A slick new racer that boarders both the edgers of arcade and simulation to find a perfect blend.
GRID has positioned itself with the phrase "It's all about the race." Basically promising great gameplay but also signaling, upfront, that some areas have been ignored for the sake of others. So one thing the game is not about is offering a huge amount of cars. If you're a closet collect reared on Gran Turismo, the list is going to seem a little small with just 45 different vehicles. Likewise there isn't much emphasis on customization: only having a pattern and a three colour palette for looks, but you cannot tune your cars performance.
It may not make everyone happy, but making compromises doesn't necessarily mean popping out. Cars are split into different disciplines, and then further broken down into individual models. From drift racing to open wheel, each car has a different feel with noticeable differences between each car within a class. Each event type is accessible straight away from the Race Day mode, while career option puts you in charge of your own team, while working as a hired gun. Your objective is to build reputation in the US, Japan and Europe; each with multiple tiers. Expect to flex some serious muscle in America, and do you fair share of drifting in Japan. You don't necessarily have to finish first or even place in every event, but finishing races well in the career mode gives you the respect to move up in statue and the money you need to buy new vehicles. Competing under tougher settings can net you greater rewards, encouraging you to tweak your difficulty setting from race to race to manage your level of challenge.
Along with AI and driver assists there is one more crucial component to difficulty: the games flashback system. Essentially, this feature lets you rewind time, take a look at what went wrong, and jump back into the cockpit at any point to avoid a nasty crash or even take a turn a little tighter to ensure you stay at the front of the pack. Lower difficulty settings allow you turn back the clock multiple times, while pro mode cuts the fantasy feature all together.
When you head online, a lot of the single player elements follow. Races feature 12 racers a piece and full on damage, although you can turn it off if you want. Events are on the slim side, with just a few different options and you'll have to race in pro mode to place your times in the online leader board, meaning flashbacks are lightly ignored in favor of consistency and skill. Don't expect to get 100 hors out of the single player, but in conjunction with the online play, you still get plenty of mileage for you cash.
Two of the most important considerations in a racing game are a good sense of speed, and the overall feel. GRID makes a good run at both. While the sense of speed in never in doubt, handling can feel a bit loose and touchy at first. At times, you'll be more afraid of straying off the track, into surprisingly deadly grass, than being hit by another car. You'll also notice right away, that the AI aren't worried about a few scraps and will be fairly aggressive right off the line. Fortunately the crashes a entertaining in there own right acted as a sort of consolation prize as you get to grips with the controls. Each class of car seems to have its own learning curve, but once you into the groove, driving feels appropriately fast and dangerous and responsive.
The AI drivers in GRID are a credit to the game. They drive fairly, appearing to be aware of the track situation. Like a human player, the guy in first can occasionally blow it all with a nasty spin out. The difference being, that you would have the chance to save yourself by rewinding an instant replay and taking a different approach to that killer turn. Damage is modeled, but is defiantly more forgiving than a straight out simulation, letting you take a bit of a beating before affecting performance. It's a necessary concession giving the games arcade edge and aggressive competition. Still, high impact crashes can affect you top speed, steering or take you out of the race all together.
While tweaking you cars appearance and performance aren't really a part of the equation, you can choose a color and pattern for you team in career mode, as well as apply sponsor labels as badges of honor that provide a welcome rest between demanding events. Instead of expressing yourself through your paint job, you'll manage various sponsorships to make shore you team gets paid at the end of the day. Some sponsors give up cash regardless, while others only offer up money for a podium finish. The most lucrative deals ask nothing more than first place. Making the right choices for your skill level and that of your team, can dramatically accelerate earnings for your team and put you back on track for a better faster ride. While GRID comes off as an arcade racer, there is actually a great deal of strategy that goes into playing. It cannot be overstated how important the realistic AI is to any racing game, and this is one area where Codemasters has it nailed.
In the garage, GRID features a smooth and simple interface you can almost reach out and touch. The game features a rolling start without tutorials, but you will be primed for new event types via succinct video introductions. It's a very automotive mixture of function and style that slickly gets you were you need to go. On the track, GRID passes the across the room test, as replays can easily be mistaken for the real thing. The games detailed cockpit view, exhilarating sense of speed and impressive crashes rank along some of the best racing games of the current generation. Audio is also strong, both cars and crashes are exactly what you could expect from the sounds of there real life counter parts. GRID features a handful of great songs tailored to getting you in the mood to race, consist of mainly aggressive soundtrack of techno and rock. Chatter from your teammates and manager conveys useful information and can become annoyingly repetitive. Other wise it's only a small issue, in an otherwise stunning presentation.
With a sleek look and smooth running mechanics, GRID is a successful compromise of realism and arcade playability that offers a variety of racing activities within a consistent frame rate. While not innovative, the game brilliantly incorporates a race saving instant replay function and incorporates a strong strategic element with its sponsor management. Customization and vehicle line up are limited, but in line with providing a satisfying race which is exactly what you get from GRID