Game: MotorStorm RC: Carnival DLC
Developer: Evolution Studios
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Reviewed on:
PlayStation Vita (Also available on the PlayStation 3)
After experiencing the superb indoor skate park setting featured in the Pro-Am DLC, the Carnival expansion pack chucks you into a theme park with plenty of courses to take on. It’s superb value for money (costing just £2.39/€2.99), featuring 24 new events, eight vehicles, four new paint jobs and four new colour schemes. One thing you’ll notice straight away about the Carnival DLC is that Evolution Studios has thrown the book out of the window, completely gone to town and created some brand new tracks. Various new elements including water and sand provide a steep learning curve for new players to the MotorStorm RC world, and even for the veterans out there that have played the game since day one. You’ll encounter a few problems at first, but over time, once mastered, the new content shouldn’t give you too many headaches. Most importantly, the content included in the Carnival DLC feels incredibly fresh. Evolution Studios could’ve just added a couple of new tracks, but hats off to them for redesigning the MotorStorm RC experience thanks to new physics and elements like water and sand.
The Carnival DLC brings with it six new track, kicking off with Funhouse and Side Show, both introducing to some huge twists and turns whilst you race around various carnival attractions. Beach Party and Bite Size both take place on sand, showing off the impressive physics engine, making races on these tracks a very interesting proposition. Finally, you have Aquaplane and Splash Down, which (as the names suggest) features plenty of water. Racing on the blue stuff might sound easy, but getting used to the way your buggy handles while twisting and turning through water slides is not easy at all. In addition to the water and sand, you’ll come across other obstacles too, such as awkward jumps, bumps and harsh turns. As is with the case with previous MotorStorm RC content, certain tracks might seem difficult at first, but practice enough and you’ll learn everything about them. Sure, the learning curve in the Carnival DLC is slightly steeper when compared to previous content thanks to the ambitious track design and new elements introduced, but it works wonders for the replayability. The game never feels like a chore to play, remaining fun, fresh and addictive even after several visits to the same track.
In addition to the new tracks and events, the Carnival DLC brings with it several new vehicles, colour schemes, colour variations, four new PlayStation Trohies and 72 medals. If you’re aiming to complete every event with three medals, get ready to invest quite a bit of your time and effort into the game. It’s safe to say the new content in the Carnival DLC will keep you busy for a long time. Like the full retail game and the Pro-Am DLC, Carnival also features the brilliant online leaderboard, giving you the ability to compare and beat times set by your friends.
VERDICT
If you’ve enjoyed the MotorStorm RC content up until now and want to extend you experience with new track, events and physics, the Carnival DLC is an essential purchase. The amount of quality content your getting for the low price is just astounding. If Evolution Studios keeps delivering superb content like this, then MotorStorm RC is in for an incredibly bright future.
