Motorstorm: Apocalypse

While the basic racing action remains similar to that of its predecessors -- vehicles of various size and ability power through imaginative courses filled with hidden shortcuts -- Motorstorm: Apocalypse has a much different vibe. Part of it comes from the story mode, which lets players get a better sense of the people who participate in Motorstorm festival races (not surprisingly, they’re probably not the kind of folks you’d want to be friends with), but another part comes from the added violence of mowing down the destroyed city’s hapless inhabitants. These bystanders are depicted as dangerous, but carelessly slamming through crowds of them on the street doesn’t necessarily feel right.

Darker tone aside, the racing action is as much fun as it’s ever been. Some of the dynamic environments are wildly inventive, with bridges and skyscrapers breaking apart even as you drive through and over them, altering the course for each subsequent lap. Fantasy racing games don’t come much more spectacular than this.

Online interaction: This game can be played online with other players and supports open voice communication. Younger players could be exposed to inappropriate language and topics of conversation, or share personal information with strangers.