Pure 360

Paul Govan's review of Pure. Subscribe to this column via RSS or Newsletter.

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Buy: US UK
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Column:
Family Gamer

Format:
360

Genre:
Racing

Style:
Singleplayer
Competitive
Splitscreen

Written on:
10/06/2009

Second opinion:
Teen Gamer (360)
Race Gamer (PS3)
Tech Gamer (PS3)

Further reading:
Family Gaming Awards

Sitting comfortably alongside the likes of Motorstorm and Burnout Paradise, Pure is an arcade racer that’s full of spectacular fun and thrills. The unique trick system gave me endless hours of fun and racing All Terrain Vehicles instead of the motor vehicles was a refreshing change. I only found the game letting me down when we wanted to try the multiplayer. With no split-screen support it became clear that Pure lacked the one feature that would have made it a great family game racer.

Arcade racers have always been the source for my most enjoyable gaming moments. The insane speeds, easy handling and spectacular crashes have always provided me with plenty of fond memories. Now thanks to Pure I can add stupid stunts, tricks and death-defying jumps to the list as well.

Although the gaming world has a glut of arcade racers I found Pure offering some pretty distinct and impressive gameplay. Not only was the game full of accessible fun, but due to its impressive graphics and bouncy tracks it managed to give me some serious vertigo-inducing moments.

This vertical approach to racing is completely new to me and the way it’s worked into the core of the game made it a unique experience. Although Pure works just like other arcade racers by having a boost mechanic, obtaining this extra speed is done in a fun and entertaining way.

Most other arcade racers get me smashing stuff up or driving like a loon to fill up my boost or nitro bar. This is always fun and games like Flatout or Burnout excel at the destructible environment gameplay model I’ve come to love. But in Pure getting the boost that’s essential to winning a race is dependent entirely on performing tricks and stunts. The bumps and hills around each track lead to the most ridiculous and terrifying rides possible. Blending those insane leaps with high speeds led to the most frantic and white knuckles rides I’ve ever had.

But rather than throwing me straight into the deep end with attempting difficult stunts, each race started me off with a limited arsenal of tricks. At the beginning I could only perform some basic manoeuvres, but once the boost meter started to fill I could unlock intermediate tricks and then progress to the more advanced ones after that. My kids really appreciated this gentle learning curve as the game insists that you come first in a race to progress. If the complicated tricks had been unlocked from the start then the game would be a different story entirely.

This trick and stunt system is what ultimately provided the biggest amount of fun, especially when I got my family involved in the action. We got a lot of entertainment from just watching each other trying to pull off the craziest stunts possible - and mostly failing with spectacular results. What would have made this so much better is split-screen multiplayer. My kids were crying out for all of us to play together but unless we had separate Xbox’s and games, it wasn’t going to happen.

It’s rather a crippling blow to an otherwise excellent and enjoyable game. With Motorstorm Pacific Rift having 4-player split screen and a similar off-road racing style, Pure struggles to compete when it comes to multiplayer. That shouldn’t take anything away from the unbridled fun the single-player career gives out. Whether watching tricks wrestling stunts out of the controller, Pure has a simple and irresistible charm that can’t fail to entertain.

Thanks for reading the reivew, visit our Family Gaming Awards - the best games for the different people in your family.

Written by Paul Govan

Paul Govan writes the Family Gamer column. "I write family video game reviews. I want to play games with friends and family in the same place, as well as enjoy sharing the experience with my wife and kids. But as well as these there are precious late night gaming moments to fill. Throughout, time is of the essence."

Paul Govan's recent reviews:

• Fossil Fighters
• Wii-Sports Resort Tips
• Transformers: War for Cybertron
• Crackdown 2

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