Solid racing game [PC] [G25]

Before purchasing a racing game it is for me to answer a few basic questions. Me personally is atmosphere, drivability and most importantly sound. The graphics have to be the latest is not mandatory. I want a well-to-use menu and the driving behavior should be as close to a simulation. Both single- as well as multi-player mode should be available. If possible, I should not receive beta version as a buyer, which is playable only with time. Gladly I am ready for a good game even later to spend money, so it is extensible through meaningful DLC's.

With Grid Autosport (hereinafter GA) my demands are met to a large extent.

Driving behavior:

GA settles somewhere between a simulation and an arcade title. Does that mean that you can not unrestrained swish through each curve, the vehicles do not all go more or less identical and the feedback on the steering wheel is reasonably understandable. On the other hand it is not so realistic that you also need to serious competition from hundreds of laps on a new circuit, to keep up halfway.

Depending on the skill, the player is given by setting driver aids the ability to create the optimum environment for themselves. For this classic count as ABS, traction control and automatic, as well as "unrealistic" aids, such as displaying the racing line (with brake assist) or flashbacks. In addition, you can set how much the AI ​​is. The fewer driver aids you use and the more the AI ​​is set, the more experience you erhällt.

No matter from which corner you now comes (simulation driver, or Arcade Racer), you can create with fine-tuning with the adaptive equipment for an individually appealing and challenging ride.

The G25 can play, without even having to invest in the settings manually, super control. One of the few games in which the menu system on the steering wheel work directly intuitive. Only the display of buttons in menus that you need to "Next" to switch for example, have not been solved nicely. Where a clearly recognizable button is shown in the PS3 or XBox, it is the G25 a button with a number in it. With the 30 buttons of the G25 is that difficult. But you have the buttons out quickly, so this is just an initial problem.

The course ForceFeedback hällt not with simulations like rFactor or Asetto Corsa with, but knows how to impress and is sure to be among the best. I get decent feedback when my times breaks the stern, I have understandable vibrations at bumps or curbs and feel well enough what my car so everything else is driving.

Sound:

The sound like it very much. A little more of the scenery I'd still want but all in all I can not complain about the quality of the sound. The car sound, as I imagine real me and the. Anyway, depending with the respective camera angle

During the race there every now and then pit radio. I would compare the times with that of the F1 titles from Codemasters. Initially quite nice, with the time but then somewhere monotonous. At the very least makes the radio not so many mistakes as that of the F1 titles. A few little things, which are probably caused by the translation, but nothing worth mentioning.

Graphics:

Absolutely contemporary, with a small flaw. The cars are nicely modeled and correspond, as far as I can tell, the original models. The textures are sharp and the light and shadow I like personally very well. The routes also comply with the original models and are very detaiiert. The pity is that we have apparently omitted for temporal, or financial reasons detaiierte cockpits. While each vehicle has its own individual cockpit view, but these are coated with a blur. So they are very washed out, which so absolutely not in the otherwise quite respectable graphics fit in. If you drive only in the cockpit view, will blame probably quite strong. Personally I'm more in the TV cockpit and engine hoods view the go, why am I not all too distracting.

Very nice is the damage model, which both graphically, as well as driving skills affect (so you this in the settings enabled). As would be deformations in and on the body, all parts of the waste and damage to tires. Looks great and depending on the thickness of the accident also understandable.

Very good enjoyed the involvement of the second monitor. I saw that in the form of yet nowhere. My second monitor is automatically detected and co-used in the game. So I see in menus always my currently selected vehicle and get in the race information on the positions and distances and have addressed to me TV camera. Especially in qualifying which is nice to see where you are and how one's own time is classified.

AI:

The AI ​​opponent has surpised me positively. I played neither Grid 1, Grid 2 yet and therefore can not assess to what extent there is a difference, or an improvement on its predecessors. The AI ​​in the race I liked very well. The field is not like a string of pearls one behind the other. There are hard duels between the opponents and often happen to mistakes and accidents. Just when previously propelled be pressured will sometimes under braking or rotated. The AI ​​defended their positions and driving aggressive battle line, if necessary. Every now and then there's sometimes a bump. I also feel that the AI ​​aggiert vary depending on car class. So there is in touring cars often paint exchange, whereas in Open Wheelern rather gone on distance.

