Grid- Xbox 360 Review

I consider myself a connoisseur of racing games, but in extremes. I love the simulators, like Gran Turismo and Forza, but I also enjoy the over-the-top racers, such as Motorstorm, Burnout, and others. Typically the titles that fall in the middle do not interest me, because they are either not realistic enough, or not ridiculous enough (Need For Speed, Project Gotham, etc). Grid is interesting because while it certainly couldn’t be considered a simulator, it becomes a racer all of its own. Here is what I thought of it.

Grid: At Its Best

• Variety- Something that plagues most racing games, either in tracks, cars, race types, or any other variable. While car choices and tracks aren’t exactly Gran Turismo level, Grid’s strength lies in the variety of race types. Whether you want to race muscle cars, compete in 24 hours at Le Mans, or drift race in Japan, Grid has it.

• Damage- Again, another issue with simulators is damage. Gran Turismo has never had damage in any capacity, Forza has a fairly weak system, but Grid manages to have a well balanced and realistic damage engine that affects both vehicle aesthetics and car performance. While it doesn’t hold a candle to Burnout, Grid still manages to provide a level of realism that most simulators ironically lack. The fact that the player can completely decommission another racer by putting them into the wall makes the races intense indeed.

• Grid World- Grid’s race campaign is very different than the average racer. For one, the game focuses on your team, rather than just you individually. While this doesn’t really change how you play the game, it makes the races a bit more fun.

Grid: At Its Worst

• AI- I have yet to play a racing game with good AI. Grid at least adds a bit of randomness to the other racers, as they will sometimes spin out or go into the wall. Nevertheless, rubber band AI prevails, and even on the easiest difficulty the player will find themselves rammed into the wall and out of the race on frequent occasions.

• Lack of Customization- In many ways Grid acts like a simulator, but it falls short in one crucial aspect: customization. Other than traction control, transmission type, and braking assist, Grid offers no performance customization. Often the choice between vehicles is purely aesthetic, which may have been the developer’s intention, but it doesn’t work well in a simulator capacity.

Grid- Overall

Grid isn’t Gran Turismo, it isn’t Need for Speed and it certainly isn’t Burnout. Instead, Grid takes bits and pieces of each and makes a solid and enjoyable racer. 8/10

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