the last game.

Gamer 2.0

As a sequel to the original, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift does a great job of addressing the major issues that MotorStorm had to give racing fans a much more complete experience for their money.

Console Monster

If you are coming from the original title, there is enough depth here to warrant a purchase, just don’t expect a revolutionary successor to the first game, but more of an evolution to the franchise.

WonderwallWeb

Pacific Rift is an excellent racer, however it’s real strength lies in it’s online multiplayer.

Cheat Code Central

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift takes everything enjoyable about the original (great graphics, hectic races, multi-route tracks, etc.) and adds a lot more variety from the new locale.

GameTrailers

Few driving games will make you clinch your controller this tight or make your eyes water this hard. If you’re looking to sling some mud in the living room without ruining the couch, there are few choices better than Pacific Rift.

DailyGame

If you're looking for a racing game on which to spend your holiday cash, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift definitely deserves a look.

PTGamers

Pacific Rift is all the original should have been. Those who choose to nitpick on it will have to wait an eternity for the perfect game to arrive, while the others are having fun, enjoying its frenetic pace.

NZGamer

Motorstorm 2 gives us the one feature that the original failed to deliver. The game is fun. No more repeated crashes into the side of a cliff because all of the terrain looks identical and you have no idea which way is forward anymore. No more frustratingly difficult AI that is always directly behind you no matter how well you’ve been driving.

PSX Extreme

MotorStorm 2: Pacific Rift delivers the sensation and fun of the original, but with far [fewer] problems. Evolution has crafted an even more outrageous experience that boasts all sorts of chaos, speed, huge jumps, amazing track design, solid replay value, great audio, gorgeous scenery, and absurdly fun online matches.

3DJuegos

Undoubtedly Pacific Rift is much better than the first Motorstorm. Sony and Evolution Studios have been working hard to solve every complaint from the users about the first part. There are a ton of events, the difficulty has been polished and the value of the program is severely increased. Very recommendable for the fans of the wildest speed games.

IGN

A worthy follow-up to one of the PS3's early must-have titles. It fixes a lot of the outstanding issues from last time out, including offering many more tracks, and the course designs are fantastic. The vehicle mixes are sweet, and there are a ton of events to take on.

GameZone

The game is entertaining and a visual treat. The development team did a good job building on the original title, tweaking what needed to be tweaked and leaving the core mechanics intact. If you are looking for a solid, off-road racer, this is a good bet.

Play.tm

Where it excels, and where it innovates, all is rosy, and occasionally exceptional - but where it falls down it can chafe, and it still isn't as balanced and polished as it might be. That being said, Evolution do more than enough to make this a good purchase for fans of the genre.

PSM3 Magazine UK

It's not a huge departure from the original but you'll be hard pressed to find a game that delivers such frantic pace, diverse courses and realistic AI as effortlessly as Pacific Rift.

GameSpot

More content and clever courses make Pacific Rift everything you'd want in a Motorstorm sequel.

LEVEL (Czech Republic)

The first try was a mistake. This time we take Motorstorm without any objections – it’s a great, cool and nice looking racing game with a lot to offer. Best multiplayer ever! [Nov 2008]

VideoGamer

We're still not completely sold on what we believe is an overly harsh handling model that frequently restricts the amount of fun the average gamer can have, but it's not an insurmountable problem. Once you're in the groove you'll find some incredible tracks to scream around at high speed and the online play should provide plenty of longevity.

GameDaily

A lack of options keeps it from being on the same level as other racers, but with 16 person online matches, plenty of tracks and speedier load times, MotorStorm: Pacific Rift is a fast-paced and brutal arcade style romp.

Kikizo

Broader, lusher and better defined than its predecessor, but in reality more of an expansion pack than a sequel - as the subtitle implies.

G4 TV

MotorStorm, both past and present, is also one of the best looking racing games around, though it’s not as photorealistic as a "Gran Turismo."

Hardcore Gamer Magazine

Anyone who owned or played the first MotorStorm and dug it will love MotorStorm: Pacific Rift. It’s as every bit as good as the first, and surpasses it in many areas, such as the tracks and music.

D+PAD Magazine

Frantic, fast-paced and undeniably fun, Pacific Rift is a substantial enough improvement to win over doubters of the original, even if some of the track design and vehicle balancing still isn’t perfect.

Playstation Official Magazine UK

Not fussy like GT or exhaustively varied like Grid, just simple, metal-crunching competition that delivers tons of reckless fun. [Dec 2008, p.96]

Meristation

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift features everything that made the original successful: wild, arcade races with plenty of vehicles to choose. This time, besides, it's done with so much detail that the experience feels fresh and new. 16 different tracks, doubling the original, and with very clever course designs counting on which kind of driver are you. And, of course, a better multiplayer, both online and offline. Definitely a very good refinement.

