Game Mechanics - 2/2
Story-line - 1.5/2
Graphics - 2/2
Soundtrack - 1.5/2
Replay Value - 1/2
Total Score - 8/10
Hey gamer guys and gamer girls and non-gamers alike; welcome to another Friday video game review. We are kind of starting this a bit late but it was unavoidable as I had to be staying back after work to get stuff done. Anywhore enough with the in real life drama, lets play some video games. This week we play Grid 2. Now granted I have been anxiously awaiting this games release since it was unveiled I might go as far as saying i'm a definite fan of the series but I shall do my best to preserve my journalistic integrity and remain fair and partial in this review for my peoples. ^_^
Grid 2 is the sequel to the 5 year long hiatus original racing video game titled Race Driver: Grid. It was developed and published by Codemasters for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on 28 May 2013 in North America. The game includes numerous real world locations such as Paris, numerous United States locations, and many more, and also includes motor vehicles spanning four decades. In addition, it includes a new handling system that developer Codemasters has dubbed 'TrueFeel', which aims to hit a sweet spot between realism and accessibility. Races do not include a first person cockpit view like in its predecessor. As Codemaster has gone with a more practical over the hood camera view instead as an option.
What’s Good:
Game Mechanics: Everything about this game from the cars to the tracks to the leveling system just works so wonderfully well together. The "True Feel" handling system strikes a perfect balance between simulation style racing and arcade style racing. You can feel the difference clearly between individual cars and car classes themselves. Anyone is readily able to play this game; coupling that with their trademark 'Flashback' game mechanic and this game is definitely the sequel we have been waiting for all these years.Tie in with that a new race type aptly titled Live Route racing where the player is put on a track that never runs the exact way twice. This opens up new and more challenging races as the player progresses.
Graphics: This game is so beautiful it brings a tear to my eye. Utilizing the EGO 3.0 graphics engine it is clear that realism in this game is not an issue. This aspect truly shines bright on the PC version of the game especially.Even the lesser noticed additions to your environment help to piece together the graphic marvel that is Grid 2. These include but are not limited to: the trees, the crowds, the reflections, and more.
What’s Bad:
Replay Value: Sadly the game is not without its flaws. The limited number of tracks in the game does not offer much in the way of replay value as i'm sure sooner or later you will find yourself just being tired of the same locales. Seemingly Codemaster realized something along these lines and tried to make the overall gaming experience last longer. How you may ask? Simply but making the character progression in single player and multi-player separate and apart so essentially you play the game twice at the very least.
What Should Have Been Added:
Granted that they used a wide variety of locations all over the globe, I feel like there could have still been more variety in the tracks. Maybe possibly having CGI (Computer Generated Images) cut scenes that help build up the story aspect of the game more. It would have been a big boost having tangible characters to connect with as motivation to push the story along better.
Final Thoughts:
Overall as expected a damn solid racing experience for the masses. From the expert to the novice; the simulation driver to the arcade racer, Grid 2 lives up to the legacy of its predecessor and delivers on its 5 year wait. I feel like this is the company EA should have outsourced the Need for Speed franchise to instead of Criterion because Codemasters definitely is doing a lot of things right.
