Support NeoGAF

[VE3TRO]

First 20 minutes from PC version. Used a controller thats why it shows 360 buttons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V--VTp2nbc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsOGNszPJOQ

 

[Jibbed]

Yeah, I'm quite surprised that people are talking about wheels and how they grip ... It's a Codemaster title, you are just supposed to drift around corners and have a laugh. The game is quite good albeit a few missteps as already covered. It just isn't as bad as some make it out to be.

A few years ago, this meant something completely different.

 

[Sethos]

A few years ago, this meant something completely different.

A few years ago, I was playing DiRT and DiRT 2 where you just had to chug around cars and have a laugh. Fast forward to GRID 2 and I'm chugging around cars and having a laugh.

Let's not make it sound like they went from a realism studio to a bad arcade studio.

 

[Jibbed]

A few years ago, I was playing DiRT and DiRT 2 where you just had to chug around cars and have a laugh. Fast forward to GRID 2 and I'm chugging around cars and having a laugh.

Let's not make it sound like they went from a realism studio to a bad arcade studio.

Ok, maybe more than a few then.

I'm more annoyed that they've got rid of GRID's best features than anything else, I knew it was going to be very arcardey.

 

[chickdigger802]

haven't got time to dig into reviews, but is the AI still 'fun'? GT games are great for realism, but racing AI is always so boring.

 

[jet1911]

Codemaster indeed. The game optimisation is great. I wasn't sure my old 560 could handle the game but I get 60fps on high with 4xMSAA. I'm impressed. Also the game kinda reminds me of PGR.

 

[54-46!]

is an ad or an addition to increase the authenticity of the single player story? hmmm.....

It doesn't seem like an ad to me. If the scenes are handled well, I could see it adding some authenticity to the presentation.

I understand that it adds to the storytelling and what-not, it's the unskippable part that gets me.

 

[Certinty]

Just read most of the reviews already out.

Seems like the game is good but no where great like the first, I suppose I can live with that.

 

[Ethical Hedonism]

.

 

[outsida]

Its decent I'm having fun with it. Looks and performs better than the first. It feels different than the first game though, I'm not that far in (only a handful of races) so I can't exactly put my finger on what feels different.

 

[Foshy]

Alright guys, I've been playing the PC version for the last few hours... oh boy.

First of all, this game is clearly made for 10-year-olds. The commentary from your manager (which is almost constant) is patronizing as hell, and even on the hardest difficulty each race so far has been a walk in the park. The races themselves don't seem to be more than a few minutes long each, and in approximately 1/4 of these (I'm not joking) I've not even touched the brakes - which brings me on to the handling.

There are NO assist options, no way to change car characteristics or anything like that. The cars are all just glued to the circuit and drift in a predictable (ie. easy to hang on to) manner. If anything, drifting seems to give you more of a run out of corners (which makes no sense whatsoever).

The UI is a step in the wrong direction when comparing GRID 2 to the original too. Everything is slow and clunky, and pre/post races menus, loading screens etc just seem to drag on a few seconds too long. There's no way of skipping most of these either, I'm already sick of watching the fan-ticker update after a race.

Feel free to ask me anything else about the game and I'll get back to you.

Damn. I've tried to stay optimistic and can live with nearly everything else (like using bumper cam instead of cockpit view if the game were any good), but no assist options is a kick in the balls.

 

[saladine1]

GAF, a sea of negativity!

Anyway, as a racing fan, I pretty much pickup and try anything that features a car in the game.
Arcade,sim simcade doesn't matter. I just love racing games.

Now, I really couldn't get into GRID 1. The two main reasons were the handling and audio. The handling just felt off, it was sort of an on/off handling system with nothing in between. The audio was quite muted in the first game. Couldn't really hear my car and the actual car sounds were lacking in brutality....

However, I'm absolutely in love with GRD 2!

The handling now feels so much better. Very satisfying. I've raced with 3 cars so far but they all feel and handle differently. It's not a sim by any stretch but you still need to brake. You can lose the car quite easily if pushed ti it's limits. The muscle cars in particular feel boat like even for an arcade racer. The Japanese tuners have more precision and are more planted on the road.
So far, i'm very happy with Codies' refinement of the handling.

