Race Driver GRID (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Preview
Posted by Chris Evans on 05.27.2008
411's Chris Evans goes hands on with the PC demo for Race Driver GRID
Race Driver GRID Demo Hands On
Race Driver GRID is out 30th May in Europe and June 3rd in US. This Preview was based on the PC Demo.
Race Driver GRID is the upcoming (May 30th EU, June 3rd US) full throttle racing game from Codemasters. Codemasters are past masters of many racing games ranging from the TOCA series to Colin McRae DiRT from last year.
GRID is not a continuation of any previous racing games from Codemasters, it is a new entity that takes gamers on a new path of racing, that of the arcade style. While many purists will be turned off by this notion, let's take a look at the demo.
The first thing you notice is the continuation of those lovely floating 3D menu screens that were first present in DiRT, you immediately get a sense that this will be a slick and stylish game. The demo allows you to create a user profile, you enter your name and nationality and then get the chance to choose a, as I like to call it; ‘Commentary Name' which is the name you will be called in-game. You can chose from a list of normal names like Christopher (but no Chris?!) and comedy ones like ‘Boss.'
When you have set up your profile, tweaked any control of graphics settings, then you are good to get yourself onto the grid. This demo features three races, one in a Touring Car, one Drift around Japan and finally a US based Street Race. There is a decidedly arcade feel to all the races, the cars feel light and very agile to any steering, throwing a BMW 320Si into a drift around a corner will baffle some people and make others cream themselves looking for more.
Each race poses you with a challenge, the Touring Car race and the Street Race are looking for a Top 3 finish with the Drift race requiring you to outscore the opponent. These goals for each race are the same as what will appear in the full game during the career mode.
The racing itself is certainly fun filled in this demo, but if you are looking for a serious game like Gran Turismo or the original TOCA racers then you are out of luck. While GRID doesn't seem as wild and wacky as a game like Burnout it certainly leans more towards that jump in and race attitude of the arcadey racers.
This arcade'ness is based on the fact that drifting and throwing your car into the corner is such a focus of the game. This is especially so in the Japanese track which is all about sliding the car at impossible angles around the corner. The sense of drifting is less so in the other two race modes, but it is still present.
When you enter your first race in the demo you will quickly realise that Codemasters have worked wonders with the game engine, the graphics and effects are phenomenal, if you thought DiRT looked good then think again, GRID looks amazing and sounds it too. Especially when you crash…ooh boy is crashing fun!
If you just want to see some wrecks, then drive into anything and everything, smoke, wheels, bodywork and glass will appear and fill the screen. The cars all take realistic damage in real time and they look like they have taken a beating. Even if you crash by accident then you can use the nifty Instant Replay feature which allows you to rewind time, Prince of Persia style to before the incident allowing you to avoid that spectacular crash.
Based on the demo GRID is shaping up extremely well and will be of great appeal to any fans of arcade racers. If you are more of a simulator driver then check out the demo and see what you think, it may be worth it.
Race Driver GRID is coming out on the PC, 360 and PS3 on the 30th May in Europe and 3rd of June for the rest of the world.
