Racing game addicts have had some pretty awesome offerings in the past year. From Forza Horizon 5 to the more recent Gran Turismo 7, there’s something for every type of player. While FH5 is more arcade-style and GT7 is perfect for those who love racing simulation, Grid Legends is where both genres exist in almost perfect harmony. So, should you buy it? Here’s my review of Grid Legends for PS5.
Grid Legends PS5 Review
I played Grid 2 back when it was released in 2013 and I became a fan of how realistic the graphics and gameplay were. It’s thrilling to revisit this franchise in a bigger and better format in 2022 through Grid Legends and I was excited to see what new it had to offer. And, it did not disappoint!
First Impressions
My first impression – Grid Legends has an interesting premise that’s packed with drama and engaging motorsport action. The campaign/story mode is short but it keeps you entertained with the back-to-back races on different circuits with remarkable cars. The roster of vehicles has plenty of variety and the various events like Elimination, Boost Mode, Truck Battles and more will keep you at the edge of your seat.
Grid Legends is not an all-out racing sim, so arcade racing fans will enjoy it more. That’s not to say simulation fans won’t, they will – if they get into it without expecting it to be an iRacing or Assetto Corsa.
It was fun to experience the process of understanding how a certain car needs to be controlled in different weather conditions. And personally, I enjoyed drifting in this game way more than Forza Horizon 5.
Unlike some other games, I could see the AI cars making mistakes in Grid Legends and due to this, every race felt unique. Watching the AI competitors make human error and skid off the race track was refreshing and added to the realism. Kudos to the devs for achieving it! Having nemeses to beat, especially on higher difficulties, can be pretty dramatic and fun.
There are different difficulty levels and assist settings that will suit every type of gamer. So, it doesn’t matter if you are a new player in the racing genre or a veteran – fun is guaranteed. Honestly, it was tough for me to put down the controller – this game is that addictive.
For those who like to go head to head with other racers online, the multiplayer mode will deliver exactly what the thrill-seekers are looking for. Taking things up a notch is the crossplay feature which works very well. There’s just so much to do that you will find yourself getting lost into the game for hours.
The Story
The story mode is short and its cutscenes are live-action, taken in interview footage style. It might throw you off initially if you are used to seeing CGI characters, but I felt like it’s a welcome change. If the acting is sub-par, the live-action scenes can fall flat – but it isn’t the case in Grid Legends. The diverse cast does a good job and although the dialogues can be a bit cheesy, it still works well.
Driven to Glory is about the underdog and you play as Driver 22, the new kid on the block. You’ve been hired as the second driver for the Seneca Racing team and now the pressure is on your shoulders to bring the team back to glory. Your mission is to keep winning, challenge Ravenwest and prove yourself as the ultimate Grid Legend. The story is simple, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and nothing out of the ordinary – but it’s pretty enjoyable.
The Cars
Players can get everything they are looking for under one roof in Grid Legends. The roster of cars includes modern hypercars, legendary prototype GTs, trucks, big rigs, muscle cars and more. Once you find yourself immersed in the game, your selection of race-ready machines is going to turn into one stellar collection.
There are 9 categories of cars across 3 difficulty tiers of Amateur, Semi-Pro, and Pro. You need to keep playing and progressing through the Career mode to unlock them. Focus on completing Career milestones to get cars as a reward, but if you really have your heart set on a particular car, you can purchase them with in-game currency.
What I found interesting about car upgrades is that the more you drive and clock up mileage, the more performance upgrades you can unlock for the car. This is perfect – you can test out the car, figure out if you’ve got a grip on it and then decide to level it up.
Another nice feature that I liked was the option to loan cars. Want to drive a car but don’t have enough money to buy it? You can choose to loan one and give away some of your end-of-race rewards in return. Due to this, you won’t feel “locked” with a race machine you don’t like, especially in the early game.
The Touring, Drift, Trucks, Specials, Electric, Open Wheel, Tuner, Track Day and GT categories are a dream come true for car enthusiasts. You can drive iconic cars such as the Ginetta G40 GT5, Porsche 962C, Panoz Esperante GTR-1, Shelby Cobra 289 FIA, Audi A4 Quattro and Audi R8 1:1, speed past Buckingham Palance or Big Ben and take in the spectacular view. You’ve got over 130 routes to tear up and fling your car sideways in.
The Graphics
GRID Legends has stunning graphics and is a visual treat on PS5. Whenever I ended up crashing against other vehicles or other cars piled up on mine, the screen shakes, distorts a little and you’ll see some great particle effects. It made an impact on me as a player – so much so that I found myself intentionally trading paint with other cars just to see how cool everything looked. But if you’ve made a mistake and would like to reverse its effects, don’t worry. There’s a rewind feature that you can enable for use during such moments.
The weather effects are good and I personally liked the haptic feedback during turns and braking, even though the game doesn’t take full advantage of the feature. Plus, the cars sound amazing – the level of detail that Codemasters have achieved in their cars is commendable. From the silent buzz of electric cars to the loud roar of rally race machines, the sound design is fantastic. Irrespective of the car you choose from the roster, it will glide smoothly on the tracks and respond to every command from you – no matter how subtle.
The Fun Stuff
Players can create 4 custom races of their own where they can pick the Modifiers, Discipline, Class, Vehicles, Location, Route, Conditions, Laps, Drivers and more. Want to play only one lap? Feel like zipping through the street in Dubai? Want to try driving while it’s raining? You’ve got it!
Moreover, you can customize and upgrade your owned vehicles in the Garage and also check out what are the unlock conditions for getting some of your favorite vehicles. Under Career, you will see Rookie Events, Semi-Pro Events, and Pro event milestones that you need to complete which will lead you to the Gauntlet. This is where you show off your Legendary skills.
Verdict
GRID Legends is perfect for newbies and pros alike – it’s a “simcade” racing game that leans more heavily on the arcade side. Veterans can tweak the settings to boost the challenge, while new players can start with enjoying the locations and the process of unlocking cars. It looks good, plays smoothly, and there are loads of customization options to explore. The performance of the game is great – I encountered no glitches, stutters or bugs during my gaming sessions.
If you have played the 2019 installment of GRID, this looks like an extension of the same. But look at all the intricate details and enhancements that have been added, and you’ll realize that it’s without a doubt an impressive upgrade. The physics are better and the system of unlocking vehicles will keep you hooked. As it all boils down to the actual racing gameplay, GRID Legends is a winner.