Many expected Codemasters to bring the king of racing back to the track in GRID 2. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. While the game is an excellent racing arcade, it clearly doesn’t live up to its predecessor. Why? Read about it in our review!
We’re driving, driving, driving, we’re no longer standing still
The first thing you notice in GRID 2 is that the gameplay has become significantly easier. Even on difficulties above average, a not-so-careful player can make their way to victory on the first try, ignoring any damage taken. The controls are now so simple and predictable that even a beginner can handle any car.
The AI opponents are a bit more challenging than in the company’s previous projects. Maybe it really does analyze the player’s behavior on the road, but so far it doesn’t work as advertised. It doesn’t create a sense of rivalry and doesn’t try to fight for first place. The fate of computer opponents is to trail at the back, occasionally pressing the gas. The most they can do is poke the rear bumper of your car.
The much-hyped track-changing feature turned out to be nothing more than a game mode. Yes, some tracks support it, but most races follow a single route. Opponents rarely use an aggressive driving style and simply drive along rails. If you want to push an opponent off the track, you’ll have to put in quite a bit of effort.
That’s why it’s safe to say that GRID 2 won’t appeal to fans of the original game. Codemasters abandoned any hints of hardcore elements and real car behavior simulation in favor of a broader audience.
Pedal to the metal and you’re in first place
Not scared off yet? Great, because in that case we have good news for you. Beginners and casual players will enjoy how easy it is to unlock new events, achievements, and cars. You’ll unlock most of them literally within a couple of hours of gameplay. Yes, GRID 2 is shorter than its predecessor and only slightly longer than DiRT 3.
After just a few hours, you can conclude that the game is basically the DiRT 3 we know, only done in the street racing style of the latest Need For Speed. There’s still the same thrill from fast cars, burning rubber, and the roar of the crowd, but the miracle many expected didn’t happen. As you progress through GRID 2 races, you realize this is a game meant to entertain the player spectacularly, not to challenge them.
And it has everything it needs for that. Really cool tracks that give you a rush after every successfully taken turn, hairpin, or acceleration to 300 km/h. Gorgeous scenery—Miami, Chicago, Paris, and Tokyo—gives way to specialized racing tracks, narrow mountain roads, and equally dangerous country highways.
Vibrant graphics and detailed models will make you believe in what’s happening on screen. The game runs perfectly even on four- to five-year-old computers while still pleasing you with excellent visual effects.
And of course, there’s a huge variety of cars for every taste and color, which you can also customize with different stripes, badges, logos, and so on. For complete coolness, all that’s missing is the neon lighting from Need for Speed: Underground 2. Not every game lets you do whatever you want with your car.
In single-player mode, you’ll become the face of the new WSR sports league. To successfully promote it, you’ll have to defeat opponents first on the American continent, then in Europe and Japan. The journey isn’t short, but the races no longer demand the same concentration and endurance from the player, since they can be completed in about five minutes, so you’ll get through this journey pretty quickly and eventually become the main star of WSR. After that, it’s only natural to try out multiplayer.
Let’s compete with friends
As for multiplayer mode, Codemasters definitely have something to boast about here. First, all the single-player races can be considered practice, since real players drive much more aggressively and aren’t “on rails” like the AI bots, so you can push them off the road or turn the flow of cars into a metal mash by crashing into those ahead.
Second, the multiplayer offers the full range of entertainment. Sprints, elimination laps, races with changing tracks, and other modes won’t leave anyone indifferent. The guys at Codemasters may not have invented anything groundbreaking, but what they’ve implemented looks solid compared to renowned console competitors.
Third, thanks to the RaceNet system, you can participate in races while taking into account the experience of certain opponents. You can not only race against friends or random rivals, but also test your skills against those who occupy the top spots on the leaderboard. Cheaters are caught quickly enough, so almost all races are held fairly.
It’s safe to say that GRID 2’s multiplayer won’t die a quick death six months after the game’s release. It will remain popular for several years, and that’s a huge plus for the game.
***
With each new project, Codemasters releases increasingly arcade-style racing games. While GRID and Colin McRae: DiRT 2 demanded maximum effort from the player on the track, in GRID 2 and DiRT 3 you can relax and press the buttons at your own pace. Think about it: without exaggeration, the main difficulty of the game could be called its menu. Codemasters once again decided to show off and crammed all the racing events into one and a half menu items, so you’ll spend a long time looking for a new event.
