The VisionRacer Blog

MotorStorm 3D Rift Avialable for PlayStation 3 S3D Gamers Today

Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Sony will be releasing MotorStorm 3D Rift to PSN with a price of $9.99 USD. This is the next stereoscopic 3D game available for the PlayStation 3 gamers that already have a 3D HDTV and are playing still just few of the stereo 3D-capable titles. The game MotorStorm 3D Rift includes 10 tracks from MotorStorm Pacific Rift like Kanaloa Bay or Caldera Ridge, and provides a selection of festival-favorite off-road vehicles including Bikes, Buggies, Racing Trucks, and Monster Trucks. In 3D Rift you’ll have 10 unique events to compete in (one for each track) with the full range of competitor difficulty levels through the races, so you can enjoy the brutal off-road racing at your leisure or take on the toughest and most competitive rivals.

And of course Sony plans to further expand the MotorStorm experience in 3D, but that will happen next year with the release of MotorStorm Apocalypse that is going to be complete game with stereoscopic 3D support unlike the kind of limited implementation that will be available in MotorStorm 3D Rift which is more like a 3D-capable demo of the game MotorStorm Pacific Rift.



Anyway, if you already have the PS3 updated to the latest firmware with support for stereoscopic 3D gaming along with a 3D-capable HDTV, then you should go and get MotorStorm 3D Rift.
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E3 2010: What 3D Brings to Racing Games: Don't start your engine without your 3D glasses.

Sunday, July 04, 2010
IGN Hilary Goldstein gives her views on three 3D driving pre release titles at E3.

I've had the chance to play three of the biggest racing games of the show in 3D -- Gran Turismo 5, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and MotorStorm Apocalypse. For a little background, I have consistently stated that I have little interest in 3D gaming and no desire to sit in my house wearing big clunky glasses (over my personal big clunky glasses). I find first-person shooters in 3D to be a bit much -- Crysis 2 made me a little nauseous and didn't add anything to the experience. So, now you know my stance coming into E3. After playing racing games in 3D, my position has changed slightly. Racing games gain something legitimate in 3D, enough to make even myself reconsider the objection to wearing dorky glasses while lounging on my couch.

The key benefit for 3D in racing games is an added depth of field. As the scenery recedes into the background it becomes easier to see the track ahead (as it would if you were driving in real life) and to better navigate potential hazards. Each of the three games offers something different for 3D gaming but shows its potential for the genre.

Criterion admits it still has some work to do on the 3D implementation for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, but it already looks impressive. The 3D isn't in your face, though the plan is to have some objects flying towards your field of vision in the midst of massive car crashes. Mostly, the 3D has more subtlety to it -- so much so that a minute into a chase, I already forgot I was watching something in 3D. It seems natural. And I found myself better able to anticipate calamities, dodging oncoming traffic with ease. This 3D isn't a gimmick in NFS; it's an advantage. I haven't found that to be true of many 3D-capable games.


MotorStorm: Apocalypse is the most impressive 3D game I've seen. Like Need for Speed, it offers a slight driving advantage, though not as much. That's because MotorStorm is built in tighter lanes and on linear tracks (where Need for Speed is an open-world game). Obstacles come so quickly, that added depth of field doesn't really matter. Where MotorStorm impresses is in the incredible atmosphere created by 3D technology. The game spews particle effects everywhere. You'll drive through smoke and dust clouds, watch buildings crumble as you race along their surface. 3D makes what would be an innocuous tuft of smoke feel like a tangible object rushing at you. Seeing embers of a crash in the foreground as you rush towards a narrow opening in a ruined city 20 meters in the distance really enhances the sense of danger and the thrill of speed. It's an awesome experience and it just wouldn't be the same in 2D.

Gran Turismo 5 is the least impressive of the 3D racing games at E3. The 3D doesn't do much to enhance the driving experience, because there are no crazy particle effects like MotorStorm and none of the split-second decisions Need for Speed mandates. But that doesn't mean the 3D is unwarranted or overdone. In fact, the 3D does one great thing for GT5: the cars have always been a star for Gran Turismo and seeing these beautifully rendered machines in full 3D gives an added level of realism. I can do without racing in GT5 in 3D, but seeing the cars modeled in a way that is as close to the real world version as possible is something special.

3D gaming is a big push for Sony and these three racing games show why. While not everyone will want to wear glasses while playing games at home, those who do will have a better racing experience. Who knows, maybe I'll even bite the bullet and give it a go.

by Hilary Goldstein
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