Grid 2

[spatular]

So you drive around and stuff. Its like the first grid, but with better handling. The handling isn't the best still, still feels a bit odd, but from what I remember of the first one, I like the handling better in this new one, was getting quite into it last night using the pad. Its a bit floaty and twitchy, but decent fun IMO.

There's a number of different events, like time trials, races, elimination, overtake challenges, so that's good to keep things interesting. the overtake challenges I was stuck on for a while, seem like a difficulty spike, although they are optional I think..

There's 3 types of car, drift, balanced, and grip - they all handle pretty similar though, just as described really, you can still drift the grip cars but it's just easier to drift in the drift ones....the game keeps telling you to drift, so I expect it's not a terrible idea like it would be in a more realistic game, well for going fast anyway. Its difficult to tell which cars are best from looking at the car select screen so I'm just randomly picking stuff at the mo. are the cars better as you go to the right maybe?

there's a mix of pgr style city tracks and racing circuits.

The graphics are really nice on Xbox, runs smooth enough too.

The story is really stupid but that's expected. Yo I seen your vids on YouTube, let's form a worldwide racing league innit.

Tried with the wheel today and I think it works better on the pad maybe, wheel would usually help with twitchy ness but here it's still really twitchy, and the force feedback isn't great, still does give some feedback info though. And I did get into it a bit more with the wheel too, so it's not bad on the wheel.

Due to preorder bonus tracks, I canceled my order and just rented, enjoying it so sort of wish I hadn't canceled it now, plus it has online pass so I can't play online now- except for a 48 hour trial. The version of brands hatch in the game is the short version - the one I like anyway. (long version is a preorder bonus)

So anyone else get this? Like it?

[Cyberpunk]

I dabbled with it at a friends house. I'm not sure if I like it or not. Its a weird sort of racing game, ain't it? Not quite sim, not quite arcade, but somewhere near the two. The handling is a bit vague, with a massive push towards drifting regardless of what kind of race you're doing. I'm not a big drift fan in racing games anyway. The story is almost like a prequel to Grid. You've been hired as up and coming talent, to race and get noticed, so your boss can set up a worldwide racing league. The cars within the game are almost thrown at you. You don't buy them, and the cars you don't choose can be won later in challenges. I'm not sure if I'll pick it up. It's a pity, as the first Grid is one of my favourite racing games.

[spatular]

Cool vid!

played a few more days of this. similar to Cyberpunk, i can't decide if i like it or not. on one hand i like the cars/tracks/different events, even the online parts work well. But on the other hand i don't really like the handling, well it's not terrible, some cars handle better than others but it's all a bit strange. I've seen it compared to PGR - it's in the same space as PGR as it's inbetween sim and arcade, but PGR seems to take a more realistic handling model and dumb it down a bit, whereas this seems to take something like ridge racer and add more realistic stuff...if that makes any sense, anyway that's what it seems like to me. although i had the same thing with the first grid, and did eventually get into the handling, so maybe i just need to play a bit more. switching cars all the time in single player isn't helping.

been playing single player for ages and still only on tier 2 cars - there are 4 tiers, i want the faster stuff a bit quicker really.

multiplayer - had some races - it works really well, loads of different events and stuff. there's also a really nice feature where everyone has a safety rating, if you don't crash much you have green/white, and yellow if you crash more - you can see these all the time during the racing so you can see the people you might need to try and avoid, and you can limit lobbies to just clean racers - it's not foolproof but definitely a good idea and seems to work reasonably well. you start from scratch in multiplayer so you might have to have crap/loan cars for a while.

[HandsomeDead]

Okay; I've been playing this a while now and I'm gonna speak about it.

This game is frigging awesome. It is to me now, at least. It starts slow: you drive slow cars that don't quite feel right around short and undemanding tracks, and even if you are struggling the generous AI will take a fall on the last corner and wave you past.

But the more you play, the faster cars you unlock, and then the more of an obstacle the tracks become. When I started playing I was disappointed by the amount of times you can rewind in a race (it's 5 times). I thought, maybe, as the game progresses you'll get less rewinds, but that doesn't happen: the courses get longer, the cars get faster, the fail safe mechanic turns into a strategic decision.

I couldn't quite remember what kind of reception this game got and why I've not played any of the series before, so I checked Metacritic. I say this because, sometimes, it's hard to know who to go with: the public or the critics. The critics had high praise for it, but he public (read Metacritic posters) quite hated it.

Now, like I said, I think this game is awesome. So, out of interest, I try to see why so many hate it. 'It's not like the original Grid' they say, 'it's dumbed down'. Some even say it has ' casual driving mechanics'. It's with that I throw out anyone who critises this game in that manner. This game is fucking hardcore. How can anyone not see otherwise? I've not played the original Grid, but I just can't imagine a racing game as intense as this one. I've not played a Codies racing game in a long time, but I have played lots of others in that time, and this holds it's head high.

Like, On this very forum I have proved myself as someone who is pretty good at racing games (look around if you're new; check my Forza 3 and Outrun 2 skills on the competition threads we've had (essentially, I know my shit on both sides of the arcade and simulation fences)).

