Grid Autosport

[JackB1]

Well, I just finished playing GRID Autosport for four straight hours, including 2 1/2 hours of online racing with randoms.

This game is a winner -- an enticing blend of TOCA 3 and GRID 1. More impressions tomorrow. Need sleep.

Sounds promising. Keep the impressions coming!

[fsquid]

I guess I'll be buying this. I know nothing about auto racing but that TOCA game was played to death in my household.

[TCrouch]

I have it on PC and 360 at this point, and I'll say it's a pretty stunning-looking game for the 360, as well. What really cracked me up was I had fun with DRIFTING events, using cockpit camera and a wheel. I never thought I'd say that, but as far as control and handling model goes, I absolutely LOVE the "simcade" handling of Autosport, a week after release. I figured I'd have to throw a controller in and use external camera in the drift event, but then I placed 16th (dead last) in my first one. I said "I can't do any worse with a wheel than last", and went back to that and cockpit cam, and to my surprise, I notched a million-point drift in my first event, easily winning.

So while I still wouldn't consider the tuner class at the top of my list on things to do in the career, I'm pleasantly surprised by how fun the weakest event was. I have an absolute blast with all of the events, and I'd rank them Touring Cars, Open Wheel, Endurance, Street, and Tuner, in that order.

The game in triple screen on PC is simply ridiculous, but the 360 is no slouch whatsoever.

[Rodster]

Anyone with the PC version try the high-res pack? I'm debating 360 vs PC (Steam). I may wait for it to go on sale. Codie games tank after 3-4 months.

[TCrouch]

Didn't even know there was one, but I'll pick it up.

[pk500]

Graphics are one area in which I'll disagree with you, Terry.

I think environments look fantastic in GRID Autosport. But something must suffer on the last-gen hardware of the 360 to deliver that crisp, vivid scenery at smooth framerates, and I think that's the car models. They're somewhat drab, lacking detail and the beauty of Forza Horizon, for example. The interiors also are lacking compared to F1 2013, for example.

That doesn't detract from the experience on the road, which is fantastic. This game does so many little things right where it matters. But GRID Autosport is not cotton candy for the corneas, at least not on the 360. F1 2013 and Forza Horizon feature better-looking vehicles.

Impressions of the racing to come later.

[Rodster]

Didn't even know there was one, but I'll pick it up.

I read you can get it on Steam for free. Let me know how it looks.

[TCrouch]

Graphics are one area in which I'll disagree with you, Terry.

I think environments look fantastic in GRID Autosport. But something must suffer on the last-gen hardware of the 360 to deliver that crisp, vivid scenery at smooth framerates, and I think that's the car models. They're somewhat drab, lacking detail and the beauty of Forza Horizon, for example. The interiors also are lacking compared to F1 2013, for example.

That doesn't detract from the experience on the road, which is fantastic. This game does so many little things right where it matters. But GRID Autosport is not cotton candy for the corneas, at least not on the 360. F1 2013 and Forza Horizon feature better-looking vehicles.

Impressions of the racing to come later.

Interesting. Perhaps I was just expecting my eyeballs to bleed when I started playing it, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good it looked, and didn't notice the huge downgrade in car models, but I sit a lot further from the TV playing on my 360 (probably about 10 feet), rather than a couple feet from my PC monitors, so maybe that changed it. I've read in reviews that they didn't like the graphics, so I must just be setting the bar VERY low when it comes to 360 games, because I thought it looked a ton better than I expected. Then again, I was mostly looking at the track and backgrounds and crowds and not inspecting the cars around me--so that's a definite possibility.

[dbdynsty25]

Anyone with the PC version try the high-res pack? I'm debating 360 vs PC (Steam). I may wait for it to go on sale. Codie games tank after 3-4 months.

Yes...and it looks great. Can't compare it to the 360 version but it's every bit as good looking as Forza 5 on the XB1. Maybe a little less detail in the cars (as the cockpits are all blurred out), but still pretty damn good as far as the outside environment goes.

[JackB1]

Graphics are one area in which I'll disagree with you, Terry.

