Codemasters Race Driver Grid

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Well, I'm interested, but it turns out most people don't give a 🤬 about anything but the newest 👎:grumpy:
 
Not surprised. Oh well, it's here for all to see.




Muuuuch later: You know what? I think I'm gonna hold on to this and try to work it out anyway. Don't have much else to do, and eventually people will get tired of GT6, Forza, and Codemasters' BS.
 
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This evening I played Grid 1 at Bathurst with Prototypes and the race was insanely fun. I was running with a Courage against a field of Nissan 390 GT1, Mazda 787, Doran JE4, amazing cars and liveries! :drool:
I know Grid is arcade but their AI can be crazy, unpredictable and fast. And no frame drops, this is what I need from a racing game first of all.
  • Stable frame rate
  • good AI
  • opponents cars that makes sense
 
The AI in GRID is absolutely stellar, and there are so many little touches of realism that you see. Things like moving gear knobs, brake glow, suspension moving, bent wheels, and my favorite, fire when you lift off the gas, no other game has that! Plus winning Le Mans with a GT1 car (Using speed boost, repulsor field, and no damage of course) was so exciting. That game is definitely in my Top 10. Any good ideas for challenges?
 
Oh man. Le Mans in Grid.

Started off in the GT classes, probably the most fun divisions in the race. Fast enough to be scary but slow enough to allow plenty of door-to-door rubbin'-racin'. Won a few races there...

Graduated to LMP2 and drove for some teams. Nothing much came of it, then somehow I'm getting offers from P1 teams to drive... Audi seemed to see something in me so I signed with them. Led the race nearly all the way, only to lose it all in the blasted Ford chicanes on the final lap. Braked too early and a Courage or something dived past. No time to recover. Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory and all that.





Crushing.





So then I had a vengeance. I had to win this bastard race, dammit.

By then I'd amassed a small fortune and could afford to take my own team to La Sarthe; if I was going to win this I was going to punch the big manufacturers' sneery faces in, and there was no way I was going to drive for some team and let them piggyback off me, risk giving my glory to some foreign car and company.

Contact into Mulsanne with one of the Audis shook up the front right suspension real bad. The car began veering right but was still somewhat drivable.

Managed to nurse it around the final few laps, all the while holding off the monstrously fast Audis.

After swinging through Ford, with both Audis snapping at my gearbox...

...I crossed the line...
 
Man, the original Grid was awesome. Except two major flaws: very unrealistic car specs and inconsistent AI. What I mean is that on every track they had corners in which they went impossibly fast and then there's corners were they are very slow. An example, at Le Mans, in the Porsche Curves it's impossible to keep up with the AI (unless you use stability control), yet they are extremely slow in the Ford Chicanes and the Mulsanne chicanes... Please tell me I'm not the only one who has had this problem... :(
 
Mulsanne possibly, Ford definitely but I consider it payback for the complexes fore and aft. If you can time it right, you can let off, pop the brakes a bit, then fly through Ford easily 30 MPH faster than the AI. Gives some room after they have caught you in the lead-up, and should keep them at bay in the upcoming section.

No, I don't know the corner names by heart. Why do you ask?
 
I made my debut to the GRID games recently. Through my early playing of GRID, I became very drawn into the gritty style of racing offered in this title. I found the action to be intense. You also tend to feel like you have to truly EARN passing somebody- those other drivers will not give up their positions so easily. In addition, I enjoy the vast variety of cars and race types. I unfortunately had some brutal moments, such as flying off of a cliff during one of the Drift Tougue stages to where I wrecked my pretty NSX. In a sense, the Drift Touge stages was part of an experience MUCH better than the Canyon battles in "Need for Speed: Carbon."

I didn't play through the Career Mode, but I did have my fun doing loads of exhibition races. One thing I do like about the GRID games is how you get called out by name. I like that the spotter speech actually refer to me as "John" since my name is John. You could also go by certain nicknames if your name isn't so common or if you don't want to be referred to by your name. Cool game!
 
I remember first buying GRID on PS3 in 2008 and back then I thought nothing could beat it with the insane graphics and the incredible damage model. Was my favourite racing game until GT5 released.
 
Okay. I was able to get into GRID World for the first GRID. I see GRID's Career model to be more like a ToCA Race Drivergame where you actually feel like you are part of a racing team and competing in real races. I do love the past ToCA Race Driver titles, but you never really felt like being part of your own team and being your own driver in the previous generation of the three ToCA Race Driver games. GRID is also more focused on gritty racing mostly on city courses and a handful of proper circuits. In a strange way, I almost wanted to imagine GRID being more like the Burnout games, only without the illegal street racing and (of course) the crash-happy dynamics.

