It seems odd to commend an arcade racing game set in a crumbling city for its subtlety. But when the obscene amount of destruction taking place sneaks up and grows on you like it sometimes does in "MotorStorm: Apocalypse," that's the only word that works.

Like its fellow "MotorStorm" games, "Apocalypse" is an off-road racing game with a taste for physics that is unquenchable. Dune buggies, rally cars, motorcycles, sports cars, monster trucks, ATVs and big rigs share the same track, and the game just slightly exaggerates the properties you'd expect from each vehicle to create seriously chaotic races.

The controlled chaos that ensues isn't for everyone now any more than it was when the first "MotorStorm" game debuted in 2006. But for those who can get into it, there isn't anything else quite like it.

The vehicles are squirrelly and prone to subtle but unmistakable overreactions to jumps, bumps and sudden changes in speed or orientation. But what makes the brief losses of control perfectly acceptable is the terrific way "Apocalypse" compensates with an equally generous allowance for recovery.

The "MotorStorm" method looks ever more impressive with "Apocalypse" changing the setting from jungles and beaches to cities and suburbs -- and doing so at no expense to the series' off-road roots.

A goofy (in a good way, complete with cheesy motion-comic presentation) story explains all, but the gist of "Apocalypse" is this: A major city is about to get pummeled by a rogue's gallery of natural disasters, and while all but a few stubborn residents flee for safety, a gang of daredevil racers decide to use the city -- and the ensuing disaster -- as grounds for a competition.

It might not be a smart idea, but it's a visually spectacular one.

Best of all, it regularly sneaks up on you. During the course of a three-lap race, an earthquake might hit early and turn cracking roads into buckling waves and ramps, which you can hit to catch air and land atop a building the moment after it topples. Tidal waves and tornados change the routes you can take from lap to lap. During the game's best moments, it transforms from a street racer into an off-road racer right before your eyes.

The weather and other effects in "Apocalypse" look awesome -- the game as a whole animates beautifully -- but it's that gradual transformation over the course of a race that's most impressive.

Structurally, "Apocalypse" closely resembles its predecessors, complementing a satisfying single-player mode with split-screen (four players, with the option to fill the remaining slots with computer-controlled racers) and online (16 players) multiplayer. A persistent milestone track rewards you with unlockable perks, medals and new parts, which you can use to design and share customized vehicles with friends.

Unfortunately, the PlayStation Network outage has made it difficult to test the online functionality. If the multiplayer fidelity of "Apocalypse" is a make-or-break factor in your decision to purchase or pass, you'll need to wait a little longer to make a choice.