For the release of GRID Legends (you can also find it on the GamerSandy online shop ), Electronic Arts has certainly made an error of assessment that could be fatal to its production.
The extreme proximity of the game's debut to that of Gran Turismo 7, whose debut is scheduled for next March 4th, is a factor that certainly threatens the ambitions of an arcade racing which, as we shall see, is not lacking (almost) nothing to break the hearts of fans of the genre.
Among those who, having to choose, will opt for the new chapter of the much more renowned Polyphony Digital series, and the probable eventuality that critics and social media, in the days to come, will catalyze their attention especially on Gran Turismo 7, the risk that GRID Legends passes on the sly it is real, palpable, much more than a simple and distant hypothesis.
Yet, despite this danger, Codemasters has done its duty, packaging an extremely fun and sometimes surprising arcade-colored racing game, despite some flaws.
As the trailers published in the months prior to launch have made us understand, GRID Legends focuses heavily on a career mode that is highly detailed from a narrative point of view. Although the main menu does everything to confuse the user, the first of the defects of the game, once the first season starts you will find yourself in the role of the anonymous Pilot 22, called, together with teammate Yume Tanaka, to revive the fortunes of Team Seneca, a stable with its back to the wall and forced to make a difficult comeback if it does not want to close its doors.
The entire competition, made up of numerous events in which you will take part in first person and others that instead take place without your direct involvement, continues in a totally abstract context, in which the trend is in no way linked to specific rankings., nor does it unwind in the by now customary stages of setting up and upgrading the cars in their possession between one competition and another.
Although such a progression actually flattens the experience, the sequence of competitions is punctuated by well-directed and realized live action intermission scenes, thanks also to the participation of actors perfectly placed in the role, among which it is worth emphasizing the presence of the talented Ncuti Gatwa, already seen at work in Netflix's acclaimed Sex Education TV series.
Developing as a sort of documentary on the season of the Seneca Team, complete with glances in the car of the protagonists involved, who do so much The Office, what the mode takes away in purely playful terms it returns with a high degree of involvement, also given the presence some rather dramatic and touching moments, which will make you empathize especially with the aforementioned Yume Tanaka.
You compete to always finish first, of course, but above all to see where the rivalry with the opposing team goes, obviously led by an unscrupulous manager and driver.
After what can be defined in all respects a long and complex tutorial, it will take you almost five hours to complete the season in the ranks of Team Seneca, GRID Legends explains itself in its entirety, giving you the opportunity to create your own team, with which, done, you will take part in any other available online competition, tournament or event.
Unfortunately, once you are free to select the item that best suits you from the menu, you will find that even in this case the progression of the experience has not been properly calibrated, thanks to screens that do not direct and focus the user's attention. While any completed event will increase the capital that will allow you to upgrade cars, as will any race to unlock new cars and championships, the sections of GRID Legends seem to develop independently. There is no cohesion, there is no precise sequence to follow to ensure participation in increasingly difficult competitions or obtaining ever more powerful racing cars.
In short, you will be essentially left to yourself, forced to orient yourself among menus that are anything but user friendly, without a real final goal to achieve.
Despite this obvious flaw, GRID Legends really lacks nothing in terms of available options. From heavy trucks, to very agile electric cars, passing through fascinating hot hatches and powerful Gran Turismo, the roster of licensed cars, we are around a hundred, is varied and wide enough. The same can be said for the number of tracks, 130 in all, in which you can compete even in pouring rain or with snow to occupy areas far from the ideal trajectory. In the garage, as already mentioned, you can upgrade the purchased cars, provided you have used them enough, or customize them aesthetically, thanks to the excellent editor for the liveries. In addition to the championships offered by the same software, the number of events available also in this case exceeds the hundreds, customized races can be set up in short passages and obviously the online extended up to 22 participants is not lacking.
In the numerous tests carried out, despite a not lightning-fast matchmaking (also due to relatively depopulated servers, as it is normal that it is in the game that has yet to officially debut), the netcode has never given any kind of problem, guaranteeing engaging, very entertaining games, he often decided on the last corner.
Much of the credit, in this sense, obviously goes to the excellent gameplay designed by Codemasters, now a master in packaging racing games with strong arcade colors. For those looking for a challenge worthy of the name, the advice is to set from the first start the level of difficulty higher than the standard one, an eventuality that will make you appreciate more an artificial intelligence that will not scruples to do at the doors to defend. your position, especially if you prove to be aggressive at first and not very careful about respecting the safety distance.
As for the driving system, GRID Legends stands halfway between Forza Horizon and Gran Turismo. Braking before a corner is essential, but woe to adopt a style that is too clean, not very effective for tackling fast corners, but also to conquer some positions in the middle of traffic. Even with most of the aids deactivated, cars hardly suffer from oversteer, although in rain or snow conditions it is necessary to proceed more carefully. Precisely in this regard there is also the good work of the physical engine, which in addition to consistently managing the grip and slip of the car, almost always behaves well even in contacts with other cars. From time to time, it happens to witness an unrealistic overturning of the opponents and in the open-wheeled vehicles there are cases of bad collision, but in general there is little to complain about.
Slightly more controversial is the speech regarding the reproduction of mechanical damage, which can be activated (and deactivated) through the relative item in the menu. Generally, in full compliance with the mood of the production, the cars tend to remain intact, even after rather violent collisions. Be careful not to overdo it, however. A couple of fronts are more than enough to force you to retire and by damaging the suspension and tires you will have a hard time keeping the vehicle on track.
The arcade soul is well expressed by the rewind, now standard of the genre, which in online games turns into a useful instant respawn on the track, a feature to be used sparingly given the rather limited number of permitted uses.
Tested on PlayStation 5, GRID Legends doesn't make great use of DualSense's unique features. The vibration does not at all return the roughness of the track, limiting itself to being felt in bumps or gear changes. Even the backs do not offer any kind of resistance, a choice that does not in itself represent a defect, we think above all of the competitive one where the feature represents more of an obstacle than an advantage.
Despite the arcade soul, the game is also appreciated with a steering wheel. We tested it with a Logitech G923 TRUEFORCE and, although even in this case the feedback did not particularly impress us, to put it mildly, we had a great time, appreciating even more the driving style that rewards aggression, but it does not indulge excessively in sudden and violent swerves to continually put the car sideways.
An applause also goes to the graphics. Although in terms of detail it did not surprise us, GRID Legends makes the solidity of the frame rate its raison d'être. On the other hand, the sound sector is fluctuating. Excellent soundtrack with pieces that draw heavily from different genres. Only the effects are sufficient, often swallowed up by an imperfect balance of levels, for the prerogative of the music.
Conclusions
GRID Legends is a solid arcade racing game. The greatest value of the production is obviously to be found in the driving system that is halfway between that of any Forza Horizon and Gran Turismo. Despite some small hesitation of the physics engine, the production gives immediate fun, the result of an easy-to-learn gameplay, which however poses several challenges to those who set the highest difficulty levels.
The general opinion on the modalities is controversial. If the vast fleet of cars and the large number of tracks make the situation more digestible, there is a bitter taste in the mouth for a narratively convincing career, but ephemeral in terms of progression. The other items on the menu are also badly managed. Nothing is missing, including an excellent online multiplayer extended to 22 participants, but you feel the absence of a clear and precise goal to aspire to.
In short, GRID Legends is racing more than discreet, mortified by a progression that is not very focused. You will be passionate about the fate of Team Seneca and will certainly spend several hours on the track, but if you live video games always looking for something to unlock or a goal to achieve, GRID Legends could disappoint you.
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