TEST GRID Legends: with Codemaster under the hood and EA at the wheel, has the license returned to the podium?

GRID Legends is in the hands of Codemaster and given the overall quality of its productions, expectations for this new opus were very high. Manage to keep the DNA of the license while making it evolve to try to find the place on the podiums of the first GRID Where TOUCH was, without a doubt, the first line of the specifications for this one. Let’s see what happens after several days of touring the circuits with him.

GRID Legends offers a purely arcade grip that allows you to have fun without the hassle.

For GRID Legendsthe developers chose an original axis for the mode Storythat of presenting it in the manner of the show F1: Drive To Survive from Netflix. In this fake reality docu, we follow the team’s season Seneca and you Player 22 (name cannot be changed here) through videos shot with real actors. Dramastwists, a piece of the film takes place between each race and if the idea is good, the realization is not at the expected level. The first point that bothered us was the total lack of connection between what we actually do on the ground and the story that unfolds. It just gives the impression of watching a movie between two events or vice versa. Then, if the shots are good, the French dubbing is particularly bad with tight labials, but voices that give the impression of coming out of an old radio and soporific intonations. Finally, the acting is very questionable and does not make you want to be carried away. Fortunately, the “Skip” button is active from the first second and there is no need to watch these transition videos.

The mode Career then unlocks and Player 22which can now change its name, arrives in a new stable and will chain races to gain experience, currency, find sponsors, unlock vehicles, liveries, new events, etc. Nothing revolutionary here, but in terms of diversity, there is plenty to do with no less than nine categories of vehicles (Touring, Tuner, GT, Drift, Track Day, Green Wheel Racing, Trucks, Electric, Specials) which include no less than 175 vehicles (we have the GRID Legends Deluxe Edition) for a total of 57 races (sometimes with several circuits). Going through the “Garage” allows you to customize your vehicle in terms of settings (very basic, arcade requires) and livery (again, no extensive customization, but just stickers and color). An option to clean and repaint is also present. Amusing.

grid legends screenshot capture 05More seriously, the “Team” tab is the one that allows you to manage the general information of your team, those of your sponsors, but also the development of your teammate and your mechanic. By improving the latter, it impacts the options Reconnaissance (monetary benefits), Performances (monetary benefits, gain of boost) and Grand Master (benefit of sponsorship). By developing the capacities of his teammate, we increase his strategies in the race (defense, attack), team synergy (faster transmission of commands, better efficiency in the rain) and his piloting (fewer errors, more speed and more precision to capture the doors of boost). Once a sponsor has been chosen, the objectives set by the latter must be achieved, such as, without being exhaustive, a certain number of kilometers with a category of vehicle or even actions noted as slingshot pass or even beat specific pilots. Abandoning a sponsor along the way resets all the counters to zero, so we have to choose one in our ropes or risk stagnating.

Graphically, not too much surprise with Codemaster, GRID Legends fills your eyes. The environments and circuits are perfectly modeled, even if some are less finely crafted than others. The lighting effects, including those with the setting sun, are really excellent even if we have a small preference for races in the rain with an interior view that really flatters the retina. The cars are shiny and the damage to the bodywork is rather well represented. The animations are fluid and the impression of speed is present depending on the camera chosen. Are there any differences between each edition? Yes, of course. On “old gen”, this production runs in the 30 fps and a bit ofaliasing is visible on the edges. In addition, the rendering is slightly blurred (low resolution for once?). On “new gen”, and unsurprisingly, the title turns out wonderfully. The image is fine, sharp and pleasing to the eye, not to mention that we are entitled to constant fluidity (60 fps). But our little heart was thrilled by the PC version, which is entitled to much better worked textures ; like the reflections on the bodywork of vehicles, much more realistic, it’s to die for.

Strong point of the game, if it is really very fun to play with a controller, it is even more so with a steering wheel.

