Score
Gameplay:	9
Graphics:	9
Sound:	9
FunFactor:	9
PlasmaFactor:	9
Overall:	9

Race Driver: GriD Review
July 9, 2008 by Jereme Puik

There have been many racing games over the years that have pushed the technical limit in terms of realism and overall advancement in the racing genre. These you could call by name, including; Forza Motorsport, Gran Turismo, and even Ridge Racer. Although there’s no denying the importance of these franchises to the video game racing scene, there wasn’t that one definitive racing experience that gave you the most satisfaction after completing a race and earning your keep in its world. Most of these other racers stuck to the simple fact that all you’ll need for this one racing experience is the standard formula and you’re ever present garage of cars, but that is definitely not what Grid is all about. Race Driver gives a nod to its past in terms of its Pro Driver/TOCA days, and this new arcade experience could be all you could ever want in a racer.

 

 

Welcome to Grid

Grid completely eliminates the linear style of presentation that we’ve come to expect from racing games these days. With all the Forza Motorsports, Need for Speeds, and Burnouts running around, we needed one true team racing experience. With Grid, you get a combination of professionalism and just plain fun. No pit bosses here to push you around or a manager that constantly badgers you about the little details of each race. You still start off as a young pit driver looking to make his big break with your team behind you.

As you create your persona, you’ll be asked to pick a name for yourself which is based upon a list of the most common birth names. Unfortunately for those who have a name based on another language or isn’t of the norm, you’ll be forced to pick something about as close as you can get. You can also select if you’d like your name to be spoken through a male or female voice as he or she greets you and helps guide you through the inner workings of your garage and racing experience.

When you first enter the garage, you’ll immediately notice that the first car you are given is an old mustang that needs to be restored. However, your garage doesn’t have the funds to rebuild the beast. After stringing together a few wins, you can officially give your Mustang a new paint job and a new number to be recognized on the track with. You’ll also be given the chance to name your own team and this is great as your not just sitting back, your actually contributing to your team. Once you have the basics sorted out you’ll be able to travel across three different continents; USA, Europe and Asia. On the track, the car feels pretty good. It isn’t too loose and has enough room for you to move around with. It shouldn’t be too hard to win a few races to get you going.

One thing I must mention before continuing on is the game’s presentation. It’s gorgeous. At the beginning of every race, the camera pans in front of the cars as you see the logo of the current race in front of you. Suddenly, the camera rushes to your objective and is usually a specific car and driver you should look to beating in that race. This makes the races that much more fun and exciting.

After earning enough money, you’ll be able to add drivers to your team and keep track of their progress during the season. You always might want to consider adding more sponsors to you car based on their objectives for the races, as they will certainly earn you more money in the long run. One interesting and entertaining aspect of the game is the chance to sell your cars on EBay. If you find that you’ve had enough of one of your cars, you can put it up for auction and earn a juicy price tag from it. This can be fun and can help you earn the extra cash to purchase those expensive cars in the later races.

During the race you’ll find some nifty features will keep you coming back for more… at least, that’s what it did for me. The Flashback feature, for instance, appears directly after you’re involved in a major crash. If you like, you can rewind that moment as if you’re watching an instant replay, only this time, you can travel back in time and replay that moment and make sure you don’t cause that wreck to occur.

Car AI is an interesting subject here, and given the difficulty you choose to set the races on, you could be having a breeze, or you could want to chuck that controller at the TV. You shouldn’t have too much of a problem finding a happy medium to work with; although you’ll keep hearing from your garage girl that you should ramp up the difficulty, only do so if you really want a challenge. Cars will get more aggressive as the difficulty level rises.

Grid supports a standard multiplayer component and offers up to 12-player online races. You are also able to customize your vehicles and bring them to the online world to compete against your friends. Players will be tracked and during ranked matches you’ll be able to rise through the ranks from Rookie to Legend with specific achievements along the way. Realistic car damage makes the races that much more exciting and even frustrating at times. If you’re aggressive enough during the race you knock out other drivers if timed correctly. But, watch out, those same drivers can repay the favor, and as you race your team will let you know of any car damage you may have sustained.

As with every game, camera angle is always a huge deal and Grid has everything just right. Camera is pretty steady although jumbles a bit if you flip your car from a crash. So, you might want to make sure you’re handling your car pretty good. Just make sure you’re making the right decisions before those tight corners.

Graphics

Never before have I seen a racing title that’s so detailed in every angle possible as it is here with Grid. The presentation alone is quite impressive, and features a wide variety of camera angles and various eye candy. Car detail is meticulous, right down to the inner speedometers and intricate details of everything that makes the car what it is. As I mentioned earlier, car damage is as realistic as you can get. Don’t ram yourself too hard into those railings as you might just lose the transmission-- or worse, even the tires. There is a dial on your HUD that tells you how bad your car is damaged and when it hits red, then you’ll know that it’s bad. You will also obviously feel it in the car itself. Crowds are nicely animated and know their places. The tracks are fun and each have their own individual attention paid to them based on the country you’re in.

Sound

Mastered completely in Dolby Digital, you shouldn’t have a problem missing any audio here. In the beginning of every race you’ll hear the engines roaring to life. Pit crew voices and your garage girl keep you company on the track and back in the pits. Hearing your name in the game makes the race seem that much more personal. You pit voice is your on track pit crew and he’ll tell you everything you need to know about your car in real-time during certain points in the race. Music is mostly in the form of high-pitched bass club music and maybe one chirpy main theme to go along with the main menu screens.

Plasma Factor

I found it pretty easy to really dig Grid, and I’m not much of a racing gamer myself. Although I will play one from time to time, it’s highly dependent upon the kind of features that will get me through the races. Race Driver: Grid easily covered that in terms on of its presentation. The sheer amount of work put into the presentation alone makes me feel at home with the game. You probably won’t see another racing title like this for along time, so you should savor the moment. What really surprised me about the game was the car AI and how balanced and consistent it is. Depending on the set level of difficulty, you will be sure to have a blast even if you come in last place.

Conclusion

Race Driver: Grid brings back the fun of an arcade racer. Too many realistic racing titles these days don’t have that special feeling when you’re out on the track. So far, I have just entered season 3 of Grid and it doesn’t look like I’ll be stopping anytime soon. The multiplayer will certainly keep you around longer then you would’ve probably stayed. It is no doubt that Codemasters has provided us with a new standard as far as arcade racing is concerned. With tight gameplay controls and a sharp presentation, you might find yourself holding onto this title for a while.