GRID Review (x360) By Sayed Islam Published: 08/05/08 PrintEmail
Driving fans rejoice. Forza Motorsport 2, Burnout Paradise, and now Grid have all entered the fray. Grid is one of those games that will appease both the racing purists and the arcade enthusiasts.
There is such an immersive style with the gameplay. Unlike traditional racing games, Grid features a turn back the clock mechanic that allows gamers to rewind time. Players can replay parts of the race over again if they had an accident. It is plausible to alter the camera angles from the list of available choices. There is an inside view from the driver’s perspective that has visible gauges, a steering wheel, and a side view mirror. The outside camera angles are better suited for peripheral vision. Drifting and car crashes are thrilling, as the replays capture every little detail. The menus appear simplistic and user friendly. Your main chunk of the gameplay has you earning money by winning races. Customization nerds will feel somewhat cheated because there simply is not enough in here. When compared to other racing titles, Gird has a slimmer design. The lack of customization is further exacerbated by the number of available cars. There are barely over forty cars at your disposal that can range from an Audi to a BMW. You will be coerced into sticking with one vehicle for certain segments of the game. Thankfully, the cars are varied with each model. For instance, inferiors and superior cars will act accordingly. Right off the bat, you have three levels of competition. Performing well in these competitions will unlock points that will in turn release more places. You will make a slow and steady progression with each successful victory and more money in your bank account. There is such a wide selection of race types. Some of these races include off road, on road, drift races, timed races (races that change depending on the time of day), and even races that measure your fortitude. The races themselves should be played differently, so you cannot just use the same techniques for every single race. Since the handling with the cars is different, this adds a bit of challenge to the gameplay. The car crashes are riveting to watch. As a matter of fact, it can be brilliant to sit back and watch as the cars deteriorate. Cars will begin to roll over, and it could give a new meaning to the term “Do a barrel roll.” The drawback to all that is incessantly hitting objects can affect your car’s condition. Grid has an online mode that supports up to twelve players competing via PlayStation Network or Xbox Live. Fortunately, there are not any issues when it comes to connecting and playing with other gamers.
The visuals are on par with a game like Burnout Paradise. Car models are astoundingly done, and the damage that they incur is exceptional. The race tracks are gorgeous, and the textures are arguably better.
The audio is rather ambivalent, as you will hear your name being called aloud and positive feedback from your peers. On the bright side, you will get advice over the in car radio about what you should and should not do. The flaw with that is that there will be occurrences where the tips you receive will not correspond to the race. For example, there could be a car accident on the race track. However, it can be arduous to determine where the exact location of that collision transpired. There is no time to play a guess and check game when the races require split second decision making. Regrettably, you will also be listening to the monotonous comments that your boss makes after and in between each race. Although your boss is attempting to offer you a helping hand, it gets tiresome due in part of the recycled lines. At one point, you will be saying to yourselves “Alright. I get it. Shut the hell up already.” To offset the catastrophic voice acting, the sound effects are respectable.
Overall, Grid is an engrossing racing title. It is not the best race game, but this Grid is indeed a racing fan’s dream.
Driving fans rejoice. Forza Motorsport 2, Burnout Paradise, and now Grid have all entered the fray. Grid is one of those games that will appease both the racing purists and the arcade enthusiasts. 
