New entry to the Grid racing series
Grid Legends is a premium racing game for PC from developer Codemasters. It's the latest entry in the Grid motorsport franchise known for offering a realistic racing sim experience. It's also a direct follow-up to 2019's Grid reboot and builds upon the improvements and features introduced with it.
Just like Gran Turismo 7 and Forza Motorsport 4, Grid Legends strikes a balance between a serious simulation experience and fun and accessible arcade mechanics for its gameplay that even newcomers to the series while introducing a whole slew of new racing tracks and race types, and an innovative hop-in multiplayer system.
Beyond the Grid
Grid is one of the most popular racing game franchises in the past few years, with its first release called Race Driver: Grid back in 2008. The series has always strived to offer a realistic motorsport simulation experience for fans and enthusiasts. It wasn't until the 2019 reboot with Grid that the franchise started to shake things up with the introduction of an actual storyline and movie-like cutscenes.
Here then comes Grid Legends, looking to build upon the foundation of its predecessor. Its main campaign, Driven to Glory is presented in a unique way with its documentary-style cutscenes. In it, you join the struggling Seneca racing team as you take on long-time rivals Ravenwest and their star driver, Nathan McKane. All of this makes you feel more invested in the characters and their stories.
The Nemesis System makes its return in Grid Legends, wherein you develop rivalries with opponents. Everything is complemented by more than 130 tracks and 100 vehicles as you take on events like drift, circuit, and even off-road races. One area that did not receive much attention, if at all, is the driving experience. It plays just like its predecessor, with all the good and bad.
Much of the same
While the addition of more tracks, vehicles, and race types is always appreciated, the base experience did not change much from the 2019 reboot. The documentary-style story adds some tension and drama to the rivalry, but the driving experience has remained virtually the same—more could have been done. Nevertheless, it's still a good sequel and entry point for newcomers to the series.
