Story:
Rich guy (possibly hedge fund manager or other lunatic with a lot of money) wants you (promising but largely unknown driver) to start the World Racing Series. You’ll have to accumulate adoring fans to unlock new circuits, earn the right to challenge new drivers, move on to new seasons and of course drive newer faster ever more expensive race cars.
Playability: Miss a turn, rewind, do it again
Grid 2 starts easy on old timers. There’s a neat rewind function that allows you to warp back several seconds to retake a corner you’ve just missed. You can also select not to suffer any damage from crashes, dents and other accidents. However, as the game progresses through the early seasons, old video gamers will find it difficult to keep up through the nooks and cranes of Hong Kong or the narrow roads of the Riviera.
Annoyance: Drive safely
Grid 2 consists of getting from the start line to the finish line, again and again. The process is somewhat repetitive, and the game does not really do justice to its amazing locations. The cities feel small. Players are supposed to be driving through Paris, Miami or Hong Kong, but all you see is a succession of streets, clapping crowds, sunsets or sunrises, and a few landmarks. The same can be said for pretty much every circuit on the series. Annoyance is speedily reached when the other cars piloted by your computer dumbly ram into your vehicle, resulting in your unqualified disqualification.
Beauty: va-va-woom!
Grid 2 has four tiers of beautiful cars from plain old Volkswagen Golf to improbable Koenigsegg Ageyra. Car aficionados will not be disappointed by the bevy of good looking vehicles on scene. Voice over and the odd British sportscaster cut scene is reminiscent of the 1990s… and the dull and repetitive monologue of your sponsor will quickly remind you of an old cassette player. Grid 2 has the looks but it strangely lacks the soul.
The Old Video Gamer’s Prattle: Slogging through 6/10
If you watch, eat, drink and sleep car racing, you might enjoy the curvaceous vehicles of Grid 2. With a large variety of toys to play with and mind boggling customization options, Grid 2 offers some serious fun for car maniacs, car addicts and other car racing enthusiasts. However, you won’t find much of a storyline and characters are limited to names and country of origin (and they’re all blokes). The World Series Racing rehashes repetitive tracks and circuits, with the occasional Eiffel Tower thrown in. The Grid 2 racing experience has good looks but it could use some good grooves.