Doing the Team Offers reminds me a lot of what the past ToCA Race Driver games mostly was about- you race for a certain team in a certain championship and try to fulfill objectives asked of you. So in a way, you get a chance to not feel disconnected from the evolution of the ToCA games with these Team Offers in GRID. You still mostly try to build up funds to get new cars and stuff. I think this is all executed pretty well for the most part.

As of this post, I have only my classic Ford Mustang. With the whole Branding thing, it will be interesting to see what other cars will look like with the livery you created. I know someone mentioned that the PS3 version GRID doesn't have any Trophies. So I don't really know if I am doing well or accomplishing any unique tasks. GRID is pretty cool.
 
JohnBM01
So I don't really know if I am doing well or accomplishing any unique tasks. GRID is pretty cool.
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Glad you've gotten into it. Really the main thing is are you having fun? The difficulty options mean you can race with as much or little effort as you want, so you can put all assist on with the easiest difficulty and fly though it winning everything. The entertainment is what keeps me coming back to it instead of GRID 2 or Autosport.

That said, VOs are, as always, annoying. The good news is that they aren't as bad as other games.
 
I haven't gone back to GRID because I'm a bit entrenched in GRID 2 at the moment. I still can't believe GRID has been around since 2007, yet here I am finally deciding to get GRID. Maybe I like GRID a bit more since you have a good deal of tuned street cars and proper race cars as opposed to the mostly street car friendly GRID 2. Yet, this is a game that tries to mix it all in with some gritty character all around.

The menu music to GRID is quite hypnotic. I remember going through the Branding menu trying to find a paint scheme I wanted to use for my race team, and I swear I was listening for minutes while also trying to find a paint scheme I liked. Only menu song from a racing game more hypnotic is the classic song to "Gran Turismo HD." I'm talking about the first Gran Turismo HD, not the one featuring the three lovely piano melodies. GRID's menu song is one that can EASILY be enjoyed as an extended mix on YouTube or something.

But as of this post, I haven't played GRID.
 
If there is one thing the Grid games excel at, its the music. Its never annoying and I never once found myself tired of it. The Menu music in the first one is still one of my all time favorites:

 
I recently completed my third season in GRID. The first two were spent mostly in the USA region. Since Season 3, I took my talents to Europe. About to start Season 4, I've endured a lot. Life is better with friends. Same goes in racing. It was cool noting that I have done so well to get a teammate. The first teammate was off the pace for the most part. I then went ahead and spent a little money to try to find better talent. One of the coolest feelings was finishing 1-2 with my teammate in tow. The sponsor money was very good knowing I did well along with my teammate. To make the most of my winnings, I tried to pick out sponsors to better help increase earnings. Some of the ones paid as long as you won the race. So more of the sponsors I selected were for simply finishing the race.

Doing the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a nice treat. I previously accepted offers from other teams in the game. I started out trying to put in my own effort. I went ahead and bought a Panoz Esperante GTLM as my first car in the Le Mans deal. Didn't go so well on my part. My teammate, however, managed to finish 2nd in GT2. So I was pretty happy my teammate did much better than my last place effort.

More and more, I look at some of the elements of GRID and wonder if Gran Turismo would ever adopt some of the elements GRID has to offer to make the experience more interesting. Lots of elements ranging from car customization to motorsports aspects would mean a much better overall experience. Too many things to name here. Now that I've played GRID a bit more, I also have a somewhat better idea of what GRID has to offer compared to its sequel. At least on a racing front, GRID one seems to offer so much more and is better focused on motorsport than GRID 2.

Finally, I mentioned the main menu music being great. The theme for when you get a two-car team is even better than the regular menu song.
 
I echo the opinion that menu music in Grid games has always been great. The second tier music is the best. Shame you can't go back to a previous music once you have progressed in career.



I still think Grid 1 is the best package out of the 3, despite its outdated physics and annoying orange tint graphics. It actually feels like you are part of a race team and building your way up from nothing to a world class racing empire. It was also the first game I played and completed on the PS3 generation, so the wow factor might have coloured my judgement a bit. Cockpit view for all cars and the damage was astounding for its time. The variety of cars and tracks are a big plus too. And this was before the era of PSN trophies so I could just play the game for what it is without worrying about chasing trophies. I never played online in Grid so I don't know what it's like.