GameSpy

A very worthy sequel. It doesn't change any of the fundamental aspects of the original's gameplay; it just builds on them and gives you a helluva lot more bang for your buck. And considering that those who saw the original's unrealized potential forgave its imperfections, that's exactly what it had to do.

Jolt Online Gaming UK

When you get down to it, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift is a bit basic in terms of overall structure, but the intense multi-disciplined racing still makes for a fun and relatively unique experience.

games(TM)

We finally have the game we hoped we were getting a year ago. Just. [Dec 2008, p.105]

Gamervision

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift improves on many of its predecessor’s shortcomings without losing any of what worked so well the first time around. In addition to the visual treats it offers, there’s enough speed, competition, and, yes, strategy, to keep players coming back for more insane, off-road action.

Giant Bomb

It still doesn't live up to the unreasonable expectations set by those early Sony E3 trailers, but MotorStorm: Pacific Rift feels much, much closer to realizing that vision than its predecessor. As an off-road racing game, the format is simple, but the execution makes for a wild ride.

BigPond GameArena

It's definitely worth your money if you're a fan of arcade racers.

Gameplayer

The game makes many improvements over the original – it’s just hard to now recommend this title over the many superior racers that arrived in the wake of the first MotorStorm.

AceGamez

MotorStorm: Pacific Rift feels more like a refinement than a revolution, although given the success and quality of the original, this is hardly a bad thing.

Thunderbolt

With a greater sense of brutality, speed, and gut-wrenching track design, the franchise is really beginning to take off.

Gameplanet

A solid racing title that whilst not completely free of issues still manages to be hugely entertaining.

Cynamite

More routes, more jumps, less frustration! A few mini games, more race types and a few more gallons of adrenaline would be great for the third MotorStorm.

Playstation Official Magazine Australia

A title that needed another couple of months in the oven. [Christmas 2008, p.68]

Eurogamer Portugal

Motorstorm Pacific Rift is tagged by the lack of a Single Player experience capable of offering a desire for replayability. The game offers a good sense of brutality, velocity and chaos, but the multiplayer experience is the best of all.

Games Master UK

Eye-pleasing, accessible and entertaining but lacking long-lasting depth. [Dec 2008, p.60]

Armchair Empire

If you can deal with the control scheme issues and the quirkiness of the game, you will enjoy playing MotorStorm: Pacific Rim if you can’t, you probably will have a good bout of controller tossing after you get screwed out of a race by some nonsensical bull.

Game Informer

As a racer, Pacific Rift hits all the gears – it just lacks that extra one to kick things into overdrive.

Total Video Games

MotorStorm Pacific Rift retains the same charms that MotorStorm offered but, as with the original game, there's just not enough variation in the single-player campaign because the race modes on offer are fairly rudimentary.

Eurogamer

The inconsistent quality of Pacific Rift's tracks and vehicles ultimately gets the better of it

Edge Magazine

Pacific Rift certainly feels a more complete game than its predecessor, but the state of the art has moved on considerably since the original wowed at launch. [Dec 2008, p.87]

Level7.nu

With the first Motorstorm we were amazed by the stunning graphics, spectacular crashes and the aggressive AI. With Pacific Rift we are treated to some great new environments and courses but the developer Evolution Studios hasn't really found their direction for this sequel. Four player co-op is great but the news here aren't enough to redeem uneven graphics, unpredictable crashes and lack of direction.

PS3bloggen.se

Despite fulfilling all the promises they made to fans of the first game - split screen action, more vehicles on screen and larger levels - Evolution Studios haven't really dared to do too many new things. The graphics haven't been sharpened enough and the game feels more like MotorStorm 1.5 than a sequel. Fun, but not much more.

Game Revolution

Motorstorm: Pacific Rift might be the game its progenitor wanted to be, but it isn’t quite the game it could be when compared to its peers. Pacific Rift is a competent, robust, and fun racer, but not a particularly deep or innovative one.

Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

The core racing experience makes the misstep of celebrating failure rather than making the actual winning of races definable fun. [Dec 2008, p.90]

TheSixthAxis

The major issue here is one of expectations; Pacific Rift falls well short of them. Motorstorm was a stellar introduction to the PS3 and the sequel feels like a watered-down, consumer-friendly game that doesn’t add up to the sum of its parts. If you’re looking for an arcade racer there’s more on the market than back in March 2007, and many of these have made advances while Pacific Rift is stuck in Motorstorm’s beautifully realised mud.