But I get it. I know why people don't like it: it has a slow start, it has drifting, it has a rewind mechanic; this means it's for morons.

What Grid 2 is is the Halo of racing games... in a kind of way.

Its distinctive mechanics look as though they are something for morons on first appearance but time with the game will show otherwise.

The big deal is the rewind mechanic, but since that is included the tracks are fiendishly hard. Tracks are real narrow and have bits sticking out for you to hit; and when you hit them when you're out of rewinds , you're fucked; start again.

And its easy to use over three tries on one corner... you'll do that, trust me, with these crazy tracks.

I've talked a lot of shit, but I want to say this at the end:

I don't drive, but I've played my fair share of racing games. But this one, while racing down the Japanese mountains in a AMG Merc, it was the first time I ever felt the same anxiety I feel when I'm behind the wheel of a real car.

Seriously, the physics in this game make it terrifying. I really can't comprehend why some think this game is casual and for the lowest common denominator (unless, of course, they played it for two mins then hit their keyboard).

Is the original Grid so good?

[Sly Reflex]

I dunno, but I'll get round to it when it comes out of the tombola.

I hear good things about Dirt 3 as well. Also in the tombola.

[spatular]

you're making me want to give this another try. i never did really get into the handling. seems about £10 on the xbox...

edit - you played dirt 2 sly? better than 3 imo anyway.

edit2 - according to the completed games list, i completed this, don't remember it but probably won't pick it up again knowing that though.

[HandsomeDead]

I! have been playing the online mode of this a whole damn lot, lately, and I reckon it is the best online racer ever made. A bold claim, I know, but it's true; even though those damn humans at the other end of the wires are as infuriating as ever

What's good is the amount of modes you can do. You have your races and that but also have online Time Trials and Drift modes, as well as others. I actually really, really like the Check Point races: you normally start with a timer of about a minute and you race through check points to add a few seconds of time. Oh, and you start at different times to other competitors so you can have a clean race unless you're awesome or the one ahead of you is shit so they get in your way (or Vica Versa). But basically, you're really encouraged to drive your best at all times and it makes it real intense. I noticed that because on the Time Trials which have a similar premise, but the times are recorded per lap, you find that people get in your way more... like if they're having a shitty lap they will use the remainder of the track to fuck you up when your having a good lap. That drives me up the wall.

I guess I also have an issue with how the online mode progresses: it's just too slow. Right, there are four classes of car, you get one for the first three classes, but the fourth class you always have to rent one that costs half your winnings, and tier four races come up as often as the other tiers. And that's stupid when you're a rube.

How the progress works is you unlock all your tier one cars first, then tier two etc, yet races are for all classes randomly. They should have made alternative tier four cars unlockable as early as the better lower tier cars to give you some choice.

I dunno, that annoys me. I guess it's because I played a lot of the single player so I can handle the tier four cars (Not to brag (I will) but I do often beat higher ranked people in tuned cars in my shitty rented tier four car) but I'm annoyed I can't have some decisiveness in my higher ranked cars until I play loads more.

I make it sound bad, but it's actually loads of fun.

Oh, and another thing. I breezed through the drift events in single player thinking they were far too easy and not at all to the same level as other events but playing the drift events online I'm finding most people do not know how to do it. I cross the line thinking I did a horribly average performance and end up winning.

I bet they're all kids and haven't played Outrun 2 or Ridge Racer. Rubes.

It's free on PS+. Come join me driving cars and shit.

[Hendo]

I tried it the other day but found controlling the damn thing to be a bit more work than I'm used to. You have to use the brake and everything!

[Sly Reflex]

Remind me never to get in a real car if Hendo's driving.

Awesome write up DC, keep the opinions coming.

[Craymen Edge]

I'm playing on PC. It's very pretty, handles well and runs at a lovely smooth framerate on my machine.

It's more sim-like than arcade racers such as Criterion's Needs For Speeds for example, but is definitely much more on the arcade handling side compared to Forza and Gran Turismo. It strikes a decent balance.

The single player mode doesn't make a lot of sense. I dont know why I'm allowed to race in all these different series, in a different car each race, but that might be because I'm streaming music in the background and can't hear what that guy is saying. I like it though, apart from the fact that Dubai and Yas Marina are coming up too often in the series I'm currently racing in. Those tracks are a bit crap.

It might be a little easy, perhaps, but I'm enjoying it a lot.

[HandsomeDead]

There is no rhyme or reason to the races and what cars you use, I think it's purely just to mix things up.

I don't know how far you're in but it gets harder. I've not played the single player for a while and I'm still on the races I was on when I last posted about that. I'm on the last set of races in season 4 and you're in some pretty fast cars (Aston Martins and stuff) and in these races you start right at the back and it's a real test of your overtaking skills. You can't just bump your way around like it's Gran Turismo, you have to keep it smooth but it's so easy to make mistakes and use up all your rewinds in a single lap.

