Pure (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows)

A fantasy off-road racing game along the same lines as the PlayStation 2's popular ATV Offroad Fury series, PURE is a highly polished, accessible, and surprisingly deep ATV racing experience. It begins with a brief tutorial that lasts only about five minutes and explains more or less everything players need to know to play, such as preloading front suspension just prior to jumps to gain maximum air, and how to pull off wild tricks. From there, players can head into the 10 stage World Tour mode, which features about 50 races, go to the garage to design their own ATVs using a wonderfully robust vehicle editor, or jump online to race head-to-head against up to 15 other people.

Pulling of aerial stunts after hitting enormous jumps is a big part of the Pure experience. These stunts power up an onscreen "thrill" meter, which can be used to provide a speed boost in any race. Plus, performing long trick combination is the only way to win freestyle events, which aren't judged based on speed but rather score. The good news is that nailing tricks is a snap; just push any direction on the control stick and press one of three face buttons that correspond to easy, medium, and hard stunts. The strategy comes in knowing how many tricks you can pull off in a single jump, and making sure you land in the proper position to hit the next trail or ramp. It's so fun and accessible that even players who normally don't like the idea of tricking in racing games might be tempted to give it a go.

When players aren't marveling at their aerial acrobatics, they'll likely be admiring Pure's tracks. From a Californian airplane boneyard to a gorgeous New Zealand glacier, the locales are both imaginative and exotic. They're also big, featuring countless trails that lead to a variety of shortcuts and major tricking areas. In order to win some races you'll need to watch your computer controlled opponents to learn the quickest route through the maze of paths. It's a challenging game, especially near the end. Players will need to re-race many events multiple times, using each lap to learn a little more about the fastest racing lines and the smartest areas in which to trick, before finally placing first. Luckily, the sheer thrill of racing in Pure keeps the frustration of repeating events at a minimum.

Available on: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows
Available online
Genre: Racing
Developer: Disney Interactive
Released on: September 22, 2008
Price: 59.99
ESRB Rating: E for Mild Violence