Grid 2 Review [Xbox 360]
rating: 4
Codemasters' sequel to Race Driver: Grid is all about giving gamers a chance to race around some of the most famous tracks in the world, in some of the most high powered cars ever made. For me, car racing games must have a variety of vehicles and tracks as well as having plenty of extra challenges, something the first game did very well. A sequel has got to do one thing for me, improve on everything. The gameplay has to be better, the graphics have to look sharper and the overall experience has to be more exciting. Grid 2 keeps the franchise fresh by including four tiers of cars all at different levels. Not only does this give players more to do it, creates an exciting game that is always changing for the gamer. The game is split up into four tiers of cars: Tier 1 - 14 cars lowest performances. Tier 2 - 13 cars medium performances. Tier 3 - 15 cars high performances. Tier 4 - 9 cars ultra performances. The only downside to this is when you first start your career you are limited to one car and even though there is downloadable content, I felt that the game could of given me more choice when starting up. The fact you could only start with a Ford Mustang, unless you have an internet connection to download the extra content tells me that Codemaster have a similar way of thinking to Microsoft's new Xbox One, which requires internet. Whilst for 99% people this wouldnt be an issue, would it really be that difficult to give the player more of a choice when starting out? In most car racing games you quickly get a sense of the track and get used to battling the computer whether it is a standard race or a one vs one. Normally once I have settled on the tracks I end up knocking the opponents out of the way and winning the race fairly easily. The one thing that stood out to me was just how clever the other drivers on Grid 2 are, not only are they more advanced but they are more intelligent. The opposition in the race now seem to anticipate my next turn instead of just driving in front of me. Races now feel more realistic, as a player you have to take advantage of two cars smashing into each other on the side and when you get to a straight piece of road you have to anticipate being taken over as well as try to get around cars that block you off. One of the downsides of a more realistic game is the fact Grid 2 actually became a struggle to continue a race once my car had been battered about. Yes, I understand that in real life racing when your wheel is blown off there is no hope for you, but as a game it kind of ruins the whole race. You are still able to drive with a severely damaged wheel but making turns is near on impossible. This may just be a pet hate of mine, but if my car wheel is blown off in the game I want to be able to still drive and have a chance. Codemasters do make life a little easier by using Grid's new flashback, a feature that allows players to change the last few seconds of the race. Whether it is being guided into a tree or whether you take a bad turn, you can flashback and try it all again. The flashback feature gives me a chance to change my last mistake and makes the race a lot more enjoyable.
Grid 2's career mode is a feature that I just could not stop playing. As I worked my way up as a top driver in the racing world not only did I win cars I also collected fans. The more fans you have the more rewards and challenges you received. The whole idea of earning fans and reputation is a much more enjoyable way to progress in the game rather than just plain $'s. One of the main things about the game that really annoyed me was the lack of variety on a track. The first tournament, which is held in Chicago is a one vs one challenge. In my first head to head play I came first so I progressed on to the next stage. The second race was completely the same map, no extra roads or secret passages, whilst I do understand the whole realism aspect I do feel that to add variety to a game, real or not, makes a more interesting race. Multiplayer was an experience I throughly enjoyed. As the time ticks on the last placed car is booted out of the race, not only does this increase the competition with the game but also the other player. Multiplayer ran just as smoothly and was another great way to enjoy racing. The overtaking challenge was one I enjoyed the most. The game puts the player in a one vs one situation with the aim to overtake the most amount of traffic. To start with each overtake is worth 100 points with the figure rising every time you overtake without a collision. This challenge not only helped me get to grasps with controlling the car it also helped me become more familiar with the tracks. One of the first things I noticed when delving into the game was the amazingly crisp graphics of not only the cars but the whole visual experience. When you begin each race you are introduced with a generic track intro showing off the visual effects. At first I assumed that, like most games, as soon as I started racing the graphics would blend in to the overall game, this was not the case at all. Throughout the first few races I couldnt help but notice how well presented everything was, from the driver sat in my car to the trees in the distance, the whole game really does put you into a real life race. Obviously graphics arent everything but to watch debris fly off the car and crash on to the surface makes the game exciting from start to finish. The game is avaiable on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.