![]() When I did, I inevitably crashed, and crashed hard. Not with total ease, mind, but well enough to register to a time, provided I didn't try to hammer it around each and every corner. And yet, each time, I could get the car around the track. In two separate races I could feel the differences in the cars, the ferocious grunt of a Ford Mustang as it spat its way across a rocky mountain road standing in stark contrast to the smooth, vice-like handling of a McLaren Mercedes. It results in a handling that makes each car feel unique, but somehow manageable. And then the vehicles are scaled back, the edges smoothed off, while leaving unique characteristics like understeer and oversteer intact. It's done, say Codemasters, by first creating realistic simulations of vehicles with the help of pro-racing drivers. The handling, dubbed True Feel, aims to mix the ultimate in car feel and realism with the ability for newcomers to get a car around the track with ease-and all without using any driver aids whatsoever. It's an ambitious undertaking, but one that's backed up by some similarly ambitious work in Grid 2's underlying technology. And for those who prefer to face their rivals face-to-face, there will be split-screen. There are even mobile apps for devices like the iPhone and iPad in development too. Racenet-Codemasters' Web-based profile system-will let you access your account, send challenges, and chase up those rivalries wherever you are. ![]() Rivalries will be nurtured, race types will be bent to the wills of players, and a progression system will ensure that everyone starts on a level playing field-none of your single-player progress is taken into account online.Īnd it stretches beyond the confines of your console. ![]() The multiplayer isn't just an extension of the single-player, says Codemasters, but an entirely separate entity created to keep players locked behind the wheel. But here was a developer, a big one, acknowledging that its biggest rivals weren't other racing games, but those fantastically addictive online epics that keep us glued to our screens more than any racer could ever hope to.Īfter four long years, Grid returns not just as a fast-paced street racer, but as an online experience that hopes to rank among the very best that gaming has to offer. Bizarre Creations' tragically short-lived Blur came close to capturing that harsh, competitive spirit online-if only more had bought into its charms. It dawned on me that of all the racing games I've played over the years, few have been compelling enough to keep me on the track. No, the answer came from an understanding of what it means to be a great game in a world filled with CODs and Warcrafts: competitive, compelling, and vengeance-led online play. Nor was it the handling, being primed for simulation, yet friendly to beginners. ![]() And it wasn't the visuals, stunning as they were. If a string of great, thoroughly enjoyable games can't inspire confidence in a genre, then what can? The answer came as Codemasters unveiled Grid 2. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |