[RottenFox]

So,the new game Race Driver:GRID has been released,and gamers will have a chance to play,and discover what the full game holds.
So,if you have played enough of this game/finished the game,etc,and have enough to form an opinion,and if you would like to share that opinion on this game,and what you liked/disliked about it,please make a vote in the poll.

A 10(Outstanding) should only be given for a landmark game that sets new rules, a 9(Excellent) for a truly excellent game without a fundamental flaw, and an average game that does things right but nothing special should get a 5(Average),not a 7 like some reviews would have you believe.

Note:Vote spoilers,and general silly votes(low scores),for no apparent reason,will be treated as vote spoiling,and either the member involved,will have the vote cancelled,or infractions will be given.

[Kahled]

I was so very tempted to give this a 10 after being perturbed by the farcical and spoiling marks being given to GT5p, this game is certainly better than that title so should be at least a 10 then but it is not a 10 game (as most definately GT5p is not). Sorry I have a real bee in my bonnet about those crazy grades.....

Anyway... Grid.

I was really unimpressed with the demo, but then on a (surprising) whim bought the full game.

"Wow"

Graphically the game stands out over any other console racer, detail, customisation, and environment are all there with significant polish and aplomb to make this absolutely gorgeous to look at.

The single player game is interesting and challenging (a hard combination to get right) as a racing game, you are spared some of the painful grind of games like GT5p and Forza 2 by virtue of the diversity of events and some very impressive AI. The flashback/rollback feature is also surprisingly effective which really helps this game, people who think the lack of a damage model makes a game a joke are catered for (I fall in this camp) and people who do not like damage models because one mistake can write off a race are also catered for. The driving models are more towards the arcade end of the spectrum than Forza 2 yet the game still manages to include some very impressive physics, Grid recognises that there is an effect to driving over a rumble strip for example and bounces you around on corners if you cut them up too much. Actually impressed to see that cars are capable of rolling as well in the event of a very nasty disagreement over racing lines or a head to head with the scenery.

Career progression is well judged and does not force you down paths you would not like to take. The inclusion of a team mate is also an interesting connotation to be added to the game, certainly adds extra thought to how you manage the sponsors you accumulate as the game progresses.

It is in the arena of multiplayer where this game really surpasses. The inclusion of damage is very welcome to weed out some of the muppets who like to do nothing but spend their time taking out other cars (this can be infuriating in PGR4 and GT5p) and just adds no end to the 'fun'. This game re-introduced the fun of online racing for me, it looks great, can be blisterringly fast, and most of all it is enjoyable.

The inclusion of a day->night->day cycle is an interesting addition and makes for some fraught racing in the LeMans events (still not sure that the LeMans 24 minute has quite the same buzzing thrill as the LeMans 24 hour), but somewhat of a shame that there is no variable weather to go along with that after getting used to its presence in PGR4.

If I have one complaint about the game, and this keeps it from that perfect 10, it is that the car wreck recognition can be a tad brutal at times, quite often you might be wrecked by driving into someone that spins out on a coner only to find they continue on.

Overall I really do like this game, I still prefer Forza 2 I do have to admit but this definately sits as a second place on my list of all time fave console racers. If you are distinctly unsure after the demo or had no intention of buying then all I can suggest is that you borrow or rent a copy of this just to make sure that you are not missing out on what is actually a most excellent game.

A well deserved 9 from me.

[monkey00]

It sounds like this game sits in a unique spot between the PGR series and Forza

[Scholes18]

9 out of 10 from me. Its a great racer with plenty of depth. The only thing missing is the aussie V8s but apart from that....

[Chris05]

I didnt have high hopes for the game but downloaded the demo and loved the Muscle Cars section enough for me to buy the game last week.

It looks great and plays even better.

Different races types for everyone to get some enjoyment from.

I am not a huge fan of the drifting sections in the Japanese Championships, but can see they have attempted to cover all bases and can see some people loving them.

Best racing game I have played recently.

GT5 on the PS3 is so sterile to play, this one is just fun to play from the off, no tinkering under the hood to get a perfect set up, just balls out fun racing.

Recommended purchase for everyone.

[Mattk84]

9/10 from me. genre defining graphics/physics for me. they have really got over the sense of energy when smacking back down onto the ground.

