To get those elusive gold medals in the speed races on MotorStorm: Pacific Rift can be somewhat frustrating, with the time ticking down, and every millisecond doing the wrong thing might mean the difference between gold and silver.
First thing to remember – getting gold on these, especially later in the game, is supposed to be hard. However none of them are impossible…I’ve completed them all myself with a good few seconds to spare, and I’m not that good at the game.
Second point is to expect the unexpected. Some of the speed races follow pretty standard track loops, while others mess with your head by gallivanting all over the tracks in strange directions. If it’s your first time in a particular speed race, don’t just sail through a gate expecting to be lined up perfectly for the next one. Be cautious and pay attention.
Third point is practice. Unless you’re some kind of god, you’re not going to get these babies the first time out, especially on the later levels. Give them a test run first, and learn where those illusive gates are.
Fourth point is to learn to drive efficiently. In a previous blog post on the time attack mode, I offered some tips on improving your driving, and these hold true in speed races, too.
- Conservation of momentum – Braking (obviously) and hard turning all reduce your speed. The fastest laps are the ones where you brake and turn as little as possible.
- Explore different routes – Each track is a myriad of routes. The optimal route for each vehicle will need some searching out to find.
- Exploit your chosen vehicles’ advantages – Clear the route – After each lap your timer resets, but any objects you have knocked around the track will stay in those positions. You may want to use a warm-up lap to clear the track of obstacles before going for that hot lap.
- Hang time is slow time – Time spent in the air over jumps is lost time – you’re not accelerating. Keep the height and distance of jumps down to a minimum.
- Turn in the air – While in the air, you still have some control over the direction your vehicle is facing. Use this to line yourself up for a perfect exit when you land.
- Nurse that boost – Save your boost for the long straits. Boost is more efficient if used in long bursts, as each time you hit the boost, the first ‘surge’ costs you quite a lot.
Fifth point is be careful with the time – early on in a speed race, crossing a gate will reward you with a generous slice of time on the clock. Don’t get complacent, because the later gates will give you increasingly less time on your clock. Getting a good bank of time early on will allow the odd mistake later in the race.
And lastly, chill out. Relax and don’t get too stressed. You can think too hard when playing a racing game, so just sit back get into the groove and enjoy the ride.
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