Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 01:24 pm, by: Gregg Holden(Xzotic)
For you PC buffs - Download the demo version of Codemasters GRID - NOW! Uses an upgraded version of their excellent graphics engine from DIRT.
The game has a drift component that had input from a pro Japanese drifter. It's definitly the best 'drifting sim' on the market at the moment and the normal racing mode is also very well done.
Too early to write off R-factor and GTR2 from a physics perspective, but GRID does feel right and has more eye candy than Charlie and the Chocolate factory.
The demo comes with only three cars with an S15 for drifting. But a little searching on the web for the final set of cars shows me something that will be very enjoyable in the final release!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 08:20 pm, by: Paul Newman(Legendsatlunch)
Looks like an awesome sim. The shots of the Soarer are excellent. What's the menu like, that's the main thing that puts me off codemasters sims. They have also gained the rights to the fia F1 racing series should see some good things happen from them! GO the soarer. Rfacors drift cars always seem too slippery for me. But the d1 drift mod is pretty cool. It has the same soarer I released for gtr2.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 06:20 pm, by: Gregg Holden(Xzotic)
The physics definitely aren't to the level of GTR2 or R-Factor. I haven't played Forza so I can't comment on that.
If you turn all assists off in GRID it handles not unrealistically. Problem is, some people drive with all assists on and complain or worse still, don't know how to drive and complain it's not realistic.
However the 'sim' point was more directed towards the drifting component which (although it is not perfect) is certainly far better than anything else I personally have seen out there in the market in the drift space (Perhaps if you manage to play the demo you can comment more on the comparison with Forza).
The drifting section is very hard to master and has some aspects that I can relate to when attempting to drift when you can't! ie: Points of no return and sensitivities in throttle control, steering angle and speed. In my opinion its difficulty and predictability when you lose it feels pretty good...
Regardless - the game has excellent graphics and arguably is a blast to play. Certainly drifting a few Soarers around the circuits and down the hill run in Japan will have some entertainment value in the full version!
Sunday, May 18, 2008 - 05:05 pm, by: Steven Anderson(Cusscuss)
The way they have done it is interesting.
Its... artificial. The overall experience in the drift section is actually very good, holding, understeering or spinning out is very accurate. But its been tweaked out of a fairly arcadey physics engine.
There is way too much lock needed for stuff to actually start happening and the car understeers way to much if you are driving in drift mode.
The biggest giveaway is that the handling is completely different in race mode than it is in drift mode.
But the end result is very fun, i found it fairly close to what I do on the skidpan apart from the force feedback not quite getting there (i.e. you have to wind the opp lock on yourself rather than the car doing it for you).
Damage model is by far the best I have seen out of any game, outstanding.
Was very impressed on how it ran on my computer too, 3 year old athlon 3500 with 8600GT and it was very playable in a decent res, most of the other fancy stuff was turned down though.
I will definitely be grabbing the full version when it comes out.
Sunday, May 18, 2008 - 06:24 pm, by: Jeff Smith(Mozzie)
I also enjoyed the demo,I havn't played forza as the only format I play games on is PC.So from the pc,It is the best it can offer. The only gripe I have with it is PC specks,I have an old setup of a P4 2.8gig 8x agp nvidia 6200gt 256 and 1gig corsair xms ram,It is still quick but dated.I find I have to run the grathics on low and music off.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - 12:45 pm, by: Callum Finch(Sigeneat)
In my opinion, GRID is a FANTASTIC combination of simulation and arcadey racing.
Its not as precise or realistic technically as a proper sim such as Forza or Grand Tourismo or as arcadey as something like Need for Speed. I think the result Codemasters came up with is very well balanced when you just want to have fun =P
The drifting component is pretty silly in my opinion, however its pretty damn easy to get the car going sideways. Each to their own.
Sunday, May 25, 2008 - 10:04 am, by: Maurice Diggler(Mau_rice)
Callum Finch wrote on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - 12:45 pm:
The drifting component is pretty silly in my opinion, however its pretty damn easy to get the car going sideways. Each to their own.
I'm unsure how much power that S15 has but on the Xbox version flat stick in 6th gear from 50kph and the car breaks traction, smokes the tyres and spins around? It's pathetic. The drift section is a joke, the game looks pretty but thats about it.
Monday, June 09, 2008 - 04:54 pm, by: Ryan McDonough(Ryan)
Agreed Daniel, great fun. Have played the full version for about 6 hours now. When you get used to it, its not to bad. Just be ready to get smashed to hell and back when you start to race.
Friday, June 13, 2008 - 07:50 pm, by: Shaun Chiew(Senk9)
I have it on Xbox360, and I agree with the consensus. It's quite arcadey and definitely not a sim like Forza 2, but still fun in it's own way. The drift mode and the slick visuals are it's redeeming qualities by far.