GRID - Xbox One

Also known as: GRID: Day One Edition', 'GRID: Ultimate Edition

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Also for: PS4
Viewed: 3D Combination Genre:
Racing: Car
Media: Blu-Ray Arcade origin:No
Soft. Co.: Codemasters
Publishers: Codemasters (GB/GB)
Released: 8 Oct 2019 (GB)
11 Oct 2019 (GB)
Ratings: PEGI 3+
Accessories: Xbox One X Enhanced, 4K Ultra HD
Connectivity: Xbox Live local multiplayer
Features: HDR10

Summary

It has been, at the time the latest GRID game from Codemasters hits console blu-ray drives, a huge 11 years since the original Race Driver: GRID appeared. A lot has changed in the world of driving games since then. Most notably, for our purposes here, the GRID series lost its way a little and arcade racers all but went away.

With this outing, Codies is looking to take its foot off the brake and turbo inject some fun and character back into racing games while welcoming racing fans of all different stripes into the fold. Car classes include GT, Touring, Stock, Muscle, Super-Modified and more, while race types run the gamut of styles, incorporating Circuit, Street Racing, Ovals, Hot Laps, Point-to-Point and World Time Attack. It's not a game that makes you feel the full weight of every single car - assists are here, so that if you want to let rip then you can. But nor is it going to let you get away with driving however you want. Damage for both you and your competitors is persistent. More importantly (and interestingly), if you keep getting argey-bargey with the same car, they'll take notice and swiftly become your nemesis. It promotes a joyously rough and tumble style of racing that will make you feel the bumps without ever taking itself too seriously.

Doing well will see you rewarded with liveries, achievements, player cards, teammates and player accolades. There isn't all that much of the off-track drama that dragged down predecessors, however - the action is firmly located out there on the asphalt.

Codemasters has characterised GRID as the place where sim racers go to have fun, and where arcade racers go to have serious fun. It's a neat way of summing up the game's style and where it sits between the Forza Horizons and the Project Cars of this world. In a AAA year dominated by Red Deads and soulslikes, it's certainly a big one for the driving community.