Grid (Sony Playstation 3, 2008)

(Also known as "Race Dirver: GRID") GRID takes players to dramatic and beautifully realized race locations over three continents to compete in a variety of racing events. Packed with the most powerful race cars - new and classic, circuit and drift - players compete to conquer the most prestigious official race tracks and championships then beyond to compete in challenging city-based competitions, and then on through to road events and urban street races. The drama, the rivalries, the aggression and the crashes; this is not a game about collecting cars or spending all of your time in the front-end tuning suspension settings or designing liveries. Codemasters wants to make racing exciting again. Gamers compete on Europe's greatest official race tracks in prestige Marques including Aston Martin, Koenigsegg and Pagani. Iconic cities across the U.S, including San Francisco, Washington DC and Detroit - each with their own atmosphere and events - play host to diverse street races, where high-performance V8 muscle cars set the pace in aggressive, closely fought pack competitions. And in the Far East, Japanese racing culture sets the tone where night races, including Drift racing, takes drivers through neon illuminated cities and to outlying mountain roads. There's also the opportunity to compete in races that operate on the fringes of legality in the back streets and industrial areas of Yokohama. [Codemasters]

PUBLISHER: Codemasters
DEVELOPER: Codemasters
GENRE(S): Racing, Driving
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: E (Everyone)
RELEASE DATE: June 3, 2008

this title follows up on codemnsters already established pro race driver series.
i was dissapointed that the aussie v8supercars and german dtm series have been dropped in grid. i loved playing the full season of v8's on the pro race driver series. this game has a limmited amount of tracks and cars compared to other racing titles in todays racing game market & past pro race driver games as well..but what the game lacks in sheer car & track numbers it makes up for in the cars that it does have in the game. most are full blown race cars and power house's no mini vans here lol.

the damage model is the best i have seen on any ps3 title to date..i like this game a lot better overall than need for speed drift & dirt2 wich are both very good games, with dirt2 being my second favorite racing game at the moment.

the graphics are stunning, specially compared to code masters older ps2 racing titles wich were above average on ps2 and i only expect the ps3 titles to get even better in the future. the driving physics have changed a little on the ps3 compared to grid's older brothers on ps2, it may take racing newbies a while to get the handling down to become a front runner in the races..i actually like the feel of the racing phyisics in grid alot better than NFS drift wich got a higher rating 9.0 compared to grids 8.7 at IGN.com

i think NFS shift is overated i would have given it a 7.0 at best, grid is probably about right at 8.7 i wouldn't give it a perfect score as there is a lot that could be added to make the game a lot deeper to give it more replay value. but for a first generation title on ps3 i think its definatly at the top of the racing sim list until GT5 is released, or grid2 ?? please bring back the v8supercars and all the aussie tracks and grid will be awesome!!

This driving game has it all, the best aspect about the game is the handling of the cars. This element of the game is what makes it so exciting. The rumbling of the control during acceleration and braking making the game easy to feel out. From this, steering corrections come natural while racing. The graphics are nice and the map locations are real streets and real tracks, making it all that better. No driving through volcano's or making unrealistic jumps. The game is set up so that you can drive all cars within a reasonable time frame, no waiting through months of racing to buy a car that go so fast it handles like sh*t. The multilayer as of 10/25/2010 is still full of racers and it is easy to find and join a full room( about 12 player per track). I have owned this game twice now, I first bought it new and ended up trading it for a shooter(big mistake), I have since realized that no other driving game can compare and have re bought the game. Don't miss out on this driver it is truly one of the best!

Wether you are an Arcade Racing Fan or a Purest Simulation racing fan you will enjoy GRID. It provides a very good cross mix of both. When you steer off the Track into dirt, gravel, grass or rocks the cars will act accordingly (As well as spin out accordingly!). The races are challenging and varied with difficulty settings to fit every level of racer. The graphics are top notch as expected and the progression of damage to your car both physically and operationally as you collide with cars and anything else is very well done. Sound for the game has been done well with an in car voice advising you of spin outs and wrecks although not always exactly on que. The best feature may be the Reverse Time Replay feature that allows you to go back in time a certain length in a race just before a crash or even a bad move and lets you retry that spot. This is great and is much better than having to restart a race over. Very nicely done. There is a decent amount of cars, not GT5 level and some may gripe a little and you don't have the customization some may like, but there's a fine selection and should not keep you from buying this racer. Overall, this is an Excellent Racer. If you are a diehard Purist Simulation Racer then stick with the GT series. But if you are looking for a Fun Racer that gives you a little of both then you will enjoy it.

One area that Grid falls down on is its audio. Engine noises don't always sound as meaty as they should, especially when you're using the in-car view, and some of the cars' engines are difficult to distinguish from one another. Musically, there's a superb intro theme courtesy of UNKLE, but the music in the menus is bland, and the few in-game tracks add little to the atmosphere. The Xbox 360 lets you play your own music over the top, of course, but Grid would benefit from a more exciting and memorable soundtrack to add to the thrill of high-speed racing.

As both an extension and a rewrite of the Race Driver series, Grid is certainly a successful progression of Codemasters' art. It may not feature the customisation of Forza 2, and it doesn't have the diversity of online modes found in Project Gotham Racing 4. But as an alternative to arcade racers such as Need for Speed and Juiced, Grid is an accessible and rewarding first step in what we hope will be an ongoing franchise.