Being a huge fan of all racing games on any console, I was hoping to find something that would be as playable as Forza Horizon but with a less laid-back feel.
GRID has blown me away with its gameplay and could very well be the race game that everyone is looking for.
It’s not for the purists, the guys who sit at their screen and brake furiously at every corner for fear of running completely off track and lose about 4-5 places in the race.
No, this is for the gung-ho drivers who will try anything to find a driving style that gets them around the track and winning races as well as looking great while doing it.
But to be fair, racing enthusiasts can always dial down the assists in-game to create a more demanding experience.
It’s never going to be a simulation racer but, if that’s what you’re after, then there are plenty available out there.
Menu styling for GRID is pretty basic and even the career mode could do with more content with regards to an actual experience. As it is though, you basically just click through race after race in different disciplines until you unlock the showdown race which, if won, progresses to the World Series finale.
As fun as the racing is, the player involvement is lacking heavily and could do with more to make it feel like a career in motorsport, which other racers this year have done in abundance.
As you drive for a team, you also have an AI-controlled team-mate on the circuit with you and you can give instruction to him/her to drive to your advantage by blocking and holding the pack while you drive off to the finish line to secure a higher finishing position. This may give you pangs of guilt but it’s also a great addition to the gameplay.
Although gamers must take heed, as the more you find yourself crashing into someone, they eventually become marked as your “nemesis”. This basically means if you’re close to them in-race, then their sole intention will now be to either run you off the road or block you so others can bypass you. If you drive like me, you’ll have more than a few queueing up to make your life a misery.
With a smaller car roster than most other racers, I thought it would be hard to find a car I loved, but thankfully it’s all killer and no filler and there’s not a bad car to be seen.
Some of the cars are legendary in motorsport terms and enjoyable to race and, thanks to the huge multitude of tracks, this game is definitely one for all race fans.
