GRID Autosport

A glorious return to form for the series.

Codemasters demonstrates once again that they truly are the masters of racing game code. GRID Autosport is the most fun you'll have at the virtual track. Bet on it.

Codies triggered a flashback rewind to correct the mistake that was Grid 2. Weighted towards sim, but fun as well. [August 2014, p72]

Grid Autosport is a fine racing game with enjoyable driving experience, a lot of variety in types of (race) cars and an extensive online multiplayer mode. We can forgive the fact that the game doesn't look good in every respect: it has no negative influence on the experience of racing. By far the most impressive thing about the game is the AI, that asks everything of you to win races, again and again.

Better late than never: the third Grid game is the best one yet, especially when it comes to variety of racing classes, highly developed driving and artificial intelligence. The rough visual edges do not affect the strength of the experience that is reminiscent of the TOCA and DTM heyday of Codemasters.

Ultimately though, GRID Autosport is a consistently satisfying, intense and rewarding game, one that I can’t wait to continue playing.

GRID Autosport is one of Playstation 3's best driving games. A wide range of places, tracks and disciplines are its benefits. As bad counterparts: the terrible quality of its textures and the resolution at which the game works.

Grid Autosport promised proper motor racing, and that’s exactly what it delivers (and plenty of it, to boot). It falls a bit short in the visual stakes compared to the hotter, new generation completion, but few developers get pack racing right like Grid Autosport does. The spirit of the classic TOCA games is finally back.

It’s kind of hard to recommend this as a $60 purchase, but if you loved either GRID game before, you’ll enjoy GRID Autosport – just be prepared for a visual shock to the senses when you see how bland the menus look.

Codemasters did an outstanding job by delivering a medley of racing options and styles with GRID Autosport. It’s not perfect, but it’s damn close to a perfect experience when you want to try everything on the racing menu.

GRID Autosport combines interesting cars, entertaining tracks, excellent AI, and a quality handling engine to deliver a terrific racing experience. Unfortunately its career mode lacks depth and isn't particularly engaging.

Grid Autosport is far from a pick-up and play racing game, but franchise veterans and those willing to spend the time mastering its intricacies will find it all the more rewarding for it.

The different racing styles provide a hugely diverse experience that really highlights Codemasters' strengths as one of the best developers of racing games.

GRID Autosport mixes simulation and the arcade experience. There are five different game modes (Touring, Endurance, Open Wheel, Tuner and Street) on 100 tracks, in Barcelona, Dubai or Washington. It's interesting and fun, again, to race with the cars made by Codemasters.

While we might sound a bit harsh on GRID Autosport, it really is a solid racer with tight controls and competitive opponents. It is an improvement over over GRID 2 in some ways, but with so much repurposed content, it's more like a best-of collection than a completely new game.

Last year's Grid 2 was different than the original racer, but even though Autosport tries to return the series to its roots, it has lost its bite and raison d'être.

Overall, Autosport does things well enough and offers a decent compromise of customization versus accessibility without going off the deep end for serious gearheads the way Gran Turismo does.

Just as in GRID 2, gloom of single player races diluted by adrenaline of online modes. They offer not only the same five career disciplines, but also essential management, easy tuning, leveling and weekly competitions on the RaceNet site. [September 2014, p. 62]