by Robert Workman on Tuesday, September 16, 2008
A few minutes into playing Pure, and you'll probably get the feeling that you've played this game before. That's because the first racing effort out of Disney Interactive Studios' has a familiar vibe to other racers such as the SSX series and THQ's MX vs. ATV franchise. It's fun to play, exciting to watch and loaded with options for you and your friends.
You'll jump right into World Tour mode and learn everything you need to succeed in Pure. You hold the right trigger to accelerate, the left trigger to brake and use the face buttons for two functions – performing stunts and using boost. There are three stunt buttons available, divided into simple, intermediate and expert. You can perform simple tricks at any time without boost power, but you'll need to wisely conserve energy to do complicated ones. The more aerial stunts you perform, the higher your boost meter gets. Fill it, and you can perform a super stunt by pressing the two bumper buttons while in mid-air, refilling the boost meter for extra speed and temporarily multiplying your points. There's also a stunt modifier button for gutsy tricksters, along with a pre-load control system for extra air (hold down on the analog stick and press up right before you leave the ground).
Aside from the controls, you have a couple of other things to enjoy across Pure's 12 tracks. There are multiple shortcuts available, some leading to jumps and others revealing tight corridors that could lead to a crash if you veer off-course. There are also bloodthirsty computer driven players that don't hesitate to play catch-up after you think you've left them in the dust. The single-player campaign has several stages, each ramping up in difficulty as you go. It's the kind of comfortable progression that a good racing game should have, rather than one that starts you on kiddie wheels and then ramps up the challenge on the next course.
Pure allows you to custom-design your bike and rider's uniform. There are several licensed parts to build your bike with, but most of them don't make a genuine difference to how your ride handles. You'll still hit big air with different types of back plating, for example.
World Tour only lasts a few hours, but Pure offers plenty to do outside of that. Sprint Mode requires focus on high-speed driving, without so much emphasis on getting air. Race Mode is a nice little hybrid between acceleration and jumps. Freestyle Mode lets you rack up stunt points in a specific amount of time while competing with others. Even better, you can play these modes alone or hop online (Xbox Live or PlayStation Network) to challenge others. All of them are fun in their own little way, but they're all more enjoyable with human competition. Up to 16 players can join, and if you don't have enough to fill the open slots, artificially controlled drivers will join the race.
Online play works wonderfully, without any hitches. There's even an online exclusive mode called Freeride, with specific competitions in certain areas. Each one tests a degree of your driving, whether you want to get the highest speed or go for a maximum height off a jump. This mode alone should guarantee a huge online community for Pure.
Black Rock Studio also kicks Pure into high gear with a solid presentation. The music delivers with picks from Jeff Beck, Wolfmother and other alternative rock bands. As for graphics, you simply won't be able to look away from the screen. The team did outstanding work creating these down-and-dirty tracks, from the dusty fields of New Mexico to the tropical goodness of ruin-scattered Italy. Come off a big jump that launches you in the air and you'll see how far these environments really go. It's a captivating sight, both in first and third-person. The animations are also outstanding, especially with some of the more outlandish tricks.
Sure, more tracks would be nice and bike customization needed work. When it comes right down to it, though, Pure has some of the best racing action we've seen all year. The throttling gameplay, gorgeous presentation and sweet multiplayer options make it a ride you cannot miss.
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