Grid

Game Experience

For a very long time, driving simulation gamers have wanted a game that felt more personal than those in the past, we wanted to feel apart of a racing team and manage all of its nuances. Grid allows the player to really feel included in the game by becoming personal, and dynamic.

One major feature that facilitates this inclusive theme is the way the game addresses the player. Grid is one of few games that are able to pronounce the name of its players. A feature which at surface value does not seem like much, but when in the heat of a race, it always feels good to hear a human voice offering you words of encouragement with your name pronounced in a non-generic manner.

The menus are never tedious to navigate, and the game is very appealing to the eye. Each menu is set up in a floating view, and the background of the menu remains dynamic with people walking around and cars driving by; appropriate sounds are also slightly audible but on a low volume so as to provide realism without the intrusive noises associated with a race track. The navigation of the game separate from driving is set up in a garage with your cars on lifts, and helmets and race suit in the corner by a locker. Doing this may to some seem like the garage in Gran Turismo, but the Grid garage is more dynamic. As menu choices are made, the menu camera seamlessly moves around the garage displaying subsequent menus in different areas of the garage. The developers have included a unique menu feature that makes the game a little more interesting, such as movable menus which serve to assist in visibility because the backgrounds can be difficult to read against at times. Moving menus is not to be confused with the menu transitions, the perspective of the camera on the menu is what is adjustable with the joystick.

Grid also allows the use of an artificially intelligent teammate that is at times annoying, but it is actually a very cool idea. The options for the teammate are just as cool and detailed as well. It is possible to hire and fire drivers at will, and each driver has a different personality, specifications that are displayed on a pie chart and a unique voice that again, says your name.

Along with a teammate, Grid allows you to create a custom livery for your racing team, the customizability is not the greatest, but it does suffice. Car color can be changed on any car, racing stripes or vinyl decals can be applied, and sponsor names are applied tastefully. And for each sponsor sticker displayed exists an actual sponsor that provides a monetary bonus if criterion for each race are met. The progressive nature of the sponsorship bonuses is cool as well because it allows for higher and higher bonuses with each additional sponsor that is added.