GRID Legends

GRID Legends is a lot of fun overall. Its story mode is enjoyable pulp drama while the minute-to-minute racing is genuinely exhilarating. It may feel a little limited overall for those who want a deep racing experience, but players who go in expecting something breezy will find plenty to love here.

Grid Legends is a unique racing game because it actually manages to tell a compelling story. All the rivalries and friendships manifest themselves on the racetrack. The racing itself is quite easy, however, and will not challenge anyone except the beginners.

Although its addition of plot and characters doesn’t quite work the racing action is as thrilling as ever, with a huge diversity of vehicles and the compelling handling fans have come to expect from the series.

GRID Legends is a solid new entry in Codemasters’ racing franchise. It features the same excellent gameplay you’ve come to expect from the developer, with some nice adaptive trigger implementation in the PS5’s DualSense. The game’s main draw — the Story Mode — falls short of providing a compelling narrative, ultimately amounting to a mere distracting backdrop to the true star of the show: the races. Visuals look nice, but perhaps not nice enough for the PS5, and the music is overall a bit repetitive and unnecessary. All in all though, GRID Legends is worth a look, but time will tell if it manages to hold its own against the competition.

Collisions! Drama! Firework! And in between also some races in which your car rarely steers really well. That summary does indicate that Grid Legends is not for real motorsport enthusiasts, but can be fun for the more casual racing fan.

GRID Legends is a mismatched racing game with a surprising story mode and features. The gameplay is an awkward mix of simulator and arcade that doesn’t lend itself to either’s strengths, and with puzzling direction will likely alienate fans of both. Yet, Driven to Glory and the sensational crashes in races make for good fun. With Codemasters’ car expertise and implementation of hardware accessories, the experience is worth trying. Still, coming up against other big-name racing series, I don’t think GRID Legends will make the podium finish.

Graphically, the game doesn't do too poorly, although a comparison with last year's Forza Horizon 5 wouldn't make it a winner. Grid is more thrilling, can be pleasantly fresh thanks to the different types of races like elimination, and even if it doesn't use DualSense as well as Gran Turismo, it's still a solid racing game that is sure to entertain with its variety of cars, tracks, and well-handled multiplayer. [Issue#318]

GRID Legends builds on the foundations of the 2019 reboot, improving the driving experience in certain areas, adding a big new story mode, and throwing more variables and variety into the mix. There's enjoyable, pulpy action racing to be had here, but some of the fundamental weaknesses from the last game remain, and as the racing game community increasingly looks toward sim racing, it feels like this franchise is in need of another reinvention.