Grid Autosport May Not Be Perfect But Here Are The Things That Make It Addictive

GRID 2 received a negative response from racing fans when it was launched last year. Codemasters admitted the game went in the wrong direction and now they are back to redeem themselves with GRID Autosport.

We picked up a review copy of the game to see if the series is back on track. Here are 10 things we love and hate about GRID Autosport:

1. Graphics

The visuals in the game are top notch and the attention to detail is very impressive, especially as it has only been released on previous generation consoles (PS3, Xbox 360 as well as PC). The circuits all look spectacular and the in-game menus are smart and easy to navigate. Also, the damage model and graphics are much better and more realistic in comparison to Codemasters’ Formula 1 franchise.

2. Disciplines

While GRID 2 focused more on street and drift racing, GRID Autosport goes back to its motorsport roots with five disciplines to choose from - Touring, Endurance, Open-Wheel, Street and Tuner. During your career you can hop from one to the other as you please, with different championships to race in as you progress through each discipline.

I have mainly focused on the Open-Wheel segment of the game, which sees you move from the lower tiers up to the top ranked Formula A races. I’ve loved climbing up the single seater ladder, as young drivers do in real life, while also sampling other disciplines like Touring and Endurance.

3. Handling

I feel GRID Autosport has found the right balance between arcade and simulation handling. All of the cars that I have sampled have been fun and challenging, but not too difficult to master. The difficulty levels are very flexible and cater to a wide audience, enabling both motorsport rookies and experienced racing gamers to compete at the right level. Codemasters really listened to the negative feedback (of which there was plenty) from GRID 2 and really worked on implementing some of the requests and changes into the game.

4. The little things

There are a few little details in the game that have really impressed me. One of them is the in-car radio. You can request certain information from your race engineer, like the gap to the car ahead or what damage you have, and you can also ask your team-mate to either attack or defend.

Whilst this is a little useless when the other driver in the team is rubbish and consistently off the pace, it is a good tool when you are racing together and want your team-mate to hold off faster drivers behind. The race engineer and the menu screen voice also refer to you by your own name, which is a cool feature.

5. Decisions, decisions...

It is fantastic to have so much choice in a racing game, whether it’s circuits, cars or camera angles. There are plenty of tracks to choose from (22 overall), with many different configurations as well. Whether you are racing in career mode, online or in a custom race, there are lots of cars and race modes to try out, while the number of camera angles featured in the game (particularly with the Open-Wheel cars) means all gamers will find a view they like.

6. Cockpit view

While it’s nice to have so many camera angles, the two cockpit views are disappointing. After it was removed from GRID 2, the announcement that cockpit view would return was met with a positive reaction from fans of the franchise. However, it seems like it has been a rushed addition. The steering wheel area and cockpit is blurred with no detail, which doesn’t make racing in that setting particularly enjoyable.

7. Teams and drivers

During your career you race against fictional drivers, with some of them making the move to higher series in the motorsport ladder just as they do in real life. You race for and against fictional teams, with some fantastic liveries (I particularly like the Team Kicker design), with more prestigious and successful outfits offering you contracts as you win more races and unlock more achievements.

8. Backwards

I think this deserves a point all to itself. As mentioned previously, there are lots of track configurations to choose from, and sometimes players will get the chance to try out circuits backwards.

Spa-Francorchamps backwards is a bit strange, but epic nonetheless - especially Eau Rouge. I also feel Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit is better and more challenging in the backwards configuration, maybe an idea for the F1 2015 season, if the FIA is reading this?

9. AI

It is great that the AI make errors and mistakes, but there are a few things that I think need tweaking. Firstly, the other drivers rarely make overtaking moves, particularly in the Open-Wheel discipline (in Touring they are a bit more aggressive). I find that sometimes they will back off despite being in my slipstream, rather than moving to the inside to make a move at the following corner.

Also, if I do collide with an AI car, I will often be sent spinning or sliding off the track, while they remain on the circuit without losing control. The contact punishes me, but not the AI car, which can get frustrating.

10. Pit stops and tyre wear

These two things can greatly impact the result of a race, but pit stops don’t feature at all in GRID Autosport (the pit lanes are blocked on every circuit) and the Endurance discipline is the only one to include tyre wear. I feel that introducing both of these things to more disciplines would make the game more realistic and make longer Endurance, Open-Wheel or Touring custom races more enjoyable, adding in a strategy aspect.

In Conclusion

GRID Autosport has a lot going for it and brings the franchise back in line as a more authentic racing game. The graphics are stunning and the career mode is fun and enjoyable with plenty of choice, while Codemasters has found the right balance with the handling. Developers have really listened to the fans, with that input helping to shape a decent game.

Of course it isn’t perfect and there are several changes I would make, but it is a great pick up and play game for both hardcore and casual motorsport fans.