Developer: Codemasters, Swordfish Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform: PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PS5
GRID Legends – Review
The GRID franchise saw the light in 2008 and actually gained quite the following after its initial release. The game proved to be a promising entry in the quite saturated racing game market, and it spawned several sequels in the coming years. On the site, we have also taken a closer look at GRID 2 and GRID Autosport, which were both fairly fun entries in the franchise. Now, the series is taking things to the next level with a next-gen release, and a very original story mode. Even though GRID Legends didn’t end up being a legendary game, it was still a lot of good old-fashioned arcade racing fun.
Story
The story in GRID Legends is both impressive and disjointed. The game will introduce you as Driver 22, a new driver who joins a team right before the season begins. The story is told via documentary-like cutscenes in-between races, which are quite nicely done. There is a bit of overacting, and it’s clear that the cast members are somewhat inexperienced, but it does add something original to the mix. Sadly, the story feels disconnected from what is actually going on during the races. The story will revolve around you being a rookie for the most part of the storyline, and it’s a bit silly when you bring home the gold for every single event. Nonetheless, we enjoyed this story format, and we do hope that future installments tweak this further to create a custom experience dependant on how you perform on the track. Of course, this requires a lot more footage to be recorded, but it would also create a lot more replay value for those wanting to see all the different outcomes.
Graphics
Even though we were never under the impression GRID Legends pushed the PlayStation 5 to its limits, the game looks quite spiffy. We were treated to nice-looking car models, albeit with basic textures, and a lot of good-looking tracks. Many of these tracks had impressive backdrops, which added a lot to the overall atmosphere of the game. Sadly, we were too busy driving into our opponents and trying to stay on the track to truly appreciate the backgrounds. Other than that, the cars do show signs of damage, which is something that is often left out of racing games, especially when a game contains cars that actually exist.
Sound
The sound design in GRID Legends is quite good. Even though the heavier background music is a bit generic, it does boost your adrenaline levels and will push you to the edge of your seat. We noticed that the soundtrack itself isn’t that diverse, but during the hectic races, you won’t be paying too much attention to it anyway. We do have to say that we are pleased that more and more racing games are opting to include a more powerful soundtrack again, compared to the mediocre techno music we have gotten in many games over the last decade. The voice acting is also decent, but more than often the commentators speak so quietly you can’t even hear them, even with the commentary at max volume in the settings.
Gameplay
GRID Legends is an arcade racing game, with a few simulation elements thrown in the mix, but you can easily play the game without ever touching these simulation options. For the most part, you’ll go from one event to another, earning money in order to unlock the many cars the game has on offer. The game focuses heavily on its story, as well as its online functionalities. We do advise playing through the story mode first to get a feel for the game and its different vehicles.
As stated above, the game leans more towards an arcade experience, and that is perfectly fine. In the game, you’ll be able to play with different vehicle types, ranging from run-of-the-mill GT cars and classic cars to futuristic electric vehicles that will allow racing at supersonic speeds. The game has a lot of cars to unlock, and cranking up the difficulty will earn you more money. It will take some grinding to unlock all the content.
The game focuses heavily on online play, and you’ll need to link an EA account to the game if you wish to play online. Sadly, the game does not include a local split-screen option, which is a shame for a game such as this. Nonetheless, the online options will offer more than enough content for those who are looking to duke it out with real players.
Conclusion
GRID Legends is a solid entry in the franchise and the game offers good old-fashioned arcade racing fun. It’s been a while since we last had a proper arcade experience such as this, and we hope more developers revive this specific subgenre of the racing genre. While GRID Legends still has some rough edges, the game is a lot of fun and is also very accessible for inexperienced racing game fans. We do hope the next entry has a story that stays in sync with your performance throughout the story mode, but other than a few minor remarks, the franchise is right on track.
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