Part of a long string of blockbuster racing games (including TOCA Championship Racing, Pro Race Driver and the original Grid), Grid 2 challenges players to be fast, be first and be famous as they enter a stunning new world of competitive motorsport. Following the success of Race Driver: Grid — which set new standards for damage, AI, visuals and introduced the Flashback time rewind feature (now adopted by many racing games) — Grid 2 will again raise the gameplay and technological bar for motorsport gaming and remain true to the series’ core value — it’s all about the race. Grid 2 will also introduce the new TrueFeel Handling System, which uses real physics to hit a sweet spot between accessibility and simulation to deliver handling that is approachable yet challenging to master.
Going behind the wheel of a handpicked selection of automotive icons spanning four decades and three continents — USA, Europe and Asia — players will race their way to the top of Grid 2’s new, evolving world of motorsport. From Paris to Dubai, Miami to the sun-kissed California coast and beyond, beautifully created city streets, licensed circuits and edge-of-control mountain roads will become home to the most visceral and exhilarating races in games. Grid 2 also sets new standards for a racing multiplayer experience with an entirely distinct and extensive gameplay component and unique progression system. Deep customization options and integration with RaceNet will offer further immersion and connectivity to extend each player’s GRID 2 experience.
Development
The game was officially announced in 2012 and a teaser video was shown. The game contains a lot of improvements and runs on a modified engine. The game is said to be pushing boundaries.
“In single-player, split-screen and online, the next-generation of the EGO Game Technology Platform will power graphics, AI, handling and damage advancements that will immerse players in the racing experience like never before. Like its predecessor, GRID 2 will put the sheer thrill and adrenaline rush of the race at the heart of the experience. It’s what we call Total Race Day Immersion,” said Clive Moody, Executive Producer.
“The core design philosophy for GRID 2 is that we treat the race as a character, not a consequence of simply putting cars on tracks. Everything that goes into the game impacts on that second-to-second, in the moment, blockbuster drama – the feel and personality of the race.”
The cockpit view was also removed. The reasons for removing the it are as follows.
“The thing is that [removal of the cockpit view] was a really big decision for us. It allows us to be able to push other things in the game, like with the visuals. We’ve been able to extend point-to-point events, we’ve been able to add more cars to the track, and that’s really pushing things forward. It’s a good decision for the game and we don’t regret it.”
Gameplay
The game is an out and out racing game at its core and features top cars that have been meticulously designed.
The main USP of the game are its visuals and the physics are fantastic as well. It doesn’t feature a cockpit view but the third person camera should be enhanced.
The game also contains a lot of American locations like Chicago, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the California Coast. There are also face off events between two players.
GRID 2 will have around 70 cars.
Improvements
The game was said to be in pre-production for two years. It runs on the EGO Game Technology Platform of Codemasters.
The AI, visuals have all been improved and the game is said to raise the technological bar for motorsport gaming.
There’s also a career mode that is said to be improved a lot. It is built on the same handling model as the first game and has a new TrueFeel Handling System which uses real physics to find a sweetspot between accessibly and simulation.
Overall though, Grid 2 will be a success if it can show that it has enough depth to keep players interested. The involving-looking career mode adds a nice fantasy element to the proceedings, while there seems to have been enough work that’s gone into the physics of the cars and tracks to make real car geeks and race fans take a second look.
The question of how long we’ll have to wait to find out has been answered, incidentally. The game arrives on May 28th in NA and May 31st in Europe. It will debut on current generation hardware and PC, but don’t be at all surprised if a deluxe version bundled with DLC makes an appearance around the launch of the new consoles. (From ign.com, gamingbolt.com)
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