Just over a year ago, MotorStorm was released in North America amid much fanfare and hype. It was a PS3 exclusive early in the system’s lifespan, and as such, everybody was expecting big things. While the general consensus was that it didn’t entirely deliver, sales have proved otherwise — MotorStorm now ranks as the best-selling PS3 title thus far, with over 3 million copies sold worldwide.

For me, though, the game’s lack of variety — it only contained eight tracks, all of them desert-oriented — was too much of a shortcoming to warrant a purchase. That’s why this teaser trailer (it’s CG as opposed to real-time footage, according to GameVideos) has got me all in a tizzy for MotorStorm 2. It showcases a lush Pacific island à la Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, and it introduces monster trucks. Those two things alone are pretty exciting, no?

Hit the jump for the official press release from Sony, and give us your opinion on the trailer. MotorStorm 2 is currently set to be released this fall.

MotorStorm™ returns this autumn on PLAYSTATION®3: Prepare for the next installment of the world's most brutal off-road racing festival

• A brand new location: experience the grandeur, diversity and unpredictability of a remote Pacific island
• 16 new diverse multi-route tracks hosting MotorStorm's unique mixture of vehicles
• The aggressive monster truck now joins your garage
• Split-screen multiplayer racing – compete with up to four buddies on the same screen

It's the best selling PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) title to date and now, it's time to take to the starting grid again as the MotorStorm™ festival heads to the tropics.

The first MotorStorm wowed critics and gamers alike with its heady formula of brutal, unpredictable off-road racing, festival vibes and stunning Monument Valley desert scenery. This new outing takes you to a solitary tropical paradise in the Pacific Ocean, ready for a whole new take on no-holds-barred racing action through thick swamps, dense jungle, towering peaks and steaming volcanoes.

Not just pretty backdrops to the action, these environments take centre stage in challenging players with everything in Mother Nature's arsenal. Thick mud, tangled undergrowth, swift flowing rivers, choking volcanic clouds and searing lava pools all test the drivers to their limits and beyond.

Using the power of PLAYSTATION®Network, 16 players can race head-to-head online and, for the first time in the series, racers can hit the gas in four-player split-screen mode. All of the vehicle classes from the first MotorStorm are here again: ATVs, rally cars, buggies, motorbikes, race trucks, mudpluggers and Big Rigs — as well as the newly arrived monster trucks that climb, sprint and roll over any other vehicle in their way.

Delivered to you on Blu-ray Disc, expect a rich festival of off-road racing, along with a host of game modes and rewards. It's brutal, dangerous, relentless, and unpredictable and more than a game — MotorStorm is a way of life so stay tuned, the festival is back this autumn and promises to be larger than ever before.