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GRID xbox360 Game Reviews
GRID
Critic Score
Metascore: 87 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.8 out of 10
based on 62 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 60 votes
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Rate this game

(Also known as "Race Dirver: GRID") GRID takes players to dramatic and beautifully realized race locations over three continents to compete in a variety of racing events. Packed with the most powerful race cars - new and classic, circuit and drift - players compete to conquer the most prestigious official race tracks and championships then beyond to compete in challenging city-based competitions, and then on through to road events and urban street races. The drama, the rivalries, the aggression and the crashes; this is not a game about collecting cars or spending all of your time in the front-end tuning suspension settings or designing liveries. Codemasters wants to make racing exciting again. Gamers compete on Europe's greatest official race tracks in prestige Marques including Aston Martin, Koenigsegg and Pagani. Iconic cities across the U.S, including San Francisco, Washington DC and Detroit - each with their own atmosphere and events - play host to diverse street races, where high-performance V8 muscle cars set the pace in aggressive, closely fought pack competitions. And in the Far East, Japanese racing culture sets the tone where night races, including Drift racing, takes drivers through neon illuminated cities and to outlying mountain roads. There's also the opportunity to compete in races that operate on the fringes of legality in the back streets and industrial areas of Yokohama. [Codemasters]

PUBLISHER: Codemasters
DEVELOPER: Codemasters
GENRE(S): Racing, Driving
PLAYERS: 12
ESRB RATING: E (Everyone)
RELEASE DATE: June 3, 2008

