 "New GRID 2 screenshots released")
After almost a month of silence on its upcoming racing game, GRID 2, Codemasters has finally released some new screenshots of the game. The screenshots show off some more EGO engine 3.0 goodness. The screenshots also show off some very varied environments, including a city setting along with what looks like a rally course. The screenshots also show off some of the different cars, including muscle cars and Japanese import cars.
Racing through the city
Last month, Codemasters had released a trailer that showed off some gameplay footage to announce the game. The trailer showed off more environments of what looked like Paris. The original game, Grid, is still counted as one of the best arcade racing games ever. Many racing games have tried to attain the fine balance between arcade and simulation, but none of them did it as well as Grid. It was one of the first games outside the Dirt franchise to employ the EGO engine, showcasing stunning visuals and bone crunching crashes in urban and circuit environments.
Muscle cars are making an appearance
Executive producer Clive Moody told TopGear that, “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.”
Looks as fast as ever
The factor that sets Grid apart from other racers right from its conceptualisation was the ‘flashback’ feature. This game mechanic allows you to rewind time (much like Prince of Persia – Sands of Time) in case you make a horrid turn and total your car. The mechanics sounds like a complete gimmick on paper, but the flashback feature does an amazing job by helping players correct errors and cope with the extremely high speeds, while acting like a buffer between the blurring speed and detailed damage mechanics of the game. In a game like Grid where ramming your car into the railing can actually break a wheel, Codemasters has managed to cut us ‘not-so-talented-racers’ some slack by allowing us to move back in time everytime we screw up.
Driftin'!
Two years ago, Reliance had extended its gigantic corporate hands towards gaming and in a move that pretty much came out of nowhere, acquired a 50 percent stake in Codemasters, the British game developer of Grid. Here’s what Rohit Sharma, CEO of Zapak had to say about the deal, “We are excited to partner with Codemasters and believe it’s very strong technology, development and distribution presence will complement our global gaming portfolio. Additionally, Zapak’s global strength in mobile gaming will enhance Codemasters’ ability to fully leverage its attractive franchises such as its racing and cricket games”.
After the deal, Codemasters had promised another Grid game. “In Southam it’s full steam ahead with the next iteration in our Flashpoint series, as well as the next Dirt and Grid,” said Gavin Cheshire, former VP of studios at Codemasters and current CEO of Caperfly. As of now, it looks like the plan to deliver on this promise.
Grid 2 is all set for a 2013 release. Here’s hoping Grid 2 will outdo its predecessor.
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