Video game reviews offer a unique chance to writers like myself. Yes, I get to play a brand new video game for free. More importantly, however, I get the chance to make all kinds of self-satisfying puns. I could just tell you whether the latest sports game was good, but I'd rather phrase it in terms of whether the developers took their shot or fumbled. , the latest in the TOCA series of racing games, doesn't inspire that kind of indulgent tangent. That's because it's a good racing game, ಞpure and simple.
Sometimes You Just Want To Race
At the very start, GRID couldn't help but remind me of the other racing games I reviewed this year. The opening occupies the same lane (oh wait, still got the pun) as Forza Horizon 4's. It starts with a cinematic celebration of driving only to then throw you into a series of races that both teach you the basics and showcase all the game has to offer. Like WRC 8, GRID so that I could get a lᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚesson in driving through adverse coꦦnditions.
GRID also has a rewind system much like the one in Forza Horizon 4, though I suspect that's just becoming standard issue in racing games these days. And of course, there's a decent selection of cars from different makes and models, and race tracks set in real-world locations. Other than sharing those genre-required things, GRID most🌃ly manages to take a different road than the competition.
After the opening sequence, you're brought to the main menu. There, your options are: Career, Free Race, and Online. You can also adjust options and tweak your player profile, of course. There's also a garage to buy new cars and deck them out in the paint job of your dreams, but the actual gameplay is those three modes. There's no free-roaming hub world or 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:silly LEGO content like in Forza Horizon 4. The Career mode consists of a chart of races. Place in third or higher to advance, maybe hire a teammate to drive with you, but that's it. There's no attempt to add in management sim elements like WRC 8's career mode. GRID just want💃s to hand you the keys so you can get going.
Racing Is Fun, And Hard
GRID also sets itself apart by getting aggressive. Going bumper to bumper with other cars will result in both parties crashing/spinning out. That may seem obvious, but 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:as I mentioned in my WRC 8 review, I was raised on Mario Kart. I had to learn to approach my turns, and other cars, more thoughtfully. Not just to avoid crashing, but also so that no rivals became a "Nemesis" who hunted me down. GRID's physics aren't as punishing as WRC 8, but I did make frequent use of that rewind function at first. The simple approach means no hand-holding, and GRID is as much about the strategy of racing as it is about drivi𒀰ng.
There are a few tools that help you become a smarter racer once you learn to take advantage of them. Many races are done in teams, so you get an AI car that will follow your orders. They can "attack" by driving aggressively and keeping other cars out of your way. Or they can "defend" by staying close to you. There's also a coach that speaks via radio to offer sometimes helpful advice on how to approach upcoming sections of track. Finally, GRID just has a lot of options when it comes to sty🎶les of racing. If you find the rainy roads of the European circuit too difficult, you can always opt for the simple circles of America.
I had the most fun with GRID once I started to play on my terms. I bought a sweet Camaro and decided to take on the Stock circuit. I barely qualified as passing for the first event (big props to my AI teammate), but it felt like a huge win. That's because, as narrow a victory as it was, I felt like I took ownership of those curvy San Francisco streets by the final lap. This, in turn, motivated me to keep playing, aiming for further mastery. In that way, GRID's lack of bells and whistles helps it. Let racin𓄧g fans race,🥂 and you've got a good racing game.
3.5 Out Of 5 Stars
A PS4 copy was provided to TheGamer for this review. GRID is available on October 11th for PS4, Xbox, and PC, as wellꦛ as Google Stadia when that launches in November.