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
G4 TV
Many will balk at the game because it doesn’t offer a million different models of car. Those who do are missing the point. Grid is all about the fun and excitement of the race. It’s racing with a capital ‘R’ minus the frustration. You won’t find a more fun racing game this year.
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97
GameFocus
Race Driver GRID is an immersing, addictive, exhilarating, beautiful and fun racing experience you can’t afford to miss, the best so far.
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95
Jolt Online Gaming UK
If Colin McRae: DIRT was a sign of Codemasters regaining a foothold in the racing market, the latest Race Driver is evidence of the publisher taking full control. GRID makes the high points of its rivals feel like false dawns, and if what’s on offer here is a sign of things to come, we’re all in for a remarkable ride.
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95
Games Master UK
The year's most exciting recreation of motorsport. Simply brilliant. [July 2008, p.72]
93
Xbox360Achievements
This is the premium driving title out on the 360 at the moment, and a must own for any fans of the racing genre. When buying a car in real life, it isn't about the miles per gallon, but about the smiles per mile. This game will definitely make you smile.
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93
Play.tm
How you like your racing games is a personal thing, for me the delicate balance between pedal to the metal racing and slightly dull car porn is something that GRID gets spot on.
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93
Console Gameworld
A fantastic game that bridges the gap of arcade and sim styles of the racing genre.
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92
Game Over Online
Series vets with fond memories of the Pro Race Driver/TOCA games on previous systems should pick this up immediately, and if you're unsure about it, there's a demo available for download that’ll give you a good idea as to how easily most of the cars can be controlled, but won't give you a very accurate view of just how many kinds of racing styles are represented in the full game.
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92
Cheat Code Central
Is GRID the next big thing in the automotive game genre? I think so. The game has incredible arcade form, and I think the Flashback feature is one of the best new ideas we've seen come from this genre in a long time.
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91
Gamers.at
There can only be one recommendation for car-loving gamers this summer: Get Race Driver GRID! Awesome graphics, a great damage-model and the fantastic driving experience that will satisfy fans of simulation as well as arcade racers should definitely convince any car freak!
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91
XboxAddict
I would have to say that GRID is probably one of the best racers to date on the Xbox 360 console.
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91
GamingExcellence
It essentially boils down to this: If you're a racing fan, arcade or simulation, you owe it to yourself to give GRID a try.
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91
Gaming Nexus
GRID is, in essence, the Nicole Kidman of racing games. Hollywood production values couple with classic beauty under neo lighting, skinned-over by intelligent complexity--all of which rumbles unseen beneath the bodywork, sometimes understated, sometimes overt, and at all times volatile.
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90
Cynamite
Codemasters celebrates the racing circus with such enthusiasm that the gamer can’t resist. This game is surprisingly well done.
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90
WonderwallWeb
Racer Driver: Grid really sets new standards for the racing genre on the Xbox 360, it’s fast and furious, certainly doesn’t lack realism and has that "just one more go" appeal to it.
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90
DarkStation
Grid doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel but instead builds around it and attempts to improve it, and in the end succeeds in making one of the most enjoyable racing games I have played in years.
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90
Gameplanet
The complete racing package, Race Driver GRID is perfectly tuned to produce a fine balance between fun and realism. A large range of classes means the comparatively small number of cars does nothing to detract from the sense of scale.
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90
Totally360
Race Driver: GRiD can be described as the pinnacle of Codemasters' efforts to produce a racing game that injects a breath of fresh air into the genre, coupling delicious visuals and sublime handling with a feeling that every successfully won race is truly earned, and every sneaky win at the expense of the impressively unpredictable AI is no hollow victory.
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90
Gamervision
An immensely satisfying and infinitely fun racing title.
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90
Da Gameboyz
Grid is proof that Codemasters is not only one of the better developers for racing games, but further proof that they are continually looking at how to better the final product for all levels of videogamers to enjoy.
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90
Worth Playing
It's forgiving enough for arcade-style players to get into, yet challenging and rewarding enough to make them want to get better, while not leaving them stuck in one place. Sim nuts, naturally, will be quite pleased as well.
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90
GameTrailers
While not all that innovative, the game brilliantly implements a race-saving instant replay function and incorporates a strong strategic element with its sponsor management.
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90
Console Monster
GRID is ultimately the fun and enjoyable racing game that many people have been waiting for. With beautiful graphics and an amazing flashback feature, who wouldn't buy this game? With so many different game types, GRID really does cater all thrills that drivers seek.
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90
GamerNode
GRID has something for everyone, and is enjoyable by all racing fans. The visuals are great, the gameplay is frantic and the atmosphere oozes perfection.
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90
Boomtown
Race Driver GRID is one of the most beautiful games I've ever played and certainly one of the most exciting. You'd be a fool for missing this one. With better handling this would have been my first 10 score given for a very long time.
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90
Gamer.nl
Wow! Codemasters managed to invent the golden formula for a racing game. The intensity, the recklessness and all the cool cars make GRID awesome.
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90
GameTap
While the game's focus is clearly on driving, managing sponsors right will double or triple the income of winning an event and is a fun minigame on its own; making lots of money is crucial to entering higher-level, ultra-costly racing series.
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90
Eurogamer
Otherwise, GRID is a great success: the single-player is varied without being confusing; the online multiplayer supports 12 players and damage modelling, reducing the number of first-corner pile-ups; tracks and cars are well chosen and recreated; and Flashback allows you to race with the same determination on lap three as you did on lap one, mitigating risk in a manner of which other racing game developers will soon be envious.
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90
Maxi Consolas (Portugal)
Fulfilling all the promises and expectations, Codemasters offers a high quality racing game. In fact, GRiD not only sets a new path for the historical Race Driver series, but also manages to keep the high quality standards usually accomplished by the company. [June 2008]
