The island is divided into four zones -- Earth, Air, Fire and Water -- and so are the race events in the game's Festival mode. From the lush green environs of Cascade Falls, riddled with alternate routes, shallow ponds and waterfalls, to the breathtaking design of The Edge, where you're only ever inches away from dropping hundreds of feet off a lush green cliff and into the blue Pacific waters, each race will feel different from the last. And you won't just be tearing it up through jungles, beaches, and rivers of lava.
Tracks like Sugar Rush and Paradise Beach will also force you to weave your way through narrow man-made structures like old, dilapidated factories. These tracks, mainly Sugar Rush, are particularly hard to negotiate due to the narrow indoor paths, which are a complete change from the vast and expansive layouts of the other tracks.
Not only are the environments in Pacific Rift extremely diverse, but they're quite stunning to look at as well. Cascade Falls, with its dense green vegetation and abundant water bodies, is easily one of the most beautiful tracks in the game. But while the forest, beach and hilly environments are stunning, tracks like Wildfire, set in the volcanic area of the island, don't quite evoke the same sense of awe. Visually, Pacific Rift is a definite improvement over the first game and the frame rate remains stable for most part, but it still seems to lack the polish that we have come to expect from racing games in this generation.
The inclusion of water and lava in Pacific Rift also adds a new dimension to the racing, as these elements affect your boost meter. Driving through ponds or water sprinklers will cool down your engine and allow you to boost more. Conversely, driving close to lava will heat up your engine and increase the risk of overheating. This has also been cleverly integrated into the track design.
Routes that are located around lava are often more direct but using boost there is risky, while routes that include water bodies and sprinklers are longer, but will let you use boost more liberally. It's up to you to decide whether you would rather go slower on a direct path or boost all the way along a longer one.
Also see: Review: Pure is all about having fun
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