Delving into the developer’s history reveals a strong association with the world of off-road racing games. Previously called Climax Studios, their ATV Off-road Fury series was a big hitter on the Playstation 2 and it`s fair to say that their love of this style of racing is apparent throughout the game.

Focused entirely on All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) racing, this is a game with no delusions, nor desire, to encroach on the realms of the Gran Turismos or Project Gotham Racers of this world. Instead its focus is squarely on hyperactive, instant thrills coupled with tricks, which keep the momentum going while offering some concessions towards customisation.

The game itself comprises of the following: World Tour, Single Event, Trial, and Online. Within these categories, the following types of races can be participated in: Race, Sprint & Freestyle. Race does exactly what it says on the tin, with the emphasis on making sure you win in order to progress in the events, with some concessions to tricks, which fill up the boost meter. Sprint is a straight, 'finish the race as fast as possible' affair with little or no jumps to negotiate. It`s not until freestyle is engaged that the depth of the tricks scheme comes to light.

To instigate them, each trick has to be 'pre-loaded', which is achieved with a downward pull on the left analogue stick. Once in the air, pressing the corresponding button and the stick in unison will unleash a trick, which, in turn, loads up the boost/"Thrill" meter. The temptation will be to use the boost as soon as possible, but this will deprive the player of the more advanced tricks at the top of the tier. The trade-off in Freestyle events is that the gas meter is constantly dribbling away, and once it gets to zero, it's game over. Luckily, gasoline hoops are strategically placed at the apex of jumps, which fill the tank on the ATV back up, as well as x2 multipliers, amongst others. The balance is struck just right so that scores can be kept up without overkill.

Starting at basic, through Intermediate and advanced, the ultimate trick (instigated by pressing both the L1 & R1 buttons after pre-loading) requires a larger drop with which to execute properly, otherwise the trick will fail. The price paid for failure is to lose a rank on the boost chain, and places lost to rival competitors, but these are easily made up. The trick system bears more than a passing resemblance to the legendary SSX snowboarding games from the last generation, and fans of that particular series will enjoy the over the top nature of the tricks on offer in Pure.

World Tour is a straight up, no frills series of events where the higher a player finishes the more points they gather, which are then put towards unlocking further events. Choose an appropriately “rad” driver, assemble an ATV that is up to scratch and that`s pretty much it. While it all sounds slightly ordinary and to an extent it is, there is a diverse range of upgrades which are unlocked based on the final race order. Whether it`s new brakes or even whole new engines, the amount of upgrading, while encompassing some depth, never takes Pure to the level of an insufferable motor bore.

The game always pushes the player down the right upgrade path, without swamping them with over-complication. The option to auto-assign upgrades is a blessing, as the game will usually do a fair job of matching the right kit onto the ATV as and when it is required. As the player progresses up the different racing grades (C through to A) they will feel comfortable enough to start tinkering with their ATV`s setup. It always aims to keep the player in control, and not bog them down with obsessive-compulsive levels of tuning.

Online boasts the same options as found in single player, with support for up to 16 players depending on the chosen event. Everything runs smoothly, and, while having so many players in a round is a sight to behold, the slight down side is the amount of time it can sometimes take for games to be found - regardless of the mode selected. While not a massive problem, it might cause the less patient player to quit out and head back to one of the single-player events instead, which is a shame as Pure is a lot of fun either with friends or random players, online.

Presentation is imbued with a simple yet stylish front end which is easily navigated. It has a real enthusiasm running throughout, and is full of polish. The announcer has an annoying quality about him that veers perilously close to DJ Atomica from Burnout Paradise, at times. Thankfully, he isn`t half as bad - his dry, monotone utterances are more likely to send people to sleep - but still grates on the nerves. At least the options allow for him to be drowned out by engine noises and the licensed music in the mix, if so required.

Developer Black Rock Studios has seen fit to use the power at their disposal by creating some truly diverse environments which lead to a real sense of continuity throughout. Everything is finely crafted, and bristling with detail. The likes of Kosaphi Island in Thailand, with its lush, vibrant scenery, or the rustic surroundings of Timber Falls in the USA, are real feasts for the eyes and are merely the beginning of what is on offer. Multiple routes, which, in turn, bring their own risk/reward variables into the equation, mean that it will keep most players busy for a good while. The fear that it would be a dull precession of mud-soaked areas, with some occasional landmarks thrown in for good measure soon fades as the player moves from one stunning vista to another.

Pure seems to have taken its name as an indication of exactly what it wants to be: the distillation of one discipline, honed to near perfection, which provides a genuine change from the identikit, super-car laden racers out there today. Anyone even remotely interested in the racing genre owes it to themselves to pick up this gem.