In short, then, this is the perfect place for off road racing. Petrol fumes, wrecks and screaming fans that poke the environmentalists square in the eye. This is Motorstorm. This is not green - this is greasy, dirty, no holds bared racing. Leave your hemp clothes and organic tofu burgers at the door. Real racers need only apply.

When we initially loaded up this game we already knew this would be visually stunning. The early trailer promised that much and certainly it has been a promise that has been fulfilled. The scenery is stunning. Actually that sells it short! The well crafted tracks, objects and effects make this game by far the best game visually on the PlayStation 3 to date.

The question, though, is does the gameplay live up to the graphics? Well, we are happy to say it certainly does. For a start this is not a game where you are restricted to one vehicle type in a race and one track for all players. In a stroke of genius the game allows you to race on motorbikes, all terrain vehicles, sand buggies, rally vehicles and even big rig trucks. All on the same course and all in the same race.

Now we know what you are thinking: with all these differing vehicles, how is it going to be fair as the quicker vehicles will always win? The trick in the game is the tracks. Race on a bike and you can take the tight high paths. Jump impossible crevasses, and take advantage of narrow canyons. Where ever possible, though, avoid the lower routes. These may be shorter, but they are also the domain of the big rigs, and having a 20 ton truck side swiping you while on a bike gives a whole new meaning to cave wall painting. A lot of work has gone into the tracks to ensure no matter what the vehicle you chose, the multitude of possible routes ensures that every contestant has an equal chance of winning.

The vehicles themselves handle well with considerable effort having been placed in getting the game physics right. Unfortunately the tight and unforgiving tracks and the sensitive controls, mixed with the general mayhem of the races, mean that newbies to the racing genre may find the challenge too much. Old hands though will find this mix refreshing and challenging.

Vehicle wrecks are spectacular, not surprising when you can hurl your big rig truck over an impossible ramp onto the top of a rally car. Obstacles abound. These can take the form of abandoned cars, drums, and the general rubbish that is a mark of modern man. There are also the environmental hazards of mud, and large immovable rocky outcrops that rearrange the fender of the truck and stop a bike rider emphatically and completely. You can also do it to yourself by overusing the boost button. Redline the boost, and you will entertain the crowd with a fiery explosion that echoes through the canyons

The game has a basic career mode where overtime you are granted tickets to additional events that in turn unlocks new tracks and challenges. Although there is not a huge amount of tracks, the amount of graphic detail and possible routes make up for this and the differing vehicle options ensure there is considerably longevity in gameplay.

One disappointing omission from the game is the lack of a two- player mode, however this has been made up for by the terrific on-line racing community that has grown up around this game. The game's AI is great and computer controlled opponents are quite cunning. Not as cunning, though, as real human opponents.