90
Official Xbox Magazine
This game isn't about simulating racing; it's about creating fun out of it. And it succeeds beautifully, one thrilling white knuckle at a time.
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90
VideoGamer
Race Driver: GRID is tearing up the tarmac this summer without a challenger in site.
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90
Level7.nu
The driving mechanics in Race Driver: Grid might not suit everyone, but they’re really solid none the less. If you want over the top driving with exaggerated acceleration, braking efficiency and grip, this is the game for you. The ability of turn back time to repair your mistakes is a great new feature. We haven’t had this much fun with a driving game since Flatout Ultimate Carnage.
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90
360 Gamer Magazine UK
GRID may not do anything dramatically new, but what it does do, it does phenomenally well. Challenging enough to push you, yet rewarding enough to keep you going when things get tough, the sheer amount of variation and the immensely satisfying handling model make this a triumph of a game.
90
Game Informer
Although the drift racing is too dependant on the hand brake and I’d like more emotional investment in the cars in my garage (some tweaking would be nice, as would more of a sense of pride in each car I own), Grid is a shining example of how to make a fresh racing game that captures that age-old, fundamental desire to go screaming down the asphalt like a rubber-shredding, hell-bent maniac.
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88
Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
Like its predecessors, GRID is a bewitchingly addictive racer, astounding in how much content it has to offer.
87
Team Xbox
While it's hard to fully judge GRID compared to other racing games that feature heavy vehicle modification, the on-road manners of Codies' affair can hang with the best of ’em.
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87
IGN
There are plenty of other racing games on the market, but Grid captures the soul of the track like none other.
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87
MEGamers
Grid is not a perfect racing game, but it is certainly a perfect game for a long and hot summer.
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86
ZTGameDomain
GRID is the type of game that straddles the line between sim and arcade so well that it actually works on both levels.
Read Full Review
85
PTGamers
GRID is a driving game that won’t disappoint speed fans, especially those who follow Codemasters games.
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85
MS Xbox World
GRID is better than many of today's highly regarded racers, yes it can be frustrating and may take some brief getting used to; however Race Driver: GRID is one rewarding drive worth taking.
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85
Kombo
GRID does a brilliant job of balancing the depth of simulation racing with the pure fun of arcade racing, and the result is as intense as it is accessible.
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84
ActionTrip
Race Driver: GRID may not be the right choice for rally veterans, particularly those who have enjoyed earlier installments in Codemasters' CMR series or TOCA series.
Read Full Review
84
Extreme Gamer
GRID is a solid racing experience whether you like arcade style racing games or not.
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84
Talk Xbox
GRID's delicate straddling of the line between arcade and simulation racing is one that works well for it, appealing to fans of either simulation or arcade racers, once you get used to its handling quirks.
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83
GameShark
Both “x-treme” racing fans and racing aficionados alike will find something to enjoy, making it the possible Great Uniter of racing videogames.
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83
Game Chronicles
The single-player campaign in GRID is definitely worth a test drive. Multiplayer has its moments, but you could skip over it without missing much.
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82
Xbox World Australia
A deep, engaging and somewhat varied experience, Race Driver: GRID should offer something for most players.
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80
Thunderbolt
GRID isn't a hugely deep game, but it has an impressive array of small features and presentation pieces that serve to make it feel bigger than it really is.
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80
PALGN
An excellent game and one that any racing fan should pick up. It may not feature any Australian content but the gameplay is addictive and enjoyable and that's what matters most.
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80
GamingXP
A good feature is the realistic damage-simulation. If you have a frontal crash, you will drop out of the race before crossing the finishing line.
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80
Gamestyle
If high speed crashes and action packed races are your thing then there is no reason not to give GRID a try.
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80
X360 Magazine UK
Flashbacks make this a thrilling racer, but they wear thin after a while and take their toll on the racing. As a result, we love Race Driver: GRID as much as we hate it, which is quite a lot! [Issue#33]
80
GameSpy
This hybrid of sim and arcade racing may take some getting used to -- its learning curve is steeper than your average Burnout or Need for Speed -- but the time investment is worth it.
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80
games(TM)
The best available entry point for newcomers to next-gen racing, and a worthy investment for anyone else. [July 2008, p.104]
80
GameDaily
The driving is an excellent blend of high-speed antics and risk, as one crash can quickly end your run.
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80
GameSpot
Grid is a classy arcade racing game, providing enough depth and variety to satisfy any fan of the genre.
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80
Official Xbox Magazine UK
While GRID's a nice game, it's ultimately a new selection of cars and tracks for Colin McRae DiRT. You might want to bear that in mind when it comes to buying it.
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80
GamePro
Despite its rather basic approach, GRID does deliver an intense model of racing that is as enjoyable as it is plain. The lack of vehicle tuning and the dearth of available cars leaves one corner of this square missing, but that doesn't keep it from rolling along.
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79
IGN AU
GRID’s super slick presentation and the flashy bells and whistles will grab your attention, but there isn’t anywhere near enough depth to hold it. You’ve changed, Race Driver. We hardly know you anymore.
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75
Game Revolution
Grid hits all the basics just right and tops everything off with a shiny, grease-covered bow. With a little more fine-tuning and some added variety, the follow-up could easily be the leader of the arcade racing pack.
Read Full Review
75
1UP
Think of it as a racing fling, not asking you for any long-term commitment, and letting you walk away once you're finished so you can pursue something with more depth. Still, it's fun while it lasts.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 60 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Ciaran G. gave it a9:
Good graphics, impressive crash damage and notably the best driving AI I have seen yet. Also, a good range of vehicles and tracks falling into the distinct categories of American, European and Japanese. Career mode is long but not repetitive. Races are intense and fast-paced and a lot of fun and there are also drifting competitions and destruction derbies thrown into the mix. Online play is really good and there are various other touches here and there that leave a highly-polished game, that is only let down by repetitive replay music.

