E3 2008: Pure Impressions

At E3, there were a number of offroad racers, there was Sony's amazing MotorStorm 2, THQ's lackluster Baja, and Disney's stunning Pure. While Pure doesn't exactly sound like a striking offroad kinda' name, make no mistakes about it, this is one fantastic dirt racer that's sure to make some noise.

The first thing that comes to mind when playing Pure is just how beautiful it looks. It actually uses art direction that's similar to Sony's MotorStorm 2, with carefully chosen backgrounds that leave you in awe every time you're high enough to see the landscape around you. The environments are truly stunning and define the next-generation experience. On top of being stunning, the environments are also enormous, boasting numerous paths, and a plethora of detail. The jumps you hit in the game are absolutely insane in height, as well, and really add to the overall epic sensation that surrounds Pure.

But that's just the beginning of it. Pure has a fantastic sense of speed, so not only does it look stunning, but it also moves briskly. As you progress through a course, you'll be able to utilize a variety of tricks, over 60 in total. At first, you'll have a standard set of tricks available, successfully pull off a few, and you'll be able to pull off more advanced tricks. Likewise, pull off a few advanced tricks during the race, and you'll then be allowed to use the high-flying tricks like the superman. Refrain from repeating tricks to build your gauge faster, as at the end of the gauge, once you've passed level three tricks, you'll be allowed to perform your special move. So as you can see, Pure offers a very specific take on tricks.

We were also shown the ATV customizer, which allows you to create an ATV from scratch...and we mean that almost literally. Instead of slapping a few stickers or a paint scheme on your ATV, you start off the customization process with nothing but the chassis, and work your way up. You can use a quick build feature for an instant custom build if you're too lazy to spend some time. You can put together over 60,000 ATV combinations, all with licensed parts, and you are free to take your creations online.

We were very impressed with Disney's Pure, and are really looking forward to playing the final build of the game later this year. If you're looking for a high-flying, high-speed ATV racer, Pure will fit your bill.

Related Game(s): Pure

7/16/2008 Arnold Katayev