The new GRID wants to be a turning point in the series, evolving the formula together with a new career mode inspired by the Netflix series F1: Drive to Survive. This is our first contact.
The truth is that when I saw GRID Legends for the first time it seemed to me a very Electronic Arts product, with that inclusion of scenes with real actors that the company likes to include in its Need for Speed saga. However, from Codemasters they state that the idea behind Legends was already in the works prior to the studio’s purchase. Playing our first races to the title, I can confirm that this is the case, because Legends is still an evolution of the concept that we already saw in the previous GRID of 2019, but with many additions to the mix.
From the exclusive point of view of racing, we could almost be talking about a game that is too continuous. Some improvements have been made to the engine that make it look more refined than the previous installment for the new generation, while maintaining its intergenerational character. You can see the effort to create some places and original circuits longer and worked in new locations such as Moscow, London or Straia Alpina, a fictional circuit that seeks to imitate the classic Le Mans track, full of details on each side of the asphalt. The rest of the values are still there: a driving that bets on the arcade, even if the player tweaks parameters such as traction control, stability and ABS.
The team’s intention has always been to focus on the rivalries, creating its own “Nemesis system” that modifies the behavior of the AI to be more aggressive. This also happens in Legends, to the point that collisions are an intrinsic part of racing. For me, GRID is the only game where I can’t avoid the rewinding; It is simply a tool (limited, yes) that you have to know how to manage to avoid accidents that form during the race, which can destroy your car or make you lose too many seconds. It is, let’s put it this way, a racing and fighting game at the same time.
Lastly, I like his bet to get out of the traditional race or the time trial. Codemasters keep trying provide variety both to the disciplines and types of vehicles and to the tests themselves. Drift tests have been added, accumulating points like those classic Project Gotham Racing or Driveclub tests, tracks where we will go through some segments outside the usual line that, however, offer us an opportunity to use turbo, truck races with ramps, Time elimination events and the original multi-class events, in which Formula cars can face off against passenger cars and trucks, each starting at different points in the race.
Codemasters continues to try to bring variety both to disciplines and vehicle types and to the tests themselvesAs I said at the beginning, all this could be the logical evolution of the franchise. However, it is everything that happens around the races that really seeks to give a new soul to GRID Legends. The story tells through sequences with real actors the ambition of a group of riders (including us, of course) to win the championship of the new GRID season. Codemasters claims to have been inspired by the documentary-style series of Netflix Drive to Survive, known here in Spain as Formula 1: The ambition of a Grand Prix. The series chronicles the ruthless ambition of drivers and teams to win the championship both on and off the track.
Ambition on and off the track
GRID Legends seeks to do the same with its fictional championship, mixing it with our own races. Each of the characters played in the sequences appear in the game, highlighting their name and being able to create new rivalries. Sadly, it does not seem that the results and positions of the race change history, but that this will always be the same as we progress in the championship. A shame, because a “nemesis system” in the purest Shadow of Mordor style, would have suited the game well when creating unique rivalries that we saw both inside and outside the vehicle. This campaign will have 8 to 10 hours long and it will follow that same documentary style of the Netflix series, not only creating scenes, but also using simulated racing material on tracks, interviews and in-game sequences.
With this duration for the campaign, I understand that GRID Legends will really have two types of single-player modes: one focused exclusively on the story to which is added the structure of a traditional career mode. It will be in this where we can enjoy the different categories, vehicle classes and also the new modalities that are added to this delivery. Like the previous edition, we will be able to choose what we like the most and what the least, they do not force in any case, for example, to have to do tests where we drive trucks if we are not fans of this type of event.
It is in this variety where we can choose from more than 130 vehicles and 9 categories. To the already known Touring, GT, Turner, Track Day and Open Wheel are added the new trucks, electric and skidding. In addition to the new modes and circuits, we also have a creator of our own conditions on the tracks, mixing different racing modes, categories, weather and even adding turbo zones, or ramps.
The third pillar, as Codemasters calls it, is the social part. The multiplayer proposes to extend the life of the game in quick or personalized sessions, but also progressive ones. As you play, you can participate in weekly and monthly events with customization opportunities and rewards. One of the most interesting aspects will be the opportunity to cross game, removing platform barriers and bringing the community together whether they play on PC, PlayStation or Xbox.
You can tell that GRID is still looking for your identitySince we have only been able to access separate races, we will have to check already in the final version how GRID Legends mixes all these ingredients to create an experience that feels different. You can tell that GRID is still looking for your identity And, the truth is, his approach to creating an argument and a narrative thread is something that, although it is not new, it is attractive to me, since there are currently no driving games that follow this same line, after the uncertain future of Need for Speed. We can see the conclusion of this story on February 25 of next year.