While gaming innovation is what console hacks crave most, often the greatest joys are to be found in genre titles that know their place in the pantheon of gaming and do everything exceptionally well. And in Pure, devotees of ATV off-road racing are in for a sublime treat.
A gas-choked tsunami of mud, grit and dust, Pure thrusts players into the juddering driving seat of a variety of plucky all-terrain vehicles, each bullish racer ploughing through a range of imaginative tracks and lurching over humps and jumps as they burn towards the finish line.
But while other ATV games have delivered delirious thrills in the past, where Pure really stands out is in its intuitive controls; pulling outrageous stunts is vital if you want to earn speed boosts and smoke the competition, the simple controls allowing players to flip their bike, somersault from the saddle or cockily play air guitar as they plummet towards the ground, each trick requiring only the easiest of button strokes to unleash. Even better, Pures trick system is structured in such a way that it gently breaks players into mastering more and more outlandish stunts, the game essentially holding your hand as you nail the most basic manoeuvres before letting you loose on the most insane aerobatics.
Incredibly beautiful and detailed visuals also help bring the game to life, and the manic multiplayer modes mean you have an opportunity to share the excitement with other players. However, the main criticism here is that the thrills are over much too quickly, and that Pure couldve easily been a five star game had the developers added a little extra depth and a few more tracks to keep the action alive for a few more hours.