Whats the story, storming glory?
Instantly beautiful, fast and playable,Grid Legendsprovides the perfect counterpoint to serious sim racing.
No, not theadded story mode, its more fundamental than that; its the handling.
The second biggest change is that headline addition of a live-action story mode.
Its great to put a face to that name after all these years and hes suitable greasy.
But what wholly justifies the inclusion of the story mode is that all-important sense of rivalry.
Suddenly youve got nemeses all around as you protest your innocence, but it all adds to the entertainment.
Its silly, not too fast, and perfect for online play, as is the returning drifting discipline.
Its surprisingly good fun seeing 20 drivers drifting as ghosts around the same track.
In fact its refreshingly straightforward.
But otherwise it absolutely purrs - this is one of the best racing game engines ever made.
Secondly, it is very pretty, with sumptuous lens flare and lighting effects and ultra-solid cars and environments.
Theres a little detail draw-in evident, even on Ultra, but you have to really look for it.
Nobody should have any complaints about the visuals, even onmid-range graphics cards.
But you might have complaints about that third element: spectacle.
The crashes still lack violence.
Maybe its time to ditch car licenses so we can have a proper, full-contact racing game again.
Still, theres loads here to like.
