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GRID 2 (PC) Review
July 11, 2013 by Alec Prieto in Gaming, Reviews
Racing games usually drive on one side of the road: Gran Turismo in the right lane with extreme realism and Burnout in the left lane offering complete carnage with an arcade style racing experience. Very few games manage to pull off driving in the middle of the road without crashing, yet GRID 2 does just that rather successfully. However, does the five year long wait pay off? Buckle up and delve into the review to find out.
Graphics
Whilst I understand that a PC game has much higher expectations than any console to produce amazing graphics, I would say that GRID 2 regardless of context is a beautiful looking game. In my mind there is absolutely nothing better than seeing meticulously detailed graphics on screen, furthermore on a racing game. As with any work of art the better the looks the better the experience, failure to aesthetically please will result in the loss of subconscious entry to the artist’s world-a great game defining quality. Fortunately for us Codemasters succeeded in this factor. Street racing has never appeared so vivid in a game before: wild crashes with intense closeups on the cars and flying parts occur with abundance; rays of light that permeate through holes in overhead arches and flash in front of your eyes furthermore compliment the meticulous design of crashes on screen. These are just mere of examples of the excellent job that Codemasters do in creating a game that comes to life through appearance.
Sound
The sound quality within the game is on par with most other major racing game on the market. The engine gives a satisfying roar as you accelerate and if close attention is paid then you can hear the quick change in sound as the car switches gears. It is hard to write a lot about GRID 2 in terms of sound as there is nothing that really differentiates itself from the rest of the pack. As with most other racing games, the driving music can get a little bit annoying if you pay close attention to it, thus I’d suggest not intently listening to it. Odds are though that you will be enthralled in the gameplay so this does not detract from the experience… unless you are looking for some quality jams.
Gameplay
As I mentioned before the game blurs the lines between simulation and arcade style feeling. Imperative to this feeling is the handling which is not as unforgiving (i.e. realistic) as Gran Turismo but also is not as forgiving as Mario Kart Wii. You will need to have a keen eye on braking zones to complete all turns cleanly, but otherwise most cars are slippery enough to calculate drifts and over-steer round corners. You’ll often trade paint, but get bumped around too much then blowing out a tire or even totaling your car is a major possibility. One thing GRID 2 has certainly gained from its Dirt series is the amount of surface variation there are on tracks. It is amazing that you can feel a difference in handling and acceleration as you transfer from brick to asphalt in Dubai or the rumbling sensation as you drive over vents in Chicago. But the most interesting way GRID 2 keeps things fresh is with live routes. Available in specific events, the system provides an unpredictable series of turns through the winding city courses. It can be a little disorienting when a route wraps you back through a sector from a different angle, thus keeping you on your toes and unsure of future turns. This element keenly plays on our senses and alongside the graphics draws us into the art of racing.
But one thing that may break the connection between gamer and game is the at times quirky campaign which places you as a driver in a created, emerging sport known as World Series Racing (WSR). You are the prospected figurehead for the sport, boosting its popularity and recruiting drivers from around the world. Between races, your rising status is noted with fan-counters and shameless ego-boosting shots of viewers making forum threads about you. To create more drama GRID 2 features real-life ESPN broadcasters who join the hype train as the fictional sport reaches a wider audience. Your first three seasons will focus on gaining WSR global credibility by requiring you to enter events from car clubs to bring in competitors, and promo events to gain fans. This is almost designed to get you used to the variety that the campaign has to offer, a taster or prequel if you like. Upon reaching a predetermined level of popularity, you can move on to official WSR events, which ups the ante quite considerably as both the difficulty and crowds rise. This transition however is a little awkward to say the least. Mixed messages are sent as your coach urges you to move on while the game contradicts the advice with warnings against skipping races. The saving grace to this is the option to replay certain races which is nice but nonetheless takes the intensity out of consequences deriving from your performance. If you can get past the little quirks and somewhat over the top story design and presentation, you will find a campaign that is not only challenging but fun to play.
On the flip-side, multi-player is a completely separate animal in terms of difficulty. With only a handful of cars to get you started, you’ll have to put in blood, sweat and tears to only earn the other cars. The purchase of faster, better cars requires a combination of experience and in-game cash. Experience points are not easy to come by. Where some games may have you level up four times after one match, GRID 2 can take four or five races before you level up at all. This is taken a little overboard though, as you even have to unlock specific colors and use winnings to pay for every layer of paint you apply. But the online mode is really where the game’s variety lies, as you can play for hours without repeating events; furthermore, without the single-player ability to rewind to before you screw up, racing becomes a true test of reflex skill as player mistakes compound on top of each other in moments of utter mayhem. In order to warn law abiding players of collision prone or impotent racers, the game utilizes traffic-light styled matchmaking indicators which let you know who’s more likely to hit you or race clean. The online game-play is truly intense and defines the nature of this game.
Bottom Line
GRID 2 is undoubtedly one of the best racing games available across all consoles. Its combination of arcade and realistic racing synergistically acts with amazing graphics to create a wild ride full of fun and challenge. Whilst there are moments which inhibit the quality of the game: the quirks in the campaign and the controversial absence of a cockpit view, if you can get past these minor set-backs then you will find the best middle of the road game there is. For More Information On GRID 2, Please Click Here. We would like to sincerely thank Codemasters for giving us a copy of “GRID 2″.
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About the Author: Alec Prieto
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