I'm not a graphics guy but yeah, looks very nice. Lots of nice effects. Plenty of 'immersive' touches like leaves, birds and various dust particles in the air.
I love the atmosphere in the game. Lots of action happening on the sidelines. People, camera crews..etc. It's alive is what i'm trying to say.

The audio is something I'm really happy with. Th cars finally sound great compared to GRID 1. They have much more depth to them. They are more brutal. They have a personality. I can also hear my car this time lol. The shifting effects are great, Plenty of pops, crackles and backfire coming from the exhaust.
Overall, the sound design is top notch. Kudos to Codies.

What I really love so far is that I don't feel bored. There's plenty of things to do in the game. Different types of races and events to keep you occupied.
Even on medium difficulty, there's a challenge to be had with the AI. But the AI are much harder to beat in the higher difficulty settings but even then, there's still pretty enjoyable racing to be had.

I know people don't like the over the top commentary but I quite like it. It feels like you are part of something. It feels immersive imo. I like the fact that your fanbase grows as you progress through the game, you feature in Youtube videos, virtual fans talk about your wins, ESPN..etc. It's a very neat idea.

Anyway, overall, for me, a much better game than GRID 1.
Great work Codies!

 

[MarshMellow96]

Wow, EDGE really liked it. Colour me surprised!

 

[Addnan]

More I play this game the more I am enjoying it. I didn't go in expecting a Gran Turismo or anything close to it, I went in with arcade sim on my mind and it has been easy fun so far. Just like all other Codemasters games. Which codemasters games are not geared towards easy gameplay anyway? Even the best Dirt game (2) was really easy. The game is also crazy well optimised on PC which makes me happy since I can downsample from 4K!

 

[JustAnotherOtaku]

All over this. First was was great and it feels like it's been a while since the last great console racing game. No cockpit cam is a shame, but definitely won't put me off buying.

 

[MiKeD]

First 10 minutes from PC version. Used a controller thats why it shows 360 buttons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0V--VTp2nbc

Holy shit, after 2m25s I was already sick of the co-pilot/team leader/whatever's voice.

 

[chickdigger802]

Question.


Can you at the very least still manually shift gears? :/

 

[sneaky77]

I am looking forward to receiving my copy from Amazon

 

[CodiesLoore]

Question.


Can you at the very least still manually shift gears? :/

Yes you can

 

[Terbinator]

They got a 9 off Edge? I said wow.

 

[valentine71]

Played the Ps3 version for 45 minutes or so and its pretty good. I was very angry with their choise of not including cockpit cams but the game is pretty arcadey. Driving is fun as always in codemasters games. Damage model looks pretty good too as graphics generally. Its a pretty good game but day one DLC sucks pretty big imho.

 

[Addnan]

I am going to stream a bit. http://www.twitch.tv/addnan

 

[CaptainRizla]

Can someone give me an idiots guide to getting this running early?
Pre-loaded and have started Steam in offline mode with SpotFlux running.
Do I need to also change my download location from UK?

edit - please

double edit - figured it out

 

[AcridMeat]

I am going to stream a bit. http://www.twitch.tv/addnan

Strange music they played on the last lap. This Chicago track has a part that reminds me of Burnout 3.

 

[The Crimson Kid]

I've played a couple hours or so on PC, and since people are already doing a decent job here in listing what is wrong with the game, I'll talk about what it does well.

- Graphically, it looks quite nice for a console port and it is extremely well-optimized. Also, the piss filter from the original is gone, or at least significantly toned down.
- The racing AI seems extremely competent and competitive so far. Also, there are plenty of random accidents that occur that liven up a race.
- The damage modeling is pretty above average.
- There's a whole lot of attention to detail in the environments that you just don't see in other racing games. From well-defined shouts from onlookers when you pull off a cool maneuver, having bunches of parked cars in various states and extra environmental detail alongside the track, and having rabbits run across the road in front of you on forest courses. They've really excelled in this regard compared to other racing games.
- The career mode progression seems better than most games. It is trying to tell more of a cohesive story (without going super-cheesy like the original Need for Speed: Most Wanted) and it does a pretty nice job of that, aside from some annoying chatter from your crew.
- The Live Route system is awesome. Having a city course dynamically change the way it does keeps you on your toes and manages to be a unique innovation that is more interesting and replayable than just racing the same static course over and over. It also means that the cities in Live Routes are more like the small areas that multiple tracks could be made out of in Project Gotham than just a static track that happens to be in a city like how most games do it.
- While the handling model is definitely arcadey (and I would've liked some choice in turning off assists), the cars have a better sense of weight and the traction seems better modeled than in past Codemasters games. There is a fair amount of subtlety needed to drive well, although those used to sim racers won't see much of a challenge from what is required. Cars certainly feel more lively and responsive than in the first GRID.
- I haven't messed around with it much, but the structure of the multiplayer seems pretty novel.

