Grid Autosport

Codemasters seems to release a new racing game almost every year. With titles like Dirt and Grid under its banner, Codemasters Racing has a formidable lineup of simulation and semi-arcade racing games piling up in its portfolio. Their latest game, and the newest instalment in the Grid series, ticks all the right boxes for the automotive and motorsport enthusiast.
Simulation racing game fans are a fickle kind, and if the driving dynamics aren't up to the mark, they will easily throw aside a game in favour of more technically “correct” games. Grid has always been the game of choice for PC simulation gamers, who have always been left out by the masters of sim-racers, GranTurismo and Forza, games which are for consoles only. So when Codemasters came up with an accurate simulation racer, gamers got a reason to put aside the controller and pick up the keyboard.
Grid Autosport is very similar to the last Grid game in terms of driving mechanics, which is a good thing. The main changes come in the race types and the layout. While the last Grid game focused mostly on a blend of street, drift, grip and full on racecar experiences, Grid Autosport takes a neater approach, dividing up all the racing disciplines into individual contracts which allows you to focus on the disciplines you are most passionate about. Each contract lasts a season, and once you sign a contract, you must complete the season before you can move on to another. The disciplines are: Touring, Endurance, Open Wheel, Tuner, and Street.

The gameplay is demanding, the learning curve is steep if you turn all of the driving aids off and crank up the opponent difficulty. This is the correct way to play a serious simulation racer, as there are countless games out there which you can play for fun, but very few which is as rewarding as Grid Autosport in its hardest difficulty setting. With each race, the frustration creeps in, and if you can maintain a level head, you can actually notice your technique improving as you edge up the race standings. Thankfully, the game doesn't shut you down or restrict your ability to progress with average results, so the room for improving your technique is always there, a feature that is sadly lacking from most other simulation racers.
The graphics is great, the car selection is tasteful and inspired, and the variety and breadth of the cars and tracks will keep you coming back for more. One annoyance is the way the race season progresses. It would be nice to have a pause in between races, but in a slightly stupid move, the developers thought it'd be a great idea to throw race after race at the gamer before he tires of it and quits the game. Why would you not put in a pause screen before every race? Car customization was present in limited form in the old game, but its sadly entirely absent in the campaign mode of the new one.
Recommended for serious automotive enthusiasts.

Rating: 8/10