So now that I've got the game beat and I've taken a good crack at some TT records, I'm at a point where I think I've played the game enough to give it a bit of a review. So let's do that.

ZONE - The place to start

Zone mode in Pure is, IMO, the best introduction to Pure. It's visually beautiful, and it'll really get you used to the control scheme. This is the very first thing you should play when you're starting a new game, and I think focussing on it until you beat it will prepare you well for the journey ahead.
Also, it'll give you the awesome Zone craft to assist you in the TT challenges and learning all the tracks you're going to have to get used to. It'll probably only take you 2 hours to beat it, but the challenge looks enormous and insurmountable until you've spent the 2 hours at it. Getting all 4 golds here is a definite achievement, well worth the time spent.

Unfortunately, there isn't really any reason to go back to Zone once you've beaten it, so after you've gotten those 4 golds you'll probably never play it again.

Pro: Very well designed, fantastic introduction to the game, likely the most immersive experience you'll get off this UMD.

Con: No multiplayer means no replayability, and these tracks are only used for Zone mode and you'll never see them again. Very sad. Zone mode carries the ball to the 10 yard line with fantastic speed and style and grace and then falls over with a heart attack.

TEAMS - Choose your boat!

Out of the box, with all the download packs, Pure comes with a huge selection of AG craft! These are the ones that you should look at closely:
Van Uber - Very similar to the FEISAR, but a little bit faster, this is a good ship for learning how to play. It's got great handling, good acceleration, and reasonable sheilds and top speed. Once you've gotten used to the airbrakes you probably won't need such a tight-handling craft and you can try out:
Tigron/Triakis - These craft have the highest shield rating, and that's something you might very well want and need for Tournament mode and perhaps even Single Race. The Triakis is much faster than it should be due to a programming error, otherwise the Tigron would be the faster ship. After racing these "fattie" ships for a while you'll appreciate what their mass does to the way they fly, but you'll start wanting something a little lighter and with more acceleration. At that point, have a look at:
Goteki - A midweight craft with one of the best accelerating engines in the game along with strong shields and reasonable speed and handling, this is one of my top 3 favourite craft in the game. I would call this the Ironman Craft, because you can take it into almost any situation and it won't let you down. There are definitely a couple more "specialized" craft that you'll want to remember though, for special circumstances:
AG Systems - This light craft has the best acceleration in the game. If you've got a tricky technical track with more corners than straights, and if you can survive on just 2 points of shield, then you can really make this ship perform. Boosts are all based on the acceleration of the ship, not the top speed, so if you can just keep hitting those boost pads you can maintain a high speed like a Tigron on a straight. Difficult to use, but the expert pilots won't trade the experience for anything. Lastly, there are some ships that are really made for Time Trial:
Zone - Don't fly it in a weapons-on race, that 1 shield won't last long, but with weapons off this speed craft can post some really great times. The high handling makes for an excellent craft when you're learning a track, and the high thrust means mistakes don't cost you very much.
Icaras - If you really don't like the low shield of the Zone, Icaras might be for you. One of the fastest ships in the game, I would say that this craft is one of the best offerings in Pure. If Triakis didn't overshadow it, I'm sure it would be used a lot more. A good pilot could probably use this ship for any kind of race at all, and do very well.

Pro: There are 18 craft in all, and while some are very similar to each other, no two are alike. With all this choice, you're bound to find a ship that fits you perfectly. No other WO has offered such breadth of choice, and when you add in the "livery" option there's even a bit of customization possible. The power of downloaded content shows strongly here before you've even started your first race.

Con: Only 4 stats are shown, but you can tell that craft seperate into light, medium, and heavy weight. Also, craft ratings are "rough values", far from exact measures. It would be nice if the stats on each craft could be a bit more detailed. Perhaps by pressing [] and switching to detailed reports on the craft or something. It would mean less "playing around" to find the craft that's right for you.

(continued next post)