Surfaces

**Surfaces** is a game mechanic appearing in all MotorStorm series, except MotorStorm: Apocalypse and MotorStorm: RC

It is known that terrain in the MotorStorm series deforms easily, which can hinder the smaller vehicle classes in earlier MotorStorm titles. For example, a bike cannot perform too well in the mud, due to its small build, and lack of proper tires, which causes it to get bogged down easily, it definitely wouldn't make much of a difference for any other class that is smaller than a Racing Truck.

In MotorStorm: Return to the Wild, multiple different types of terrains as well as variations of terrains appear, with each class appealing to certain types of terrains. Because of the dynamic weather system introduced in Return to the Wild, terrain can be massively effected, especially when rain or a blizzard is present.

In MotorStorm: Off The Grid and MotorStorm: Untamed Tundra, the terrains are massively different, and generally more realistic, to the point where only certain vehicles can traverse the rougher terrains.

## Types of Terrains

### Flat ground

Flat ground, or simply just flat earth is a generally hard surface where nearly any vehicle in the game can easily traverse, despite the asphalt based classes will produce a lot more wheel spin, potentially leading to a loss of control, possibly a wreck. However, any off road class smaller than a Mud Plugger can easily find even ground with any vehicle in the game.

### Wet Flat Ground

Wet flat ground is only slightly different from dry flat ground, in the sense that the terrain is much more slippery, almost like mud, and is significantly softer, but not as soft as mud. Generally any off road vehicle class is able to drive through wet flat ground without a problem.

### Gravel

Gravel is a generally loose surface, which can wreck havoc on most vehicle classes, besides the Rally Cars, Twist Raiders and Trophy Tourers, owing to the fact that the vehicle classes tires, differentials and suspension has been outfitted to tackle loose surfaces. However, the Super 2000s, Dirt Bullets and Desert Sleds can also tackle gravel.

The terrain can range from unpaved roads to dusty roads full of small pebbles that can wreak havoc on nearly every vehicle class excluding the former classes mentioned above. The more all rounded classes, such as Racing Trucks and Buggies can also rudimentarily skim through gravel, while a class like the Mud Pluggers will struggle, and produce more torque slip. There are also potholes in all gravel surfaces, which can easily cause any vehicles' suspension to bottom out, and cause a loss of control.

#### Wet Gravel

Wet Gravel is different from normal gravel, in the sense that the terrain is a lot looser than dry gravel, and is much more slippery than the former, causing nearly all classes to easily lose control and spin out.

#### Heavy Gravel

Heavy Gravel is vastly different from the former types, in the sense that driving on this terrain results in significantly more dust being kicked up, as well as the vehicles' handling being more harder to control, all vehicles except the Rally Cars and Trophy Tourers will struggle severely on this terrain.

### Tar

Tar is generally wet pavement that hasn't dried into regular pavement, it will slow all the vehicles in the game down, except for Monster Trucks, Crossers and Boggers, due to their specialized tire setups, be it the Monster Trucks fat mud tires, the Crossers' low pressure mud tires, and the Boggers all terrain tractor tires. To an extent, Buggies and Super Buggies can skim the surface very briefly before being significantly slowed down.

### Water

Water is a terrain that in earlier titles has hard ground underneath the surface, despite in Untamed Tundra and Off The Grid, the hard ground is replaced by extremely soft and slippery mud that can bog down all vehicles smaller than a racing truck, and potentially leave them spinning their wheels, which will result in a respawn.

However, every vehicle class that are heavier than Racing Trucks can negate water without being slowed down or getting stuck, due to the vehicles being specifically designed for crossing such terrains.

It is noted that there are some currents of water that are simply too swift and will wreck any vehicle except the Log Crushers, Crossers and Monster Trucks.

### Tarmac

Tarmac is hard asphalt, where all the asphalt vehicles will find an advantage, seeing they have the right tires, suspension and differentials to be able to race on this surface.

Off road vehicle classes such as Super 2000s, Rally Cars, Trophy Tourers, Big Rigs, Bikes and Twist Raiders are easily able navigate this terrain, but the rest of the off road vehicle classes will feel extremely sluggish and will have less responsive steering.

#### Wet Tarmac

Wet Tarmac differs from dry tarmac in the sense that it is significantly more slippery, and can cause all the asphalt vehicles to produce heavy oversteer or understeer at higher speeds, depending on what drivetrain the vehicle has. The front wheel drive classes, such as SuperMinis will produce a lot of understeer, while classes like Muscle Cars, Supercars and any other rear wheel drive asphalt class will simply produce excessive oversteer, which allows the vehicles to either powerslide or drift.

#### Prepped Tarmac

Prepped Tarmac is essentially the type of surface where all asphalt vehicles, and none of the off road vehicles can navigate, seeing it consists of a surface warming formula that allows the race car and production car based classes to easily remain glued to the ground, giving the vehicles maximum control.

#### Rough Tarmac

Rough tarmac would be classified as poorly maintained roads, full of potholes, and are just highly dilapidated due to poor infrastructure. The off road classes surprisingly can find a big advantage over the asphalt vehicles.

### Mud

Mud is essentially the terrain where anything smaller than a racing truck would struggle to cross without slipping and sliding, due to a lack of proper tire setup and a lack of a diff lock. However, smaller classes such as Super Buggies and MudSlingers can easily traverse this surface, due to them being purpose built machines

#### Heavy Mud

Heavy Mud is a terrain that mostly all heavy weight vehicles can easily cross, despite Mud Pluggers can get bogged down easier than most of the other heavy to gigantic vehicles

### Snow

For the most part, all of the off road vehicle classes can traverse snow, despite the Snow Machines, Trekkers and Snow Cats can navigate this terrain much easier than vehicles with wheels, due to their tracks. However, in MotorStorm: Off The Grid, the Dozers can cross the terrain easily, due to their tracks

### Ice

Any asphalt vehicle class, primarily the classes with 4 wheel drive, e.g. the GT500s and the Wagoneers can cross the terrain, despite Ice Racers will perform the best on this terrain, due to their studded tires.