The Beta featured two tracks that will be included in the final game. Big Beach Dune is as you might expect a wide-open space filled with sand dunes to jump off from. One of the other hazards are pools of seawater, which cause you to lose speed making it all the more satisfying when those little tactical in-race nudges pay off. The second track, Volcano Lake, is a majorly different track set in an intimidating volcano. This location features insane height, with more than its fair share of moments that could make you throw out a string of words that would make your mother blush. Both of the courses on offer share two key elements, they were cleverly designed and extremely good fun to race through.

If you are expecting a Motorstorm clone, this is where OnRush may leave you slightly puzzled. The heart of Motorstorm is alive and well in terms of how the vehicles handle, so if you spent a good amount time tearing up tracks on Sony’s exclusive racer, you will feel very much at home. In OnRush, the vehicles are not what makes it unique. In fact, as slick and as cool as the livery splattered joyrides are, you will instantly recognise the choices laid out in front of you. There are heavy unwieldy battering rams, like the Interceptor or the Titan, the faster but weaker buggy type Vortex and the agile but frail motorbike, the Blade.

The difference maker comes in the form of objective based racing, which was also used in games such South Park Rally for the PlayStation 1. Being too far ahead in most races will cost you the game, as there is no straight up traditional win condition. There were two game modes on offer in the beta. In Overdrive, the focus is on scoring the most points, which are earned by spending as much time with your turbo boost activated as possible. As you can assume, this leads to pure unbridled mayhem similar to the 200cc mode in Mario Kart 8, where everyone is trying to out-style, out jump and out manoeuvre everyone else. All at an eye blistering pace that looks truly beautiful with high definition graphics.

The second mode, Countdown, is probably the closest thing OnRush has in common to the traditional racing game. It feels like a throwback to arcade racers of yesteryear such as OutRun, with every gate you pass through adding time to your team’s clock. This was definitely the more tactical of the two game modes, where having a team with a couple of Blades or Vortex to get the time gates, and a couple of Interceptors and Titans to wreck the other team’s efforts at success. The ability to capture those desperately needed extra seconds show that OnRush’s formula has the depth and focus to warrant the brave choice to have team-based racing.

High speed and pack-focused racing always lead to one thing. Wreckages. They are every bit as laugh out loud fun, as they are incredibly frustrating. Many times, I celebrated taking down an enemy, only to find myself laughing and swearing mere moments later as my car hurtled to its doom. The key experience that OnRush delivers is true arcade racing with a focus on speed, enjoyment and fun, which a refreshing notion in the current gaming generation. Fans of realistic racing sims where everything is fine tuned, or prefer games that have full gearbox and clutch control may find themselves without too much reward here. Fans of Burnout and Motorstorm may want to put OnRush on your wish list, because the element of fun which made those games memorable is certainly present within this game.

The final release of OnRush will arrive on PS4 and Xbox One this June, with a PC version coming later in the year.