Pure is just that: Pure Fun.
There are three race types in Pure: there's the standard Race, usually consisting of three laps; the Sprint, which is a many-lapped race on a short course with one or few jumps; and then there's Freestyle, in which you are given a set amount of gas to do as many tricks as possible to obtain the highest score. Sprints and races are fun, but they don't bring out the best in the game. Freestyle is the type I would have loved to see more of, as it is the most outrageous and has the highest replay value. Speaking of Freestyle, tricks are a big part of Pure, as they are highly entertaining, and fill up your boost meter. To pull off tricks you press either the A, B, or Y buttons, along with a direction on the left thumbstick, depending on how much boost you have or how much time you think you will have before you hit the ground. You start off with the A button to pull off standard tricks like the can-can or the lazy-boy. Then, as your boost increases, you can press the B to pull off more insane stunts like the nac-nac. Then the Y button becomes available for you to pull off lengthy but seriously awesome tricks like the skyscraper or the tweak (pictured on the cover). Finally you can press both bumpers to pull off a special trick, an insanely long trick that seems humanly impossible (such as the gyromaniac, in which you flip and spin at different angles many times over). Landing a special trick will allow you to pull off another one, as your boost-bar is completely refilled after you hit the ground. Failing it will result in a serious drop to the lower level tricks however. (note: you can also do flips combined with other tricks or solo, but not with specials)
The visuals are one of the best parts of Pure. The truth is, what will have you coming back for more is the incredibly mesmerizing vistas that are found in every track in Pure. The environments are gorgeous, ranging from tropical trails in Thailand to muddy and snow-covered tracks in New Zealand. You'll also get to visit places in New Mexico, Wyoming, and Italy among a few other areas in the world, each containing breathtaking views and stellar jumps. Small details also add to the adrenaline rush in Pure: the blurry lines when going at extreme speeds, the mud on the bottom of your character and his/her vehicle after it has gone through some rough terrain. Simply put, the environments and graphics are engaging and are one of Pure's highest points.
The sound is ok. Almost all the vehicles will sound the same, and there is a decent selection of decent songs. It sounds cool when you land a big jump or when you boost, but other than that there's nothing fantastic about the sound department. One complaint though is that on certain screens the announcer will talk extremely fast relative to the respective subtitles.
There really s no story to Pure, but there doesn't need to be. You'll have the world tour to go through, but once you beat the 10 events that increase in difficulty and length as you go along, there is just… the game. But that's not a bad thing. it's still incredibly entertaining and replayable after you've gone through the World tour. There is also mediocre online play, consisting of ranked and unranked matches, but it is sometimes hard to find many people in either game type, and playing in a game with a full party is almost impossible.
Hardcore racing fans will probably not enjoy Pure to it's fullest potential. Pure is fun because it's over the top. It looks great, it's extremely entertaining to watch tricks, and the vertigo jumps are mesmerizing. That said, the game is highly recommendable, packed with adrenaline, and fun to it's highest degree.