I think environments look fantastic in GRID Autosport. But something must suffer on the last-gen hardware of the 360 to deliver that crisp, vivid scenery at smooth framerates, and I think that's the car models. They're somewhat drab, lacking detail and the beauty of Forza Horizon, for example. The interiors also are lacking compared to F1 2013, for example.

That doesn't detract from the experience on the road, which is fantastic. This game does so many little things right where it matters. But GRID Autosport is not cotton candy for the corneas, at least not on the 360. F1 2013 and Forza Horizon feature better-looking vehicles.

Impressions of the racing to come later.

Codies games never put the priority on graphics. The are usually good, but not up there with the Forza types. I think Codemasters puts more emphasis on the gameplay
rather than the graphics...kind of like the Konami/ProEvo of driving games.

[TCrouch]

I'd disagree with that. I'd put the F1 games and even Grid 2 up there in the graphics department. The F1 games in particular are some of the most gorgeous racing games out there, with the best-running engine. You never seem to get framerate dips or issues with the F1 games, running at blistering framerates with everything on Ultra.

[GB_Simo]

This thing's awesome.

I can't imagine how anyone would fail to like this. There's something for everyone, from white-knuckle ohmyGodweregonnacrash near misses...:



...to executing a nifty little block pass into a hairpin. Run it in late, turn it in any which way you can, delay getting on the power to stop your opponent getting a run. In extreme cases, you'll be so upset at the in-game YouTube upload feature coming over all flaky that you'll film the chuffing thing directly off your television for safe keeping...:



It fits the screen on my iPad...I'm aware you can see pretty much bugger all here; I thought it was worth illustrating that the game genuinely got me pumped enough to film it off my bloody TV. Please note: I'm also aware of the cable management issues.

The thing is, pretty much every race I've been in has had something like that. The AI are punchy and combative, firm but fair in their attempts to pass and not at all timid when you're trying to get around them. I've found myself following an AI battle for lap after lap as if I've really been on a racetrack, willing the chasing car to get a bit closer, force the lead car to start defending and give me a chance to join in as they slow each other down.

Everything you've read here about the handling model is spot-on and you'll have grasped the basic rules of it within a lap, tops, but you'll spend a long time after that chiselling away - a later brake here, a gentler turn-in there, chasing perfection. If that's not your thing, you can go online and have a demolition derby instead, so you're still catered for. If that is your thing, try taking the big old right-hand sweeper at Mont Tremblant flat in an F3 (sorry: Formula C) car and then, when it doesn't quite work, see if you can stop yourself from trying again, and again, and again...

[TCrouch]

My thoughts exactly. I can't wrap my head around how any fan of racing wouldn't dig the game. But then I've read posts online where people complain about the AI banging into them, etc. Only time I've seen the AI bang into me is when I do the same to them, so I chalk it up to driving style.

All in all, every time I fire up a race, I'm battling for position wherever I was in the grid. I don't go from worst to first in 3 laps like a lot of games, and each pass has to be patiently set up. I can't win on Very Hard, which may require setup tuning to really do well at, or more talent than I have. I seem to be just about right on Hard, where I'm going to qualify 1st to 6th and pass a few cars at the start (maybe), and then spend the rest of the race picking off 1 or 2 cars in the next couple of laps.

Absolutely love it.

[pk500]

Codies games never put the priority on graphics. The are usually good, but not up there with the Forza types. I think Codemasters puts more emphasis on the gameplay
rather than the graphics...kind of like the Konami/ProEvo of driving games.

That's an old paradigm, Jack. The last two F1 games from Codemasters and DIRT 3 were gorgeous.

[pk500]

More detailed impressions to come when I have time, but GRID Autosport has the best AI of any racing game I've ever played -- console or PC -- and the more I play it, any comparison isn't close.

It feels like there are f*cking professional race drivers in these AI cars. It's that good.

GRID Autosport is a rare title in this era of online play in which the developer clearly put as much, if not more, effort into offline modes as online. And the online modes are nothing at which to wince.

[JackB1]

Codies games never put the priority on graphics. The are usually good, but not up there with the Forza types. I think Codemasters puts more emphasis on the gameplay
rather than the graphics...kind of like the Konami/ProEvo of driving games.

