E3 2008: Pure Updated Hands-On

Black Rock Studio made a name for itself with the acclaimed ATV Offroad Fury and MotoGP franchises. Those games were known for blistering speeds and simulation-style racing gameplay. Pure, Black Rock's upcoming ATV racer, goes in a different direction with a more trick-based arcade focus.

We stopped by Disney Interactive Studios' booth at E3 2008 in Los Angeles for a quick race. We had already covered the game extensively in our pre-E3 coverage earlier this month, but we couldn't resist trying out the New Mexico area for the biggest jumps in the game. In Pure, you spend almost as much time in the air as you do on the track, and that's a good thing. After filling up your trick meter, you'll gain access to ridiculous super tricks that defy the natural laws of physics. We preloaded a jump (hold down on the stick and then press up as you reach the lip), soared into the air, and triggered a super trick where the rider stood on the bike and played air guitar. Air guitar? Yeah, air guitar. Awesome.

We also delved into the create-an-ATV tool and built a sweet ride from scratch. Gearheads will get a kick out of the licensed parts, each with their own effects on speed, acceleration, handling, boost, and tricks attributes. If you don't want to spend time cycling through Elka suspension and Maxxis tires, you can hit a single button and go with a prebuilt ATV and get right into the racing.

Grab some air in Pure when it's released this September.