There's certainly several things I wish were better in the game or elements that shouldn't be missing outright, but there's also a whole lot that it does well. While I wouldn't call it a fantastic game, it certainly isn't the bargain-bin atrocity it is being made out to be here.

That being said, I would totally understand waiting on a sale, especially considering the sheer volume of pre-order DLC on sale at day 1.

 

[AcridMeat]

That was a pretty hilarious roll, you should have just let it go Addnan.

I know a thing or two on the subject

 

[Mr.Monitor]

This caught my attention the other day on Steam. I didn't play the first Grid so my question is should I go ahead and get that and just stick with it, get both, or skip the first and get the second? I'm thinking about picking up the first just to see what I think and then getting the second if I really enjoy it.

Edit: Or, would someone recommend one of Codemasters's other racers? I've let their games slip past me and now I think I wanna try one.

 

[Addnan]

Lol, ESPN thing in my game now.

 

[AcridMeat]

Uhhhh what the hell is ESPN doing in this game? Hahahahha this is cool, too bad I hate ESPN. :/

edit: Mr. Monitor DiRT 2 or 3 is probably their best, though I preferred 3 because I used a wheel and it felt way better as a driving game.

If you want something with courses like this on the road it's just Grid 1 or 2.

edit 2: Question for Addnan, does that Golf R feel any different from the rear drive cars you were using? It looks like it might actually understeer more which is great.

 

[AcridMeat]

Oh man was that a 190E Cosworth also racing with the original M3? Yessssssss. Seems those are the only two cars from this era though. /:

Can you turn off the codriver? I don't need him to tell me I want to be in first.

edit: He did say, "Watch out for sector three, you've had issues there before." That's kind of cool.

 

[Addnan]

Uhhhh what the hell is ESPN doing in this game? Hahahahha this is cool, too bad I hate ESPN. :/

edit: Mr. Monitor DiRT 2 or 3 is probably their best, though I preferred 3 because I used a wheel and it felt way better as a driving game.

If you want something with courses like this on the road it's just Grid 1 or 2.

edit 2: Question for Addnan, does that Golf R feel any different from the rear drive cars you were using? It looks like it might actually understeer more which is great.

It does feel different, there definitely was a bit more understeer on the Golf.

And the voice stuff, not sure. I'll check in a sec.

 

[Sethos]

Crossing the finish line like a champ ( ... )

 

[Reckless Onion]

I'm having a lot of fun with this, sure it has some annoying things but the driving is really satisfying.
The handeling is better than Grid 1 imo.

 

[Sethos]

Nothing like a tight drift ( Sorry, I like GIFs )

 

[Everdred]

This game is a blast online, love the variety. I find myself unable to quit, just saying "one more race."

 

[CloakedPuppet]

No buy from me at this time especially with the usual pre-order shenanigans. I'll probably give it a go when it hits the 40 dollar (or less) mark as it looks solid nonetheless.

Cutting track content out of a game to use as a pre-order incentive =/= full price purchase.

 

[Dilly]

That's one disappointing tracklist.

 

[McLovin]

Oh crap I didn't even know this was out! First grid was one of my favorite driving games! Are the ps3 and 360 versions the same?

 

[SlasherJPC]

So is this more a arcadey like racing or sim? I can't really tell. I prefer arcade style.

 

[jet1911]

So is this more a arcadey like racing or sim? I can't really tell. I prefer arcade style.

PGR kind of arcade.

