Monday 25 Aug 2008

Lets get things straight from the start – Race Driver GRID isn’t a simulator in the same sense as Gran Turismo; a racing game recreated in it’s most scientific form. The weight shift of cars, the use of tyre grip and wear, the subtle variations that come from altering aerodynamics and gear ratios. Gran Turismo promotes the essence of driving like a gentleman in order to appreciate it fully – which is probably why creator Yamauchi managed to convince people over the years that damage is not essential to a racing franchise.

If you ever made an effort to watch any Motorsport on TV then you will know that this non-contact driving utopia doesn’t exist. What does make Motorsport exciting is that danger and fear that you might not take a corner correctly and hit into a wall of tires, misjudge a curb and spin out or that an opponent could spin out in front of you leaving you with little option but to squeeze your opponents out of the way to avoid contact. While Gran Turismo will pat you on the back for a faultless lap, there is arguably more satisfaction from surviving the rough and tumble of a close-fought race and nursing a battered car across the line against all odds.

All this and more

In case you are a bit daft you should have realized that I’m trying to say that Race Driver: GRID has all this and more. While the handling is something like Project Gotham Racing 4 with all the assists on, which is appropriate with everything that is happening around you, there is just so much more satisfaction in turning everything off and playing the game the way it was meant to be played. Sliding past corners to push your car to its limit with all four wheels often leaving the ground does have a very satisfying feeling. Remember when you were a younger boy and would slide around a corner on your BMX or power slide on your skateboard and pull it off? - That kind of feeling.

Something that is actually very useful in later difficult tournaments is something that we’ve only seen used in a totally different genre: Flashbacks, which works exactly the same as Prince of Persia where you can manipulate time. In this case you might have taken a corner incorrectly and spun out. That’s no problem, just press start and select “Instant Replay.” Get yourself into a good position, press the “x” button and you have a second chance. It does feel like you are cheating a bit, but hey…we’re all gamers, and we all cheated at some point in time. If this is given to us on a silver platter we’re gonna use it!

Earning cash, moving up in the racing world

While Race Driver never really did as well on the PS2 and Xbox there is something about this game that has changed it phenomenally…could it be that it is the same team that worked on Colin McRae DiRT? Yes, very much so. As an evolution of Race Driver and Colin McRae Rally games, you start the game as an eager driver-for-hire, saving up enough cash to buy a dusty Mustang and cranky old garage. You have the option from there onwards to start with the creation of your team, by hiring a teammate, or to race for other teams that would like to sponsor you. Your main aim at this point in the game is to make money as quickly as you can to build up your own team, so it is advisable to race for other teams while building yours. Once you have enough money you set out into GRID world to become the No.1 team in the world.

Winning races (or tournaments) will earn you cash to invest into your team by buying new cars, hiring and firing new teammates and by winning more sponsors take notice of you. The more you win, the more the sponsors offer you which as result means you all make much more money. It is something that you constantly have to take care of as teammates that race well and support you in races will help you grow your teams’ status. Working from a crappy little garage to a full-fledged top class motor studio is something that feels exceptionally satisfying.

All about the cars

This game is all about the cars at the end of it all and it does not disappoint here either. The developers of GRID have been very picky about what cars were going to feature in their game as we only have a maximum of 42 cars in the game. Less is more, in this case, really does work. You actually get to drive all these beauties which all represent different sound and handling which is much more noticeable than most other racers out there. What they have gone and done just makes this game exceptionally deep. You literally need to keep an eye on your gauge after each corner as overtaking will result in damage most of the time. Icons representing your wheels, steering wheel, suspension and engine will turn yellow to red depending on the damage caused; red obviously being the worst situation that part could have endured.

Encouraging you to take on more challenges is a simply awesome selection of Motorsport styles. You could be hurtling round the Circuit de la Sarthe in the Le Mans 24 Hours (cycling day and night), then a demolition derby, then a freestyle drift around Tokyo dock, followed by a touring car or GT race. Each tests a different driving discipline and every single one is an absolute treat for any fan of the genre.

Action-packed and gritty

In fact, you can keep your “high-def, two hours driving a Suzuki Cappuccino round an oval, super shiny, 4 wheels always on the ground” tedium. Race Driver: GRID is the most action-packed, grittiest, smokiest, varied and entertaining game that I have played this year. Anyone who says damage does not add anything to a driving game is a liar and anyone who doesn’t think this sets a new standard for the genre is a pedestrian in every possible sense too.

Pros: Breathtaking races; feel like a driver – not a car; damage – best ever.

Cons: That online experiences will be ruined by idiots; flashbacks could feel like cheating.

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Contributor:	Dawid

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