Grid 2: Middle of the road driving game

Perhaps Grid 2 is a sort of gaming equivalent of fine wine. Perhaps it will, indeed, get better with age.

 

Grid 2

From: Codemasters.

For: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Three stars (out of five)

 

For now, it is just what it is: a decent (not spectacular) driving game with decent (not spectacular) gameplay and a decent (not spectacular) mix of action and progression.

Fans of driving games will be happy enough for a while with its blend of bumper-to-bumper street racing and assorted individual challenges.

But the fact that I played it for about two hours, and experienced none of those ''oosh, wow, that was BRILLIANT'' moments, suggests it is lacking something.

The structure is at least fairly simple.

You are a fledgling driving star desperate to succeed in a world series that takes place on a good variety of tracks. Races are linked with individual challenges to earn progress, first in the form of fans and then money.

Progression is steady and reasonably satisfying, although very linear compared with something like Forza Horizon.

Inside the car, Grid 2 is fun without ever threatening to be ridiculously enjoyable.

The racing is intense, with a good difficulty curve, and I was particularly impressed with the variety of damage sustained by the vehicles.

It is less of a car-collector game than the likes of Forza or Gran Turismo, so new rides are unlocked but, again, it all seems a little pre-ordained.

The bar has been raised for driving games in recent years.

Grid 2 had to work a little harder if it was to qualify for the top tier, but it's a sound, middle-of-the-grid effort.