Full motion racing
It has been a while since I have really gotten into a circuit racer, now I am reviewing two at the same time. The Grid series has always been an under-the-radar franchise that is just good enough to keep getting sequels, but never quite impressive enough to break out. I have always enjoyed these games. The last one was the thing I needed at just the right time. I am exhausted by open world racing games, and just having one track to the next is appealing. Grid Legends continues that trend with a minor twist. There is a full-on story mode complete with FMV cutscenes that attempt to tell a compelling story between races.
Grid Legends’ story mode is called Driven to Glory and plays out like a documentary. Between races I was treated to interviews with the racers involved as well as footage of behind the scenes stuff of the events in question. It is an interesting take at first, but it goes on far too long. There are dozens of chapters and the audio is so quiet compared to the main game that it was hard to hear anything. I can’t say it added anything to the experience. It got to the point where I was skipping some later in the game as I just wanted to get to the next race. This is nothing against the acting, it is actually not bad, but I just did not feel compelled with what was being told.
MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $49.99
The production values remind me of a higher-resolution version of classic Sega CD and 3DO games. Not surprising considering the same technique is used here. I think the idea was sound, but the lack of interesting storylines and truly muted audio really brought down the experience. I wanted to love it, I just could not get into the scenes.
The story mode is really like the intro to the main campaign. It lasts just under ten hours to complete the 36 chapters, but then it transitions into a more traditional style of career mode. The last Grid game was literally just a grid of events that players picked to unlock new ones. It was simplistic, but more open. With Grid Legends the menu is more confusing and funnels players into specific events to unlock other ones. It feels open but is actually very restricted. Still there is a ton of content here to get through. Racing is not the only thing to do either. There are sponsorships to manage and team members to bring on. The management is a large part of the campaign.
Thankfully for those that just want to race there are plenty of options. Grid Legends feels like the racing game template though outside of the story mode. Everything you expect is here. A large collection of tracks and cars to unlock and the standard modes. While I appreciate the attempt to stand out, it feels like the least interesting part of the game.
Thankfully the racing itself feels great. Grid manages to straddle the line between arcade and simulation. The more in-depth options are available, but if you are like me and just want to hop in and race it feels great. I could slam around corners without having to slow to a crawl. It feels great to play with the option to make it more realistic. While not on the level of games like Gran Turismo and Forza, it gets the job done. If there is one knock it is that the game feels like it recycles a lot of content from Grid 2019. Lots of the same tracks and cars feel exactly the same, almost like a copy/paste.
Even with repeats there is plenty of new content to make up for it. Loads of new tracks and vehicles little the game. The AI also feels more dynamic than in previous games. Grid Legends feels like a bigger, better version of 2019 and that is not always a bad thing. I also enjoy that the online works with AI characters because filling a 22-person race can sometimes be a challenge. Not a ton of people jumping into this one online.
Graphically the game looks good, but seems to have a lower quality at points. The game automatically locked into the 120fps mode on my settings since I had it set at the system level. It feels great, but I definitely noticed the drop in resolution. The tracks and models look great, but it feels soft when compared to GT7 or even Forza 7 in comparison. Sound is great in racing mode, but the quiet audio during Driven to Glory (the story mode) is quite frustrating.
Grid Legends is a great game that was simply released at the wrong time. PlayStation owners are more likely to jump on Gran Turismo 7, and Xbox owners are most likely still satisfied with Forza Horizon 5. It is hard to slide between these two franchises and achieve much success. Still there is a trial on EA Play so give it a shot. I had a great time with it, but quickly forgot about it after a week. I do wish the game felt more like a successor as opposed to an upgrade to Grid 2019.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.