GRiD review from a Race Driver novice (Race Driver Grid (Xbox 360))

Member Name: Dangalf

Product:	Race Driver Grid (Xbox 360)
Date:	17/11/08 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great career mode, blends simulation and arcade genres perfectly

Disadvantages: Lack of track variety, drift events not up to scratch

I'll start this review of Codemasters' Race Driver GRiD by saying that I have absolutely no experience of playing previous games in the series, so this review will be for the people who, like me, either enjoyed the demo or just fancied a new racing game.

It's not easy to pigeonhole GRiD. It is in no way a simulation in the mould of a Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport, but it also isn't an arcade racer like a Ridge Racer - however, it does borrow from both. It can't be classed as a simulation for many reasons, chief of which being the lack of customisation. The ability to give your team's car a neat paint job is a great feature, but tweaking cars' insides doesn't really make much of a significant difference to the driving experience.

And this driving experience is, for the most part, incredible. The arcade racer in GRiD provides a great sense of speed and hi-octane thrills, while the simulation aspect and sophisticated damage model means you can't go 200mph into a wall. If you do, though, GRiD has one outstanding feature that will help you.

The flashback feature has been touted by Codemasters as being revolutionary - I can't say for sure whether this is the case, but it certainly makes the game more entertaining. If your car winds up battered and broken, a simple trip to the replay menu and you'll be able to rewind back to a time when your car looked a lot better.

But, like most games, GRiD isn't bulletproof. The drift challenges mostly fall flat, and the lack of track variety does the game no favours in its otherwise fantastic Grid World (career mode) mode.

But the positives far outweigh the negatives, and GRiD turns out to be a fine racing game, just don't expect serious car customisation or the ability to take a hairpin at 200mph.

Summary: A great racing game that can probably be picked up for around £25. Highly recommended.