The fifth installment of the GRID saga will arrive in early 2022 loaded with news. At Motor.es we have had the opportunity to test some of the new cars and circuits that will be available to the public at the time of its launch. Is the new Codemasters worth it?
From EA Sports, they have given us a first version of the beta that has 12 events of different categories, 12 cars and only 6 tracks. Three completely new urban areas, London, Strada Alpina and Moscow; and three classic circuits: Crescent Valley Raceway, Barcelona and Brands Hatch. In addition, we have been able to test a configurable session mode in which some of the more than 130 tracks that will be in the final version are available. In this preview, the test content is scarce but enough to get an idea of what is coming from the graphic and driving point of view.
One of the funniest game modes of the 12 available is multi-class racing, A novelty in this edition where, as if it were the endurance championship, we will come out last in the fastest category and we will have to overtake not only the rivals in our class, but those ahead of us. It is quite fun to drive a Formula Rookie and fight with American Custom Cars or Super Trucks, which due to their size make overtaking very difficult.
Formula Rookie is one of the funniest categories in GRID Legends.
Another novelty is Formula Electric, inspired by Formula E, where it runs with a format similar to reality, as they have introduced the ‘Attack Mode’ with their respective beacons on the edge of a curve, to count each lap with several energy impulses and thus overtake the rivals. At more than 250 km / h, we navigate the potholes and walls of the fictional London track while making a gap between the competitors. When failing in a curve, the AI surprises with the management of energy impulses, because they use it intelligently to overtake you as soon as you are careless.
At Brand Hatch we get behind the wheel of a Le Mans Porsche GT1 for a classic race, where once we get to the behavior of the car, we start to overtake rivals who are defending themselves solvently in some areas of the track, and we have to rush in some corners to gain positions. With this car, an element of physics that is extremely well designed but which is much more evident here is very surprising: the slipstream. As you approach the car in front, you notice how the steering wheel begins to vibrate as the rival’s rear approaches. But the best comes when you get out of aspiration, you notice how the front end loses grip and the car becomes tremendously unstable for a few seconds. So much so that in a curve we kiss the wall on account of this interesting effect.
An average user who is not very familiar with this type of car games, can take his controller and have a good time. As well as the most experienced with steering wheel and pedals.
In GRID Legends we find several electric cars such as the Formula Electric or the Lotus Evija.
Immersion and show
The graphical environment is excellent, neither more nor less. As in previous editions, GRID has given the graphics a twist to improve the immersive experience. It is a game that enters through the eyes, especially if we have a powerful equipment, in the case of PC, that allows the highest effects and 4K resolution to move fluently. The setting of the circuits, day, night, snow or rain, with highly achieved reflections, as well as the interior and exterior modeling of the vehicles, is of outstanding quality. As a fan of realism and car interior cameras, I have to confess that GRID Legends is very inviting to go out to the exterior cameras to enjoy the visual details at their best.
Perhaps what I dislike the most about this part, are the typical arcade game details, such as the excessive smoke in the exits where you stop seeing for a moment, the skidding of the rivals, which release a trail that does not convince, or the fact that it rains balloons and confetti when crossing the finish line in the last lap. From a sound point of view, there are very successful vehicles. The effects of the asphalt, skidding and company, are correct.
The graphical environment of the new GRID Legends is excellent and well optimized for maximum performance.
The best comes when you come out of the aspiration, you notice how the front end loses grip and the car becomes unstable for a few seconds.
Arcade or simulation?
It is the eternal question. Every time a video game in this saga is released, the general public wonders if the driving approach has changed. If more realism or simulation in physics or more arcade, so that anyone can play without problems. The answer is simple, or well, the usual: at the midpoint. A gray area where arcade mechanics such as the score per line or objectives within the race continue to exist, which serve to feed the experience system of the trajectory mode.
GRID Legends continues to offer an intermediate driving system, in which to adjust the difficulty to our level, but without excesses. In this way, an average user who is not very familiar with this type of car games, can take his controller and have a good time. As well as the most experienced with steering wheel and pedals. In the end it’s business as usual. The search for balance to attract as many players as possible, and above all, without entering the muddy terrain of extreme simulation where the competition is already more than settled. It is interesting, within this intermediate driving experience, the possibility before each test to modify the car setup in a simple way, such as the stabilizer bars, suspensions, gear ratio …
GRID Legends offers a perfect balance of physics for any player to enjoy.
At the wheel and without help, GRID Legends continues to bring the fun of its predecessor. Whether with Fernando Alonso’s R26, an American muscle car, the Aston Martin Valkyrie or even the new Formula Electrics -which imitate the concept of Formula E-, the sensation of the gas is pleasant and simple, as well as that of the brake, where without ABS it is practically impossible to lock the tires.
Steering is undoubtedly the most fun aspect of driving, as when entering a curve in a hurry, it is easy to recover the car and you notice how the tires start to grip and suddenly regain control of the car. The simulation of potholes, grade changes and pianos is very successful. If we increase the strength of the steering wheel from the configuration, which perhaps with the default settings is too soft, we will notice the sensations of the asphalt, thus increasing the immersive experience that the game offers. Even if we rush into a curve and step on a piano, it’s easy to lose our rear end and spin.
The fifth installment of the GRID saga will feature an interactive story mode with real actors.
Unknowns before launch
GRID Legends will hit the market early next year as the most complete video game in the franchise. 250 trajectory events, 130 tracks, 48 different categories and the return of game modes like ‘Drift and Elimination’. But without a doubt, one of the most anticipated game modes, visible in the trailer, but that we have not been able to test is the story mode ‘Driven to Glory’ (Driven to Glory).
It will be the main axis of the game, where for the first time in GRID, will feature real actors like Ncuti Gatwa from Sex Education, to set the scenes of the story on and off the track, and that promises to give us a good dose of entertainment. “A playable documentary” is how they describe it from the franchise, something that recalls, saving the distances, what we have already seen in Codemasters with the F1 2021 and the Braking Point mode.
The new from Codemasters and Electronic Arts will reach the general public on February 25, 2022, and will do so on the main platforms such as PC (steam), PS4 and Xbox One, as well as on the new generation of Sony consoles and Microsoft, PS5 and Xbox Series X / S. The best? That regardless of which one you choose, GRID Legends will have a multiplatform system, to enjoy online with your friends without any barrier.