Bill N gave it a9:
GRID is the best racing game i've ever played. Graphics are superb. Some people question the physics behind the cars, however i feel the cars react as i would expect them to (Feels even better with a wheel). I've never experienced any pauses or stutters when playing, smooth as silk to me. Winning the Le-Mans is a huge thrill, adrenaline pumping action all the way! The audio is especially good, the roars of the engines and screeching of tires. I'm not really big on multiplayer, but GRID do pull it off well. Only prob is people just try and take you out. And the average XboxLive player isn't known for sportsmanship.

Georg W gave it a10:
This is by far the most lively and realistic driving experience - and no one who has ever driven a car can contradict that. Foret PGR, Forza or Burnout, GRID is live!

Mike B gave it a3:
The physics are poor, the controls are poor unless you want to spring for a racing wheel. Over all about as realistic a driving sim as Pole Position, and less fun as an arcade driving game than Pole Position. This game is counter intuitive for anybody who has actually driven a car. Cars don't respond that way. Cars don't spin out when you hit the gas without turning the wheel, especially in 6th gear. They certainly don't redline in 6th from a dead stop and then spin out. Automatic Transmissions don't hit 65 MPH before they shift. Cars don't spin out when you accelerate out of a turn. But that's not the big problem I have with this game. The bit problem is control. The buttons on the 360 controller are pressure sensitive. Other racing games get it right. Grand Theft Auto gets it right. Most console games for the last several years have gotten it right. Why does Grid treat the controls on the Xbox as if there are only two settings, full on and full off? I don't want to pay an extra $100 for a force feedback steering wheel so that I can play this game. To be complementary, it has nice graphics, it has nice tracks and it has nice cars. It is a very pretty game.

Alejandro G. gave it a9:
Easily the best racing game on Xbox 360. The handling of the cars is varied, although a bit arcade-ish (didn't try the simulation mode), but it's so fun it doesn't matter. The variety of cars is also reduced, with few options for every discipline. But with so many and so different racing disciplines available, it really doesn't matter. Compared with other heavy weights like FM2 or PGR4, it lacks a bit on the single player mode features (the campaign is rather short). The multiplayer is really well thought, the voting system allows to change racing discipline without having to create our own rooms, and the races are usually fun and challenging. I don't give it a 10 because there's still some room for improvement, for example the loading times are long and some tracks are way too dark for my TV :). Definitely recommended.

Darren G. gave it a10:
While it's fair for hardcore racing game fans to criticize the game for not having the massive number of cars and customization options that some of the other games out there make a top priority, everything that GRID sets out to do it does flawlessly, smoothly, and I might even say perfectly. It still offers an impressive variety of racing styles and customization in terms of the livery and corporate sponsorships your racing team chooses to accept, and above all else it achieves a wonderful balance between realism and fun, remaining often challenging while seldom producing the frustration so many racing games seem to degrade into sooner or later. It makes the racing world and the struggle to climb your team to the top feel real and engaging and challenging, while at the same time just being a lot of -fun-, which personally I think is what gaming should be all about at the end of the day. GRID just feels smooth and solid and beautifully put together, perfectly crafted and tuned not just to perform but to be a really fun ride.

James G. gave it a9:
The only thing preventing GRID from being the Racing King is the lack of features common in the genre such as Time Attack mode, qualifying, practice etc... The length of Grid world races cannot be changed limiting you 2 and 3 lap sprints even in 'endurance' events. Otherwise, this is near perfect.

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