 

[Kiraly]

Pre-order DLC:

- McLaren MP4-12C GT3 Special Edition
- Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 GT
- Dallara IndyCar and two IndyCar Pace cars
- Nissan GT-R Spec road car
- Yas Marina daytime circuit
- 2 new routes around Indianapolis Motor Speedway Circuit
- 2 new routes around the Brands Hatch GP Circuit
- 3 exclusive online events
- A unique RaceNet bonus
- Discounts in the Car upgrades store

Divided over four (!) packs. Ridiculous.

 

[mr stroke]

Going to pick this up today, no cockpit sucks, but Codemasters make awesome racers(save Dirt showdown)

hopefully there is a decent online community

 

[Steve McQueen]

GAF, a sea of negativity!

Anyway, as a racing fan, I pretty much pickup and try anything that features a car in the game.
Arcade,sim simcade doesn't matter. I just love racing games.

Now, I really couldn't get into GRID 1. The two main reasons were the handling and audio. The handling just felt off, it was sort of an on/off handling system with nothing in between. The audio was quite muted in the first game. Couldn't really hear my car and the actual car sounds were lacking in brutality....

However, I'm absolutely in love with GRD 2!

The handling now feels so much better. Very satisfying. I've raced with 3 cars so far but they all feel and handle differently. It's not a sim by any stretch but you still need to brake. You can lose the car quite easily if pushed ti it's limits. The muscle cars in particular feel boat like even for an arcade racer. The Japanese tuners have more precision and are more planted on the road.
So far, i'm very happy with Codies' refinement of the handling.

I'm not a graphics guy but yeah, looks very nice. Lots of nice effects. Plenty of 'immersive' touches like leaves, birds and various dust particles in the air.
I love the atmosphere in the game. Lots of action happening on the sidelines. People, camera crews..etc. It's alive is what i'm trying to say.

The audio is something I'm really happy with. Th cars finally sound great compared to GRID 1. They have much more depth to them. They are more brutal. They have a personality. I can also hear my car this time lol. The shifting effects are great, Plenty of pops, crackles and backfire coming from the exhaust.
Overall, the sound design is top notch. Kudos to Codies.

What I really love so far is that I don't feel bored. There's plenty of things to do in the game. Different types of races and events to keep you occupied.
Even on medium difficulty, there's a challenge to be had with the AI. But the AI are much harder to beat in the higher difficulty settings but even then, there's still pretty enjoyable racing to be had.

I know people don't like the over the top commentary but I quite like it. It feels like you are part of something. It feels immersive imo. I like the fact that your fanbase grows as you progress through the game, you feature in Youtube videos, virtual fans talk about your wins, ESPN..etc. It's a very neat idea.

Anyway, overall, for me, a much better game than GRID 1.
Great work Codies!

This.
I don´t understand the hate. Okay, I also ´hate´ the pre-order crap and I understand people are upset because it lacks cockpitview, but it still seems like a solid title to me. Anyway, I had a blast with GRID 1 and I´m gonna give it a go.

 

[Diablohead]

Dirt 3 had the best rally track held back for dlc too (monte carlo) so it's a shame that grid 2 has like a quater of it's locations behind lock and key too.

 

[BruiserBear]

Oh crap I didn't even know this was out! First grid was one of my favorite driving games! Are the ps3 and 360 versions the same?

The PS3 versions of all the Codemasters games this gen have been notably inferior. 360 version is definitely the way to go if you have the choice.

 

[Deaf Spacker]

I've just bought Grid 2 from GMG but Steam isn't letting me preload as the game is locked until release.

Fantastic.

 

[FlyinJ]

EDIT: NVM

 

[Sethos]

I've just bought Grid 2 from GMG but Steam isn't letting me preload as the game is locked until release.

Fantastic.

Really? I was allowed to pre-load and it's also locked here. Then I just opened Spotflux after it was done downloading and started the game.

 

[Deaf Spacker]

Really? I was allowed to pre-load and it's also locked here. Then I just opened Spotflux after it was done downloading and started the game.

Yup, unless I'm doing it wrong? Ahah! It's installing now.

 

[Zeth]

Wow looks very pretty, think I can run 3200x1800 on a single OCed 680? Maybe I'll use 1440P