“More like a support race instead of the main event.” That was GTPlanet’s verdict on GRID upon its release a few short weeks ago. While the reboot of Codemasters’ beloved circuit racer retains the visceral on-track thrills you expect from the franchise, it lacks the substance to match its style.
This week, Time Extend’s resident GRID historian, Brendan Rorrison, dives deep into where the much-hyped Codies racer goes awry. There are certainly moments where GRID pushes you to the edge of your seat, but they’re ultimately inconsequential and fleeting. Earlier entries immersed you in a world of motorsport with surprisingly deep off-track responsibilities, like negotiating with teammates and sponsors. Perplexingly, this latest installment omits that depth.
Instead, GRID presents a serviceable foundation that fails to live up to its potential. Perhaps post-release support will help that, but at launch, GRID resembles one of those all too familiar “7 out of 10 racers” discussed in our previous show. It’s a disappointing turn for a title Brendan and I had been excitedly awaiting from the moment it was announced.
However, we should stress that Episode 28 isn’t a total downer. We take the top of the show to lavish praise on Feral Interactive’s impressive port of GRID Autosport to the Switch. With loads of content and stunning performance optimized for Nintendo’s handheld (all for a budget price, no less), Autosport has delivered the GRID experience we’ve enjoyed the most this October. Who would’ve expected that?
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