To crown a King of racing games, many things must be taken into account.
How does the offline career stack up for content and creativity?
When you set out online can you find a race, or are you stuck in a lobby waiting for a half-hour?
Did the developers take controllers and steering wheels into equal account?
There's clearly a lot to unpack when comparing racing games, but the key aspects of content, functionality, realism and engaging online experience pave the way for determining a champion.
I grew up on Gran Turismo and considered that franchise the best of the best until recently.
These days I need an equal balance of offline and online content with an emphasis on realism without sacrificing fun while providing somewhat forgiving gameplay (not too much.)
Grid finds this balance and pumps high octane fuel into the game's engine giving the racing genre a new track record to aspire to.
Grid is a game I keep coming back to for good reason, it's the perfect racing game.
I know, I know, who does this blogger think he is naming a crowning champ so willy nilly and to that, I say, touché. Pure opinion. But as a bonified gamer with years into the racing genre, I can shed some light on the subject.
Here in 2020 there are some great racing games out there like Dirt 4, which deserves a special shout-out, even though it doesn't get my full approval.
What do I have against Dirt 4? The online experience. It takes too long to find a match and when you do it's full of gamers who want to play crash derby instead of a fair and fun race. Sure, the smash happy folks are playing Grid online as well, but the fact that you can get into a race fairly easy takes the sting away from being run off the road every once in a while.
One of the most underestimated features in the game is the flashback ability.
If you wreck or run off the road in an important offline race, you can reverse time with the press of a button like the Prince of Persia is driving your car and try again.
You can only go back so far but the feature comes in handy without being hoaky.
The realism is there and so is the genuine edge of your seat focus required to advance through either the massive career mode or compete online.
With a thrilling online and offline experience, Grid takes the checkered flag in the race to greatness.