When I first bought Grid 2 I hated it so much because of the drifty physics. They also dumbed down the career mode so much by removing the team management aspect, but at least you can still buy cars and put your own liveries on it. Oh, and the evolution of the garage background and menu music is still there. Grid 2 started to click more and more when you play online. The upgrades are like a whole new game and opens up a wide variety of strategies as you mix and match parts to find the best combo. I also got more used to the physics and it is actually a good arcade game if you see it as an NFS competitor. IMO it should be named something else other than Grid.

Grid Autosport is like a mix between the two. Unfortunately, it's also the most rushed (just one year separates Grid 2 and GAS) and it shows. The menus are so drab and minimalistic without the change in background like in previous games (though the music is still quite good). Most cars and tracks are recycled and coming off from Grid 2 it just feels like the same old thing. The physics are the best of the 3, but it still has that vague floaty Codemasters feeling. Career mode is now just you racing for other teams, and I'd rate it the worst out of the 3 games. Custom Cup is an awesome feature though. Online is quite good, but not as good as Grid 2 because upgrades don't work and there is not enough garage space to buy all the cars. Plus you have to grind ridiculous XP to unlock garage space. WTF Codies. Unlike the previous 2 games, I just did not feel compelled to pick up and play GAS. There is no reward except the racing itself, but the less than stellar physics puts me off the driving too much to enjoy it. I accept that it's an apology for Grid 2, but IMO they could have saved it for next gen. With PCARS out, they are going to have their work cut out to match it...
 
Having played all three GRID games, I can basically make my own assessment on which I like best.

* I totally feel GRID has the best Career, since you feel part of a race team and that you really feel like your efforts are going towards being a motorsports legend. GRID Autosport has a realistic racing feel to it, but it really is diluted since you don't get the freedom like with the first GRID in making your own team. GRID 2 seemed more predicated on establishing a rogue racing league and growing its popularity rather than trying to be a racing superstar. In addition, the addition of hiring teammates and shopping for the best talent makes you feel like a proper racing team instead of always having to be the breadwinner. It's one of few games where you feel like you have an actual TEAM rather than just trying to be an individual legend.

* I think GRID set the tone for what the evolution of the ToCA Race Driver series is with its gritty racing. GRID 2 was a little less gritty while still being intensely difficult, and GRID Autosport is more professional than aggressive.

* GRID Autosport is by far the most beautiful graphics-wise. However in terms of menus and UI, GRID is surely the most expressive with the 3D menus and screens. GRID 2 is the most stylish.

* GRID 2 has about my favorite of spotter radio. The guy doesn't scream in your ear or anything. He can be a bit annoying in trying to offer you stuff, though. Almost as if I have to be like, "okay. Let me access [this feature] so I can get him off my backside..." Even still, I have to hear it from him about the Timeline feature (for example). GRID Autosport's spotter is probably my second favorite. Which... makes the GRID spotter my least favorite. I do like in all three games that I can be called by name or by nickname. So it's always good every now and then to hear "John" in being discussed certain things. I don't feel random.

* All three games have excellent musical scores, especially in the menus. It is tough to be tired of hearing each of the songs.

* Driving in GRID is probably my favorite of the three in terms of physics. I say that because I think the first GRID defines the style of GRID games best- it is a simulation-style racer with a little arcade mixed in to please both audiences rather than be exclusive to one specific style of driving. GRID actually makes this intense style of racing and driving fun. Normally, I wouldn't be all into arcade-style racing like with modern arcade racers, but GRID actually makes it fun. Only regrets for me would be that I wish I were better at drifting and at togue.

So I guess what I am saying in this post is that I fancy GRID more than GRID 2 and GRID Autosport as a whole. I love all three experiences, but there is just something about GRID that makes it the best of the three GRID titles. It's much the same way I think Gran Turismo 1 is the best of all GTs because of the whole experience and that bit extra. It goes to show that sometimes, the best in a series is the original and that not every sequel is not always better than the original or a previous title. That's why if you polled some people like on YouTube or something, a number of people would probably say GRID 1 is the best. There were people who even thought GRID 2 was a disappointment compared to the first one. One video was even talking about how GRID Autosport would "fix" GRID 2's woes.