Oh yeah. I was playing online last night and got my first hate message on the game. I totally dererved it, mind. It was a 5 minute long endurance race (yeah, the endurance races are hardily a test of endurance) and there was 5 seconds to go and I'd been leading 75% of the race but I 'd kinda fucked up a minute or so before so a couple of folk had caught up. Anyway, 5 seconds to go, and I take a corner a little too leisurely and one of them from the back nails it perfectly and his coming up to overtake me. Normally, I'd let them past and pressure them but there was no time for that; I just rammed the fuck out of them as they past and hoped I didn't take myself out too (which was a bold thing to do as I was in a lightweight car). I didn't, I held it and they dropped a few places.

So then the message came: MOTHER!!! FUNK!!! MEN!!!

I know it isn't insulting or anything but I pissed someone enough for them to want me to know about it.

I actually did send one back apologising saying it was an appalling move but I wanted to win. I mean I was leading most of the race and I think I was raking up a bit of a win streak at this point... sooo... y'know, get out of the way.

And this did remind me again that all the bad rep I accumulated on XBL was from racing games and behavior like that.

Racing games, man, they really do bring out the cunt in me.

[illdog]

Gentlemanly conduct is for courting ladies, not racing games. It seems a valid move to me.

[HandsomeDead]

So I have a pretty long online career now. I've now got a good few abusive messages under my belt (all were responded to in the most polite manner ) I've now got more to say and advise about.

First: fuck races. It's the bread and butter type of seeing which cars go fastest but there is so little good etiquette. A few too many people will just try and take you out for no reason at all. It punishes rammers pretty badly by making it worse for them more often than not yet some fuckers will go for you at every damn opportunity, on purpose ( I know I did that in my last post, but that was a different situation). I guess it's just shit people hoping to hold you back as much as them. Endurance races are pretty bad too but there you're more likely the pack will dissipate and you can climb back up like it's Ridge Racer or something.

Second: fuck anyone who picks Grip cars. I guess this is just me being a judgmental cunt, but I'm sick of the sheer amount of boring fucks who drives any of these fucking Postman Pat cars. I've been in them in the career mode and they are no fun to drive and just inspire the beigest fucking experience you can have in the game, so if you routinely pick one in every tier in every race then you are a person I just don't think I want to hang out with, you walking chicken korma.

Though I do enjoy frightening the shit about them when they're in that Caterham, zipping about like a Scaletrix car and I lurch behind them with my big dick Dodge Viper ready to take them on a corner with an epic drift (because if I fuck it up we're both going down in that thing).

So yeah, live a little, you grip guys, and try going sideways for a bit. You might just like it and may even go faster.

[spatular]

yeah, i really like racing games but rarely ever play them online (unless it's with friends) because its guaranteed to be full of idiots ramming everyone maybe iracing doesn't have this problem.

so is drifting as fast as not-drifting in this? (i can barely remember what i did yesterday, so yeah. and i like chicken korma )

[HandsomeDead]

I think it is. You can hit the corners at some surprising angles and speeds and come out still going pretty quickly. And I've noticed that if you do take a corner a bit too quickly in a grip car it's really hard to counter the understeer, so while your fuck up isn't as dramatic, it does slow you down. And in a drift type the hand-brake is certainly your friend to correct a mis-judged corner, though not so much in a grip car... you just stop.

[HandsomeDead]

Actually, what I didn't make clear before is I just want a better variety of opponents and to frequently have the same cars turning up with the same riskless drivers it's not as fun as it could be.

Saying that, I do see the same few names turn up from time to time since this game has a smallish community and I do enjoy racing some of the cooler people. There is a group from Brazil that are pretty cool and fun to race, as is this one top ranked Japanese dude who always kills it in the drift cars (I suppose that's how I've seen their potential as well as my own blind luck).

I'd just like to see more aiming to be like them.

[spatular]

that's interesting, thanks DC. i struggle to remember much about the game, except that i didn't really get on with the handling (shame as i think i liked the rest of it), but maybe that's why as i was most likely trying to play it straight when maybe i should have been drifting more.

[HandsomeDead]

Well I like the handling a lot so mucking about with it is really fun, I think. It's like a more dangerous version of PGR, also due to a bunch of the tracks being narrow and wiggly.

[Sly Reflex]

Second: fuck anyone who picks Grip cars. I guess this is just me being a judgmental cunt, but I'm sick of the sheer amount of boring fucks who drives any of these fucking Postman Pat cars. I've been in them in the career mode and they are no fun to drive and just inspire the beigest fucking experience you can have in the game, so if you routinely pick one in every tier in every race then you are a person I just don't think I want to hang out with, you walking chicken korma.

Though I do enjoy frightening the shit about them when they're in that Caterham, zipping about like a Scaletrix car and I lurch behind them with my big dick Dodge Viper ready to take them on a corner with an epic drift (because if I fuck it up we're both going down in that thing).

This is one of the funniest paragraphs about gaming I've read in a while. Well done/You're a cock

[spatular]

It's like a more dangerous version of PGR

i've seen it compared to pgr before, but i really don't like that comparison myself, to me this felt like an arcade game like ridge racer, made to feel more realistic or something.