[gingin]

9/10 im afraid. he he

its great. loved the demo, love this even more well done codemasters.

the driving is different with each car, cars spin out in front of you in spectacular fashion and the feel of speed is ace.


bj

[stepneg]

I haven't got it yet but will do after trying the full version round a mates house, the demo really doesn't do it justice. I had it pre-ordered until I tried the demo and straight away canceled it, the full game is much much better though

[monkey00]

after playing it for a while its a 5/10 for me

[internetuser]

whats it like with the wheel

[gingin]

hi

i hated it with the wheel, but actually a drunken night last week changed all that... its ace now, even sober!.


it is really hard though, you really need those replys.

b

[SeeleyBooth]

my view from about 5 minutes play was and hasnt changed it is a 1/10 game for me

[shagaboopon]

Originally Posted by SeeleyBooth

my view from about 5 minutes play was and hasnt changed it is a 1/10 game for me

LOL

The beauty of the internet means everyone is entitled to their opinion I guess.

[monkey00]

Originally Posted by monkey00

after playing it for a while its a 5/10 for me

after playing it even longer its a 7 maybe 8 out of 10 for me

[Tetlee]

Originally Posted by SeeleyBooth

my view from about 5 minutes play was and hasnt changed it is a 1/10 game for me

That sounds very harsh, what did you hate about the game so much to consider it so completely broken and deserve a 1/10?

[jason g]

i think i would give it 7/10.

[Dr Evilest]

Originally Posted by SeeleyBooth

my view from about 5 minutes play was and hasnt changed it is a 1/10 game for me

Well it aint going to change much if you've only played it for 5 mins.

[Jay]

Originally Posted by jason g

i think i would give it 7/10.

I thought you loved it, you play it all the time when I see you online.

I really need tyo get stuck into this game, it does seem good. Funnily enough it isn't as good as I remember the demo being, ah well.

[nigel2shady]

Well I dont really like racing games more into Footie games and First person shooters,so bought this on impluse took a gample,and can tell you payed off,really do like this game,very addictive,and couple of hours can go past really quick,I think what helps is the fact that every race is different and each race you are likly going to be driving a different car...Also the different race modes are good...

I am only 3 seasons in career mode dont have team mate yet,so if it gets better with team mate and so on from what I hear this could end up been my best racer ever...Current number 1 Ridge racer on the old PS1 lol.

[Jamezinho]

I gave it a 7 - gorgeous looking game and very well put together and presented - but the fact that it hits the middle ground between sim and arcade is a little confusing. Being a fan of racing simulators I found myself quickly going back to Forza (which truely is the best racing game about).

I will play the game through and get some achievement points but I feel this will be traded in soon enough, as it doesn't have the hardcore appeal of Forza or the out-and-out arcade fun of PGR. Shame.

[Wamphyri]

8 out of 10 for me. A solid racer, but the drift sections are more fun imo...

[Tetlee]

Right then, Grid, now I'm not really in to straight up tarmac racers, never have been(love off-road racers, rally games especially). Didn't like Forza 2 or PGR 4 and had pretty much given up on the genre, until this. Love this game, so much so that I feel the need to write my own little review of the game, with categories and everything

Gameplay:
It has to be said the first few races of the main career didn't really grab me & I was starting to wonder what it was that grabbed me from the demo. Then suddenly it all just clicked and the game hasn't stopped growing on me ever since. The gameplay is just perfect for my taste, where I found PGR4 quite dull and half the races more of a chore than fun, Grid just gets me hooked, I think Codemasters hit the nail right on the head when they stated "putting the excitement back into races".

I think they nailed it with the driving aids, I have all of them on and find it just right for me(not the best racer out there it has to be said), I do notch the difficulty up to "serious" which takes away a couple of the flashbacks which makes things more suspensful. The controls are just as I like, nice twitchy & responsive, the amazing part is I love all of the car types, from the heavy muscle cars right through to the open wheel(formula 3 type, which amazes me as I've always hated Formula racing games). The variety on offer between the various races is amazing, all fun to play(even like the Le Mans now which I hated at first).

On top of the controls you just can't beat the rush of working your way up through the pack of 15 other races, crunching into each other, car parts flying all over the place, fantastic!

Graphics:
Stunning, simply put the best graphics I've ever seen! Honestly I'm constantly amazed at the graphical achievement of this game, especially as the frame rate constatly holds steady with so much action going on. Not only do I appreciate the way that other drivers also can crash, spin off the track etc. but when they do it's often spectacular, had a race earlier where a car clipped the side of the track in front of me and flipped upside down and went flying over my car as I zoomed past, had to rewind it and watch it again & again as it was breathtaking to see. Some of the AI crashes in this game rank right up there with the best gaming moments for me, so exciting trying to avoid cars spinning out or crashing at high speed in front of you. Can't help but feel the saving replays feature on PGR4 was so wasted with that game, would have loved that feature in Grid.

Sound:
Really nice idea the way the game in general gives you just the engine sounds etc. not only helps you appreciate the realistic effects of the bumps & grinds but adds great tension when the music comes in towards the end of an important race, especially the 24hr(24 minute) Le Mans where after 20 minutes of silence the music starts and builds in the last few minutes Genius!