The sound is also of good level whether in the atmosphere, the engines, and the shocks, while the music is a little too similar to what is already done in the genre. A little originality would have done our ears good. Note, the arrival of electric cars brings noise, or rather the virtual absence of noise, which characterizes these categories. Frankly, like in real life, it’s still less sexy to drive without the roar of a big fat engine V8 Where V10. But hey, that’s another topic.

grid legends screenshot capture 07Designed with an arcade game philosophy, GRID Legends logically offers an accessible grip that favors the sensations and the pleasure of driving without encumbering the player with all the constraints imposed in driving simulations aimed at realism. And he does it very well. The driving impressions are very good and the vehicles respond well without inconsistent behavior on the steering. Of course, collision management, handling not far from being identical for all vehicles in the same category or whatever the weather conditions quickly remind us that we are in a video game, but the contract is fulfilled. , it is fun. However, note that if smoking the AI ​​up to the hard level is child’s play, beyond that it starts to get much more interesting, even insane, at maximum level. In effect, one of the peculiarities of GRID Legends is to be able to make “worst enemies” (either via the scenario, or by hitting a competitor a little too much) who will ruin our lives by their aggressive behavior against us or that of our partner. Blocking maneuvers or attempts to send us into the background are on the racing program and the higher the level of difficulty, the more stressful it becomes to manage, especially since the damage is then no longer necessarily visual. But nothing obliges to push the cursor so high for who does not want to suffer… Even in the good sense of the term.

Strong point of the game, if it is really very fun to play with a controller, it is even more so with a steering wheel. On our side, it is with our Fanatec DD Pro that we tried the adventure. While some games designed for consoles still struggle with driving gameplay, GRID Legends allows you to immerse yourself in a perfect way, including by including a camera view in the cabin without the virtual steering wheel visible. Driving pleasure is greatly enhanced and overall we have made better runs at the wheel than at the joystick. Only the part slips (drift) was a little more complicated than on the controller, but anyway, it’s not in this category that the game excels the most. Regarding PS5 players, note that the features of the DualSense are not supported. Thus, we end up with simple vibrations, not very immersive, and a total absence of feedback in the triggers. Really a pity, especially when we know what the feeling of the gamepad can be Sony in this type of production.

Finally, let’s talk about the multiplayer part which allows you to compete against other players, including those playing on a platform other than us. Driver on PC, PlayStation and Xbox can therefore compete without complexes (only a mini pictogram next to your nickname indicates to others if you are on PC or consoles in the lobby). Very classic, it is possible to join already created games, to host one, but above all, GRID Legends gives the possibility to create your own competitions (Race Creator) by choosing race modes, vehicle categories, weather conditions, time of day, etc.. Codemaster announces more than a million possible combinations, but even without going that far, there is already enough to have fun. The lifespan, which is already excellent from the start, increases for once.

grid legends screenshot capture 01

In conclusion, if GRID Legends is not perfect in its mode Story and Career, it still offers a lot of fun for those who like to give themselves sensations without having the inconveniences caused by pure and hard simulations. Graphically, it sends good with a bonus for races in the rain, especially in interior view, and the sound design is in tune. The many categories of vehicles and circuits available, as well as the different game modes provide a diversity that allows you not to get bored of going around in circles tirelessly like in other titles. Online games against humans, cross-platform as a bonus, they lengthen the lifespan and bring challenges. Its compatibility with steering wheels is optimal and the pleasure of driving with one of them, even if we are on the arcade, is magnified. GRID Legends easily finds its place next to DIRT 5less urban, but still electric, in your toy library.

You can buy GRID Legends sur Amazon.

Most

  • Excellent handling
  • Superb graphics (especially at night in the rain)
  • Fluidity of races
  • Compatible with all steering wheels (including Fanatec’s DD PRO)
  • Lots of cars and tracks
  • Diversity in race modes and categories
  • Online cross-platform

The lessers

  • Linear story unrelated to our racing results and actions
  • Story mode scenario poorly put together, poorly played (and worse in VF)
  • Few driving differences between vehicles in the same category
  • No DualSense support, too bad…

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