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IGN Review of GRID
Firebrand Games already made a great impression on us with the team's Race Driver: Create and Race release last year on the Nintendo DS, so to see that the developer's follow-up racer, GRID, turned out just as high-quality isn't a big surprise. There's great stuff here, but your mileage may vary if you're a fan of the sim racer or weigh more on the arcade-action side. There's a happy medium in the Nintendo DS version of GRID -- perhaps sliding a bit more towards the simulation side, which isn't quite the handheld's comfort zone. But just like in Race Driver: Create and Race, the developer does a great job working within the system's weaknesses to cater an impressive racer for the specific platform and its gamers.
For those that expect GRID on the Nintendo to keep up with the stunning Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game, stop reading right there -- this game isn't meant as a port of that kick-ass Codemasters release. While conceptually the Nintendo DS version shares a lot of the same ideas -- different racing styles all over the world, similar set of licensed cars -- this handheld game is its own design. Just as a good portable edition should be.
GRID's foundation is clearly based on the core of Race Driving: Create and Race. The visual engine, the features list -- even the general feel of the gameplay is lifted straight out of last year's release. But the design has a lot more going for it because the GRID design features a variety of different styles of racing. Tracks in the US are more street-based compared to the drift-heavy Japanese circuits. The designers also do a great job giving players more things to do than simply racing to the finish line -- there's a lot of little technical challenges to complete in GRID that push the player's ability to gas, brake, and powerslide like a pro.
Of course, our biggest complaint about last year's game has been addressed, for the most part: the camera has been lifted up off the track a bit so that players can see curves coming a lot further away.
One of the key components of last year's Race Driver: Create and Race was the ability to build tracks from the ground up, and that again is the major hook with the Nintendo DS version of GRID. Not much has changed in the construction interface compared to the original game, but it's this ability that actually beefs up the presentation and encourages players to charge through the single player challenges since they're rewarded with additional parts and locations for their create-a-track option. This constructor is incredibly full-featured and allows for some serious track-building, and the Nintendo DS system's touch screen allows players to come up with some great layouts simply by drawing it out with the stylus.
It wouldn't be a successful racing game if the game looked great, sounded great, but controlled like crap, and luckily GRID on the DS plays just as good as it looks and sounds. The game rides a line between realistic and arcade styles, but with its attention to technical capabilities and its damage focus it may be a little more simulation than pick-up-and-play handheld gamers might be comfortable with. The problem with skirting closer to simulation than arcade is that it's harder to suspend disbelief when goofy arcade-style things happen. There are also weird anomalies that spring up in GRID DS, like computer cars swerving unnaturally robotic-like when they're nudged by other vehicles.
Last year we commended Firebrand Games for its attention to presentation in Race Driver: Create and Race -- we loved the "console game feel" in that game and that same attention is here in GRID. This year's game has the same awesome multiplayer focus, from the single cartridge support to the online Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support. As of this writing it was a little tough to find random competition on the internet, so hopefully the online community will start beefing up as the days go on.
©2008-08-07, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
For those that expect GRID on the Nintendo to keep up with the stunning Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game, stop reading right there -- this game isn't meant as a port of that kick-ass Codemasters release. While conceptually the Nintendo DS version shares a lot of the same ideas -- different racing styles all over the world, similar set of licensed cars -- this handheld game is its own design. Just as a good portable edition should be.
GRID's foundation is clearly based on the core of Race Driving: Create and Race. The visual engine, the features list -- even the general feel of the gameplay is lifted straight out of last year's release. But the design has a lot more going for it because the GRID design features a variety of different styles of racing. Tracks in the US are more street-based compared to the drift-heavy Japanese circuits. The designers also do a great job giving players more things to do than simply racing to the finish line -- there's a lot of little technical challenges to complete in GRID that push the player's ability to gas, brake, and powerslide like a pro.
Of course, our biggest complaint about last year's game has been addressed, for the most part: the camera has been lifted up off the track a bit so that players can see curves coming a lot further away.
One of the key components of last year's Race Driver: Create and Race was the ability to build tracks from the ground up, and that again is the major hook with the Nintendo DS version of GRID. Not much has changed in the construction interface compared to the original game, but it's this ability that actually beefs up the presentation and encourages players to charge through the single player challenges since they're rewarded with additional parts and locations for their create-a-track option. This constructor is incredibly full-featured and allows for some serious track-building, and the Nintendo DS system's touch screen allows players to come up with some great layouts simply by drawing it out with the stylus.
It wouldn't be a successful racing game if the game looked great, sounded great, but controlled like crap, and luckily GRID on the DS plays just as good as it looks and sounds. The game rides a line between realistic and arcade styles, but with its attention to technical capabilities and its damage focus it may be a little more simulation than pick-up-and-play handheld gamers might be comfortable with. The problem with skirting closer to simulation than arcade is that it's harder to suspend disbelief when goofy arcade-style things happen. There are also weird anomalies that spring up in GRID DS, like computer cars swerving unnaturally robotic-like when they're nudged by other vehicles.
Last year we commended Firebrand Games for its attention to presentation in Race Driver: Create and Race -- we loved the "console game feel" in that game and that same attention is here in GRID. This year's game has the same awesome multiplayer focus, from the single cartridge support to the online Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support. As of this writing it was a little tough to find random competition on the internet, so hopefully the online community will start beefing up as the days go on.
©2008-08-07, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved