Race Driver - Grid Games Review

While GT5 (Gran Turismo 5) gives gears a virtually realistic peek into car driving, Race Driver: Grid provides us with a more fun and metal-grinding insight into all-out-racing with the thrills, spills and frills that go with it. Putting players in the seat of well known race cars but well known factory cars to be raced on highly detailed circuits around the world, one can easily feel the rush involved.

The control are very simple, you have gas and brake done with the triggers, camera view change done with one of the bumpers, steering with the left thumb stick and panning around your car with the right thumb stick.

Since the cars involved are factory series, there is no need for the tuning options and getting car is simply done by entering an event and buying a car specified for that race.

And while buying the car, you have a choice of getting new car or a cheaper used one from eBay motors, although there is not much difference in the condition. You can also sell your car on eBay once you have no use for it.

In Race Driver: Grid, you do have to take care not to crash it but when you do the visual damage model is very convincing. Smack into another car and you will be treated to bits and pieces of glass, metal and rubber flying every which way.

Do enough damage to your car and you will see your speed, power and handling decrease significantly. Even crashing into a barricade can have a lasting effect on the race as any debris will remain on the track for remaining laps.

Codemaster's programmers must have had to restart races a lot in their time as in Grid they have incorporate a flashback game play option where if you crash, you can simply rewind to a specific point and continue from there. It useful especially after having crashed halfway through the 24minute-long Le Mans 24 hour race. Certainly beats having to start from scratch.

In Race Driver: Grid, player has to earn enough 'respect' from their races to be granted licenses in three main territories - Japan, Europe and America. Each territory has it own set of challenges and the goal is to win races and challenges across the board to move both your driver and his associated team up the ranking.

Teammates can also be hired later on, adding to both the amount of money the team can earn and the player's sense of ownership - everything, from the team's name to the colors and sponsors emblazoned on the cars, can be modified here.

Those familiar with Pro Race Driver series should pick this title up while those who are not, the game's rather split personality between an arcade racer and a sim should be appealing enough.

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