Common Sense Media Review
By Brett Molina
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Satisfying arcade racer with intuitive controls.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
What's It About?
Publisher Codemasters rolls out the freshest model in the racing genre with GRID, a solid speedfest that fails to deliver enough originality or intensity to keep up with established simulators. You'll enter the career mode known as GRID World as a rookie with only a 1970 Ford Mustang. After volunteering your driving services in a series of events, you can bolster your reputation and pocketbook enough to earn Rookie credentials and cash to start your own racing team.
You'll navigate the career mode by competing in events in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. As you score more wins, you'll gain more licenses and eventually advance to an elite international league. Car selection is rather limited, leaving you with only 45 choices. Events range from standard races to drift challenges and demolition derbies. You can also compete in these events online.
Is It Any Good?
GRID straddles the line between authentic simulator and laid-back, easy to play racer. Cars sparkle as they speed down the tracks. Crew chiefs encourage you as you navigate sharp turns. Your vehicle will pull right if you slam your right front tire into a wall. However, the Flashback feature is where the realism ends. If you wreck your car, you can choose to rewind a few seconds to an earlier point instead of restarting the race. Also, cars feel much lighter when it comes to handling. Brakes are used rarely, as cars can often coast into turns without the need to slow down. GRID's greatest fault is it's too average. For every positive you consider, you can find a current racing title that does it better.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the racing genre. What's more enjoyable: An authentic racing simulator or one that's more accessible and arcade-like? Do you think there is a connection between playing racing games and driving more aggressively in real life?
Game Details
- Platforms : Xbox 360 , PlayStation 3 , Nintendo DS , Windows
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Codemasters
- Release date : June 3, 2008
- Genre : Racing
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : December 1, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate