Games

To say that last year's Grid 2 proved to be rather divisive is something of an understatement. For every gamer who enjoyed the arcade-style thrills offered by Codemasters' racer, there was another lamenting the move away from more serious driving simulations.

While it can be seen as something of a stop-gap release as we await the first next-gen outing in the series, Grid: Autosport is also a clear attempt to win back those fans who thought that Codemasters was abandoning hardcore petrolhedz in pursuit of a broader audience. The game's front-end has been completely redesigned, cutting away the flashy interfaces and pointless attempts at narrative in favour of simple menus that get you straight into the driving action.

Gone too are the arcade-style driving models. While Grid: Autosport doesn't quite retreat all the way into serious simulations, it still requires serious skill to master and constantly challenges you with the combative AI of your fellow drivers. The racing itself is split across five distinct disciplines: Touring, Endurance, Open Wheel, Tuner and Street, each of which has to be mastered in order to open up the larger tournaments. The game doesn't skimp on multiplayer modes either, even going so far as to offer a splitscreen option – which is one hold-over from the days of old-school arcade racing that everyone should be happy about.

Grid: Autosport, Codemasters, Xbox 360/PS3/PC, £40 Approx
HCC VERDICT: 4/5