A nice element is the control of the teammates. I must tell my team at any time during the race, as my team-mate should behave. This goes from hard to defend seinder current position to the aggressive attack on ahead of him. Although not overly often, but every now and then you can draw from it is actually a benefit. If the teammate to the grid 1 and they even put somewhere in the middle, so the teammate, the field by holding his position anything between me and a halt to it, so I'll easily ahead. Especially at the start that is good noticeable and makes it easier.

Career:

Here you would have the players certainly can weave even more into the action. While there are sponsors, with the individual goals to be fulfilled and you have to fight in the classes up this but without any real video sequences or talks you leads. It's always the same procedure. One drives a season and get to success a new offer in a higher class. The objectives of the sponsors are almost always the same. Only the experience bonus is different.

Is better than nothing, but by other titles familiar to a much stronger interweaving into the action. Being myself but rather Drive than to enjoy some trappings, I do not really matter.

I can put my career in any car class start and run there each with the most vulnerable vehicles. This makes it easier to enter into play, because you can start where you feel most comfortable with to start. A pity, I find that the seasons are so short and the rise but goes quite fast.

So I was in the Open Wheeler class. After just two season with 4 to 6 events already in the Indy Car Series, which represents the highest level of Open Wheeler Not much time left to develop and the leap in difficulty is in my opinion to aprubt. The higher classification I want to draw me and grope me. The have already switched free after two hours I'm too fast.

The long-term motivation could therefore suffer that you can quickly reach the maximum in the respective classes and therefore new challenges remain quickly.

Multiplayer:

Was previously liked. One quickly finds a home and the race were amazing decent. GoKart feeling came because on rare. That may also be the possibility to exclude other players by taking a vote. Before the race, there is the option of two routes to choose, or vote. Boredom is because so far no. Again, the favourisierte class are chosen. The server decide with which each vehicle is driven, whereby the whole is very varied.

Of course you can also create your own race and invite others. The race can be thereby also fully customize. Permitted driving aids, fixed view, adjustability of the setup, car class, route, race length ... everything can be configured. At the moment it still seems but a feature that is interesting more for friends. But may be due to that not many players are sooo online go. In a self-experiment I had abandoned after 15 minutes of waiting without a butted me player.

If you have friends you can invite to the race, looking naturally different.

Errors in the game:

Are me so far noticed no grand. The pit radio seems to have a few mistakes in the translation. So each round me is usually told my current position would be my starting place, which of course is nonsense before completion. But neither the menu nor in the race itself I noticed errors.

That will certainly be that this is a sequel, which is already mature in many areas from developers view.

Extensibility (DLC's):

Just yesterday (07.22.2014) is again published a DLC. Unfortunately, it seems to me that, but to be quite unsightly gestallteter attempt to draw the customers even more money out of your pocket. Gladly I am ready for a title that I really enjoy and the long hällt me ​​happy, nor to invest in the future, precisely in order to get those good mood upright. But if I Kontent offered, which is already there and basically differs only by paint or power values ​​from the existing ones, then I'm there but very averse.

What I want to see as DLC are new routes, new car classes or Championships. But certainly not existing vehicles with new paint and minimal different power levels.

Conclusion:

For me, the purchase was worthwhile because I have received a game whose sound and graphics appeal to me. I can well G25 with my taxes and have fun at the AI. It can be his driving and adapt well to my needs and it offers both in Mutli- as well as in single player a lot of variety by different vehicle classes and a decent selection of routes and their variations. Although there is currently no viable DLC's, but they are there, which is to be hoped that sometimes find in the future a new track or create entirely new categories of vehicles make their way into the game. Errors in the game, I find hardly and at least so far does not seem to decrease perceptibly the game.

Since the game is a lot of right and only here and there has a few rough edges, I forgive strong 4 stars. Come useful DLC's this and a little fine-tuning by patches here and there, it could be 5.