Pure’s developer, Black Rock Studios, is no off-road greenhorn, so despite the upcoming spike in dusty Dune buggy and muddy Motocross racers, Pure has an ace up its sleeve.

Like EA’s funkification of snowboarding, SSX, Pure doles out speed boosts for mid-air tricks. From a tepid can-can off a mound of dirt to a physics-defying backflip off an enormous incline, racers will have to exploit every peak of Pure’s terrain to win.

Tricks are locked into three categories; each performed with a different button (and a direction on the analogue stick) and each more ridiculous than the last. Pure adopts a archetypal balance structure where players must avoid using boost to access the best tricks, but risk being passed by other racers; a frantic risk reward system.

Risk and reward carry into the tricks themselves; your fundamental kicks and simple shows of flair and style can be pulled off from the smallest hops, but Supermans and Indian Airs take longer to perform and are more likely to end up in a crumpled heap of twisted metal and bone if not given ample airtime.

But behind the clever strategy, Pure is a fantastically competent racer. ATVs churn up muddy terrain and drift corners with relative ease. Opponent racers will be easy to shake in the demo, but will aggressively push and shove their way to a higher position when the opportunity strikes. Pure will no doubt offer some strong competition in the higher ranking races.

Pure’s no slouch in the graphical department and screenshots suggest that Disney’s upcoming racer will bloom with far more vivid colours than THQ’s Baja. Racers and ATVs are splashed with primary hues and a world-spanning track list should provide varied backdrops. Plus, like other games of its ilk (as well as the previously mentioned SSX), Pure has a suitably pumping soundtrack, from Pendulum to Wolfmother.

The downloadable demo scratches the surface of Pure’s depth and content – the full game will feature three racing disciplines, 16 player online matches, 12 locations and 50 events. Players will even have the ability to customise all 22 components that make up an ATV, despite the game’s inherent arcade feel and sensibilities.

Only a few runs of the Lake Garda track, hurtling off vertigo inducing mountains and scrambling through muddy pools, will be enough to make Pure rocket up your most wanted list, this winter.