Game Preview: Grid 2

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC
Developer: Codemasters
Publisher: Codemasters

GRID 2, sequel to the BAFTA-award winning, critically acclaimed Race Driver: GRID, is set for a 2013 launch for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC and promises to bring a number of innovations to the genre, just as the first game did in 2008.

The original GRID can lay claim to introducing many features now de rigueur in most of today’s racing titles - setting standards for damage, AI scripting, visuals and the flashback time rewind that saved many virtual smashes.

It also involved players in the motorsport world by allowing them to run the entire race team, hire other drivers to race alongside and essentially let gamers experience what it was like to have a long term racing career.

So what can we expect in the new game?

"GRID’s back and we’re going to make street, track and road racing exciting again," said Clive Moody, Executive Producer on GRID 2.

"The core design philosophy for GRID 2 is that we treat the race as a character, not a consequence of simply putting cars on tracks. Everything that goes into the game impacts on that second-to-second, in the moment, blockbuster drama – the feel and personality of the race."

Mr Moody explains that like its predecessor, gamers will become totally involved in what it's like to have a career as a race driver.

"Like its predecessor, GRID 2 will put the sheer thrill and adrenaline rush of the race at the heart of the experience. It’s what we call Total Race Day Immersion."

The GRID 2 designer also points out that we'll see some new features in the game, but deftly avoided revealing what they will be. Here's hoping for after-race antics - champagne spray anyone?

"We’re pushing boundaries once again with what can be accomplished in the genre via new tools, technology and innovations. In single-player, split-screen and online, the next-generation of the EGO Game Technology Platform will power graphics, AI, handling and damage advancements that will immerse players in the racing experience like never before.

From the point of view of physics and car handling, it sounds like we'll get something challenging but not so realistic that it's impossible to win. To quote Codemasters, it is hoping to use "…real physics to hit a sweetspot between accessibility and simulation and deliver handling that is approachable yet challenging to master."

The racing in GRID 2 will take place on race tracks, city streets and open country roads, and will take gamers right around the world. Chicago and Paris are in there as players drive their way to the top of a new, evolving world of motorsport, that will also touch down in Abu Dhabi, Miami, the sun-kissed California coast and several more yet-to-be-announced locations.

Codemasters' is promising the beautifully created city streets, licensed circuits and edge-of-control mountain roads will become home to the most visceral and exhilarating races in games. But there are rumours that the game will lose its highly-lauded cockpit camera view, which has already sparked an outcry from rusted on GRID fans.

Time will tell if it gets included.

What will be included in GRID 2 however is new multiplayer experience, which Codemasters reckons will improve the game's shelf-life. There will be entirely distinct and extensive gameplay component and unique progression system for online gamers and plenty of in-depth customisation options and integration with RaceNet – the online community portal for Codemasters Racing games.

GRID 2 is shaping up to be one of the must-have racing games of 2013.