Special Touches:
The team idea is another stroke of genius IMO, at first it was just, ok, hire that guy, add those sponsers etc. But as more sponsers become available and you have opportunity to choose your team mate from a huge list, the management side becomes really fun. I fired three team mates before finding one that fits into the team just nicely, with careful sponser choices you just can't beat reaching the end of the races and seeing both yourself and your team mate raking in the cash after a 1st/2nd place finish, right up there with that little glow you get when a new achievement pops up Funny thing is throughout the races I try to keep an eye on my team mate as much as possible, if I I see or hear that he's in trouble, I'll use one of my flashbacks on him to give him another chance(which often pays off), also try to slow other drivers if he's a few positions behind, much more satisfying than racing solo and only caring about your own position.

If I have only one niggle with Grid it's that not enough people on my FL own it, could have easily been an online classic but as I don't like playing randoms, I doubt I'll bother with the online much, thankfully the single player is so deep that it's well worth the money for that alone.

Well, think that covers everything, most of it(could go on all day really), so better finish off by voting my score, Outstanding 10/10 from me, hard to imagine another tarmac racer eclipsing this one!

[Dr Evilest]

^^^
So you like it alot then!
We NEED to play this online mate.

Also, wouldn't it be good if you could invite someone from your friend's list to be your team mate in the career game.

[Tetlee]

Originally Posted by Dr Evilest

^^^
So you like it alot then!
We NEED to play this online mate.

Also, wouldn't it be good if you could invite someone from your friend's list to be your team mate in the career game.

I bloomin well love it! Had mentioned that online team mate idea in the Grid discussion thread, would make a great(and refreshingly different) co-op game

[ms2005]

7/10 for me. takes some definite getting used to if you're used to playing pgr / forza

[Ewan154]

Do you have to come first in the races to get anywhere in this game?

[curveball]

Hi,

Just got this game. Is it just me or is the first car in the Grid World really difficult to control? It keeps drifting to the right and I am finding it very difficult to steer left.

[Tetlee]

Originally Posted by Ewan154

Do you have to come first in the races to get anywhere in this game?

You need to finish first overall in each group of events(most have three races you can come third in one race for instance and still win the championship) to get the gold trophy for each, but you can keep moving through events without winning them all. I like to get gold in each event before moving on but I guess in theory you could unlock the entire game as long as you keep winning money in the events you can manage.

Originally Posted by curveball

Just got this game. Is it just me or is the first car in the Grid World really difficult to control? It keeps drifting to the right and I am finding it very difficult to steer left.

It certainly did seem a tough start for me, infact I found it far harder than the demo races, seemed to suddenly click though just after the point of recrcuiting my first team mate, guessing due to the fact I could purchase the cars I liked. Stick with it

Both these questions should really be in the play & help thread by the way which you can find here. This thread is meant for reviews only rather than general game chat.

[nmurn73]

I've owned this game since it's release - had traded in Forza 2 which as an online player was ruined for me by the vast majority of players racing in souped up Peugeot 206's. What appealed to me about GRID was that there is no need to manipulate the cars putting the emphasis much more on driver skill.

Overall, I think it deserves an 8.

Games loads with superb intro scenes - great crashes and superb graphics - accompanied by a fantastic remix of the Queens of the Stone Age track, "No One Knows" by Unkle. All helping to anticipate a good game. And it by and large doesn't disappoint.

The career mode, as mentioned, is excellent. Graphically it's immense and the tracks are challenging to start off with taking in the USA, Europe and Japan.

The new and innovative "flashback" function is superb it gives you an opportunity to take that bend again rather than just restart in frustration.

The AI cars are challenging and spin off wildly when they make mistakes which makes for some hairy and exciting scenarios as you try to avoid them forcing you off the track. It also helps make the race less predicatable.

Online - there is a good menu system, it's easy to arrange races and also you can set collision and damage options to avoid those who just want to smash you off the road to win, ruining the race.

Only drawbacks

- for me there could be more tracks and certainly a lot more cars. Not enough options here throughout the range of racing cars.

- Drift "races" - I cannot see the appeal of this at all. I've skipped these in career and avoid them online which is a pity as they are a substantial part of the game. Just don't see the point of trying to perform skids in what is supposed to be a racing game.

Overall though a very good effort from Codemasters and a worthy companion to the excellent Colin McRae: Dirt.

[Donnacha]

8 / 10 for me. Although new to the 360 I enjoy this racer - but its difficult with the steering wheel - I prefer to use the controller sometimes. I'm not a big gamer so getting the tiem to really get stuck in is not always an option.

Still, it looks and sounds great and plays fast and furious!! Very good