MotorStorm: Arctic Edge is the one MotorStorm game not from Evolution Studios. This game was handled by their satellite studio Big BIG Studios who were responsible for the Pursuit Force games on PSP. Big BIG have done a really good job here I just think they were given the unachievable task of delivering a MotorStorm experience on the PSP. Honestly it was a struggle to write this review as I felt like I was just going to be repeating the same thing over and over, which is, this is not a great MotorStorm experience but it is still a really good PSP racing game. I’ll try to dig a little deeper and explain why I feel that way though.

I really like MotorStorm and the PSP. I like the enthusiasm some people have or had for this game. But the idea that MotorStorm: Arctic Edge has everything the PS3 games have, that nothing has been lost or sacrificed, just isn’t true. You don’t even need to have played any MotorStorm game before to know this. I know I do have the advantage of playing them back to back. However, anyone with functioning eyeballs can go watch gameplay from MotorStorm: Arctic Edge and then watch gameplay from the first MotorStorm and see it for themselves. MotorStorm had to be compromised to work on the PSP. The destruction of the vehicles obviously isn’t anywhere near as good. There are a lot less destructible objects on tracks and they don’t break apart and behave the same. New jumps and paths are not opened up in this way too. Vehicle physics and handling are different with things toned down further from MotorStorm: Pacific Rift and I encountered a few weird things occasionally. The ATV in particular could be pushed vertically sometimes which didn’t make sense and this vehicle and some others like the car could be frustrating sometimes. The differences between surfaces are less noticeable and the way the surface gets torn up impacting the track and handling has been downgraded a lot. But it is cool that they kind of found a way of not completely removing this. The even wider approach to tracks has been carried over from Pacific Rift although with more simple designs, less destruction, less elements and less variety. The emphasis on picking the right path for the right vehicle has been made quite a bit less important. There is even less frequent contact between vehicles during races than Pacific Rift and when it does happen it is more underwhelming.

The soundtrack is much smaller too and I found it to be less enjoyable. It does still deliver that MotorStorm style opening movie but the atmosphere and festival vibe has taken a hit. The manual retains the MotorStorm attitude and the case is good, particularly the inside art work. The menus and colour palette look like mixing MotorStorm: Pacific Rift with, I was about to say SSX Blur or Amped 3, but maybe it would be more SSX On Tour, and I think it is a downgrade. The whole game is less raw, intense, exciting and fun whether you’re in menus or in races. The experience has taken a really noticeable hit to make its way onto the PSP. But that is what it is, a PSP game. So maybe it is wrong to judge it too harshly although they did slap the MotorStorm name on there and they knew that game series required the power of the PS3 to deliver its experience.

It’s still fun though and it is a really cool racing game on the PSP so let’s change up the pace and start heaping some praise on Big BIG. This game looks beautiful on the PSP even if the switch to the Alaskan Arctic limits things to mostly snow, ice, rock and mud. The tracks look good and so do the backgrounds which go way off into the distance. You can see trees, mountains and waterfalls really far out from the track and it helps sell the setting. The skies look great whether it is night or day and of course they didn’t miss this opportunity to include northern lights. The weather is fantastic. The game looks good in the rain but the snow gives races a whole different atmosphere and does impact visibility slightly. Seriously, why does the PSP MotorStorm have the best weather? They even threw in a photo mode too.

The tracks have things going on in them as well like planes, balloons and helicopters in the sky. There are little events like rock falls and ice bridges collapsing. There are still crowds around and little bits here and there to give it that festival event feel. A lot of nice little touches and effects really help too. Lens flare, reflections in the ice, and the rain drops, mud and snow hitting the screen all help to elevate nearly every moment in game. The vehicles look great too and there is a good variety of them. Even more interesting though is the ability to customise them. You can now unlock and swap different parts and craft unique paint jobs for the whole vehicle. What is most impressive is that all this just works. The game performs really well even with these big tracks, with many vehicles fighting it out and everything else going on.

During the substantial festival mode there are three race types taking place across twelve tracks. You have your standard races, the Speed Race (solo with checkpoints) and the Time Ticker which is a mode that has you constantly fighting for first place to earn points. Sometimes there are also events that are made up of multiple races. Time trials with developer times are here and there is free play to mess around with. Online multiplayer was available and up to six people can play locally as well. The level of content on offer is one area where the game certainly doesn’t disappoint. I really appreciate how Big BIG put their own mark and additions on this series. On top of what I have already mentioned I have to add that the shift in environments and the additional vehicles this allows was a great idea. The Mud Plugger was switched for the Snow Plugger, they swapped monster trucks for really big Snow Cats and added the quick Snow Machines. They’re all fun to jump into and fit in well with the vehicle line up.

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge plays how you would expect a handheld MotorStorm to. There are still big jumps, chaos to avoid and the boost to manage only now it can be cooled by driving in thick snow too. While things have been simplified driving still mostly feels good and well suited to the PSP thumb nub. The differences between vehicles and the way they behave on surfaces is less complex but there is still enough here to keep things fun. What isn’t so fun is the way difficulty works. MotorStorm: Arctic Edge starts really easy and stays that way for too long. I wouldn’t be surprised if many people dropped this before getting out of the level 2 races. Then towards the end it inherits similar issues with AI, rubber banding and difficulty to Pacific Rift, only it might be even worse here. So you end up with a game that is only really enjoyable through the middle. Due to this and some other things I have mentioned I did end up dropping this before completing all the races. I have still really enjoyed regularly picking up my PSP to play a handful of races almost daily over the past few weeks though.

It is a real shame Big BIG were not given a chance to follow this up. They easily earned it here but instead they worked on the Vita game Little Deviants and then were immediately closed by Sony when that title was finished. I have no idea why this developer wasn’t put to work on a MotorStorm for the Vita or even something else because the Vita really could have used more games and these developers were more than competent. Sony could have really used a developer like this now to put out PS5 games too.

As much as I have criticised here, Big BIG have done a mostly excellent job at making a fun, good looking PSP racing game and they have had a really good go at delivering a MotorStorm experience. But they were held back maybe in part by time and budget but mostly due to the limitations of the PSP which just isn’t capable of delivering all that MotorStorm is known for. Due to this and a few other small issues I wouldn’t widely recommend going out of your way for MotorStorm: Arctic Edge and I’m not sure I would even call it essential for MotorStorm fans. But for those with a PSP looking for a polished, impressive looking, fun game you can’t go wrong picking this up.

7.5/10