Needless to say, I seem to enjoy GRID 1 more than the other two. Nothing new to report from my GRID experience except that I hired my first Pro-level teammate and that I recently bought a Corvette C5R for Le Mans and for some of the races that require the Corvette racing cars.
 
I've had Grid sitting around on my Steam for ages because I picked it up for some stupidly low price, but never really got around to playing it. Sat down to play for half an hour today just to give it a go. Three hours later...

What a good, fun game! For something when I just want to sit down and play with a controller instead of moving over to the wheel and being all serious, it's great.
 
Got it on Steam and I love playing it again. The doing the team sponsor stuff at the very start is kind annoying but is a nice intro to the game as it allows you to try out a few different disciplines pretty early. Already bought the 320Si & Skyline GT-R R34 Z-Tune for some events. Might buy the Viper for Pro Muscle. Called my racing team "Forelli Racing" and have my cars in blue with white stripes.
 
I accidentally stumbled on this thread after @Imari posted yesterday so I'll share my experience with the game.
Right off playing V8 Supercars 3 (or ToCA) I was starting to get sidetracked by the release of the PS3. I played GT Prologue at a former friend's house as well as the original Motorstorm and I even played it at my uncle's place. Another relative had Race Driver Grid and I was intrigued by the cover of the game and the title somehow stuck with me when I finally got a PS3 in 2010. The version of Race Driver Grid I purchased had some DLC codes in it and because I wasn't on the PSN, I didn't end up using them. Still, I played the game and immediately fell in love with it. The racing was honest, brutal and totally crazy posing a massive challenge to me. The damage, the sounds, the tracks and the immersion was at a level I'd never witnessed before. Feeling like you were part of team was the major attraction and creating one... Wow, this game was killer. I was well aware that the physics were way way off but it didn't get in the way of the fun. My team was originally called Team Supersport and then I changed it to Team Castrol (or Castrol Racing, one of the two). The variety was insane and I simply couldn't believe how much could actually be done in one game. Buying and selling cars for my team was something I really enjoyed and the fact that you could have a team mate was unheard of. Put simply, this game was intense and started my love affair with Codies. After Race Driver Grid, I purchased Grid 2, Grid Autosport and Dirt 3. I also ended up playing F1 2013, which I never completed. I wish that Codemasters would make a game other than F1 for PS4. If only they made V8 Supercars 4...
 
I returned to GRID recently after a great deal of time away from it. I recently won the GT1 series with the Saleen S7s in the American set of races. I think I am on my seventh season in GRID. The one thing I haven't accomplished previously was winning a trophy in any of the Japanese events. I did so with a championship victory in the Viper vs. Skyline touge races.

I am starting to build up a pretty good amount of money to get more cars. My major sponsor so far is Speed Channel. The sponsors I'm now choosing basically are to step up the morale of myself and my team. Really, I have four sponsors set up in case I place 4th or better followed by sponsor money for simply finishing a race.

When you look at all the teams and drivers in GRID, one of the best things is that you feel like you are part of a world of racing and not specifically some random driver against other random drivers. You and your own team even goes against actually licensed drivers and teams. Like, can you imagine saying you're better than Tom Kristensen... at least in GRID by being ranked higher than him? Of course, you got to account for Ravenwest. Ravenwest in the GRID games is almost like R.T. Solvalou in Ridge Racer Type 4- an elite team to try to take down.


This game still has a number of elements that surpass most other racing games with its look and feel, despite it being more arcade-like than a handful of other racing titles. Game is as old as 2007 and offers an experience that could beat even most of today's racing games.
 
I was finally able to advance to the highest tier of any of the different regions. I ended up getting the top license for the European series. I am almost towards getting the top license for the American series. I still have loads of work to do in the Japanese events, as I am still on the lowest level of that region. My balance succeeded $5M through my play so far.
 
I recently made enough progress in GRID to where I have had my garage upgraded. I am now on the Tier 3 level, which sadly means I no longer will hear the lovely menu theme to Tier 2. The Tier 3 music still is great... as is the other two menu themes. I even noted my team in the Top 50 in my playing of the game. Maybe a big part was a victory against Ravenwest in a challenge race. My first top tier event I took part in was the Prototype race in the ARL events (the one with the Ford-powered Daytona Prototype). That thing is tough to control! I even retired after crashing in the Detroit round. I won every other race and ended up with 3rd Place in the championship.

I may just try to work on clearing the only other European race series I haven't yet got a Gold for- the Formula 3 European series. I still have loads of work to do to bump up my Japanese region reputation.
 

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