When GRID 2 came out last year, it wasn’t really received well within the community and die-hard Codemasters fans. Many criticised the lack of in-car view and other aspects like handling. Well Codemasters has been watching because GRID Autosport may be the sequel fans have been waiting for.
I was fortunate to sit down with the game, testing out the career mode and multiplayer races. Like before, GRID Autosport follows you (the driver) as you embark on your career to be the next big racing star. Choose your disciplines, contracts etc. It’s pretty much what you’d expect.
Jumping into my first race, I noticed the handling has been tweaked more towards simulation than arcade when compared to GRID 2. It’s not pure simulation but enough to make the car feel realistic which feels more in-line with the first GRID game. Prior to races, you can setup your preference in difficulty adjusting the levels to find your right play style. Hardcore racers will go full expert, turning all assists off. So no matter what type of driver you are, GRID has the options for everyone.
In my first race, I chose the Chevrolet Cruze or Holden Cruze (as it’s known locally). The visuals of the game (playing on PC) was pretty much slightly better than the previous GRID. Driving wise, the game is much tighter as I found Autosport requires more attention when going into corners and turns. My first run involved lots of hitting the corners too fast and overshooting it, while in comparison GRID 2’s turns/corners are easy, as you just slam in your E-Brake and drift out of the them. Not so much in GRID Autosport where racers will have to slow down, apply the brake correctly and turn the corner which feels more unique to real racing.
I have to give it to Codemasters, listening to their fans and bringing something they wanted, but is it too soon? I question this notion because the game is not aimed for release on any of the new consoles like the Xbox One and PS4. Being a PC lead game (which is great news for me however), I felt like they are making adopters of the newer console miss out. The PC version was obviously spot on, boasting sharp detailed visuals but the Xbox 360 version was very average and with the current line-up of racing titles available for next-gen – I’m just not too sure GRID Autosport will stand out on console.
In saying that, there’s lots of content for GRID Autosport and despite not coming out on the new consoles – it should generate enough interest from their core fan base. GRID Autosports arrives in Australia 26th June 2014. Look out for our review next week!