That's an old paradigm, Jack. The last two F1 games from Codemasters and DIRT 3 were gorgeous.

True. Dirt3 WAS nice looking.

[vinny-b]

More detailed impressions to come when I have time, but GRID Autosport has the best AI of any racing game I've ever played -- console or PC -- and the more I play it, any comparison isn't close.

It feels like there are f*cking professional race drivers in these AI cars. It's that good.

wow. Thank you for the info, Paul

aside from everyone's excellent takes, i love the cockpit views. And who really gives a f#ck if one of the views is 'blurry'. At times i feel the vidgame hobby is completely hijacked by self-entitled 11 year olds. At least Codemasters added it back. And the one particular view reminds me of Ferrari F355, if not better

[TCrouch]

More detailed impressions to come when I have time, but GRID Autosport has the best AI of any racing game I've ever played -- console or PC -- and the more I play it, any comparison isn't close.

It feels like there are f*cking professional race drivers in these AI cars. It's that good.

GRID Autosport is a rare title in this era of online play in which the developer clearly put as much, if not more, effort into offline modes as online. And the online modes are nothing at which to wince.

Agreed on the AI. I thought Forza 5's drivatars were the best offline competitors, but after many seasons of GAS, I have to give the nod to Grid for one simple reason--they race their balls off. The drivatars are a little too crash happy and chaotic, but at least they don't follow a line in a train like GT. They'll race each other and wreck each other, so it makes for interesting races.

Grid takes this to another level, though. They race each other, but not with reckless abandon. They will make calculated attempts to pass each other. They don't go for a pass in a 25 meter short chute, since they know they can't complete it. They will be content to ride around right on your ass and wait for you to make a mistake, and they will not care if you ride around on theirs for several laps. You might start to get a run getting into a corner, but if you can't pull all the way up along side them, they'll block without fear of anything. I've seen them take lines that are DEFINITELY not the fastest way around the track, simply because they were blocking my line and attempts to pass.

I am not sure if I consider it the best AI ever, but you're probably right. I can't think of anything that felt so human-like other than Forza 5, and FM5's drivatars felt a little like online gamer humans, not actual race drivers like GAS' AI does.

[Rodster]

As far as AI intelligence, nothing to this day compares to Geoff Crammond's Grand Prix series. The AI he created to this day is still brilliant.

[Jimmydeicide]

TOCA?

As much as I appreciate Forza 5 on my XBox One, I'm only getting half the experience with my Chronus Max, controller adapter making use of my Fanatec GT2. It offers no force feedback, as of yet, and it's limited to behaving like a modified thumbstick. Linear steering control is not possible. One of the reasons I might be enjoying GAS so much is that my Fanatec wheel is fully utilized, but I can tell that this game would be fun even with a gamepad.

I was just checking this thing out. Any more news on it? (chronus Max) It could be the answer to my not racing on 360 without a wheel it seems i could take my logitech DSP and use it on 360 . Is your Fanatec gt2 a 360 and pc wheel or is it the one that doe all 3 platforms?

[vader29]

The DSP Racing Club is now available to join on RACENET:

https://racenet.codemasters.com/grid-au ... dsp-racing

Bought the Xbox 360 digital download the other day and just sent a request to join the club.

[fsquid]

GAme is now 39.99 at Best Buy

[JackB1]

GAme is now 39.99 at Best Buy

hope that triggers some of the fence riders (myself included) to grab it and
then we can get a Poker night going!

[vader29]

Did a test in game youtube upload to see how it works, was easy to set the start and end marks of the video and upload it but unfortunately it only uploads to 480p.

[Jimmydeicide]

Just got my logi dfp steering wheel to work with my 360 and got this game so far so good but am i missing something ? Is there no customization for the controller sensitivity's at all? If not thats weak who would of thought Forza Horizon has adjustment but not this game.
Only done some open wheel so far and its very Toca isnt it?

Gonna try and tweak my wheel settings some more to see if i can just tighten it up a little.
See you cats online soon .