Grid Autosport Review - Despite the minor flaws, no modern day mobile racing game can compete it
2021-11-09
Can triple-A console gaming be ported to mobile and work well? Yes, and Grid Autosport is the proof.
Grid Autosport is a single-player racer developed by Codemasters and published by Feral Interactive. The game was released for Android and iOS in November 2019. After being a massive hit on PC, Grid Autosport was launched on mobile devices and became the most graphically advanced racer on the mobile platform.
In Grid Autosport, it's all about the teams, the rivals, and the intense races that take place in a new world of professional motorsport and satisfy team sponsors in Career mode by winning ferocious races with the best cars. There's a lot to admire in Grid Autosport, and there's almost morning negative we can say about it.
So in this article, while praising the game's realistic visuals and handling, we also point out its negative aspects in our Grid Autosport review.
The Good
The realism is breathtaking
We'll start off with this and get it out of the way, so you don't stop reading due to the hype, but really, Grid Autosport offers a level of detail and realism that no racing game on the mobile platform can compare with at the moment. We've seen Asphalt 9, Real Racing 3, Gear Club, NFS: No Limits, etc., you name it, we've gotten our hands on it, but after experiencing Grid Autosport, we knew the mobile platform has finally gotten its triple-A console racer.
Players will experience the roars of the crowd and the squeal of big, fat, and slick tyres over the smooth asphalt where every slight turn or drift is reflected in the superb movement sensation, making you feel the GRID, not merely to influence it.
The team voice-over instructions in Career mode gives you the feel of being part of an actual race team and the sound of helicopter blades whirling in the sky lets you know this is the real deal. Ultimately, there is currently no modern-day racer on a mobile gaming platform that quite captures the gorgeous idea and realism of driving a racing car-like Grid Autosport.
Buy Once, Play Forever
Feral Interactive's idea to allow users to pay for the game is a one-time purchase and access all contents is pretty cool. This includes all the game modes and even the DLCs combined. Some players will probably frown at the price but considering that you'll be getting close to a dozen game modes for free, including Downloadable Contents and playing the game fully offline, then it's a pretty solid deal.
A Unique Career Mode Experience
The Career Mode in Grid Autosport is arguably the most exciting aspect of the game because it offers real-life sponsors who want you to race for them and win tournaments on their behalf. You don't have to do anything as they'll provide you with cars and a partner. You have to do one race, and more sponsors will start looking for you, sponsors like Razer, Intel, BMW, etc.
Some of the race categories in the Career Mode also have a video preview that's very interesting to watch and gives you a brief introduction of what to expect in the race category you're about to enter. The idea of training before each race in the career mode is also great because it allows players to become familiar with the tracks before the main race commences.
So if you've always wanted to play a racing game with a career mode that will take you quite a time spoke to complete and involves real-life sponsors and tons of features, then you should give this game a try.
Custom Mode
Another feature we totally love in this game is the Custom Mode. If you want to be in control for a while and experience setting up your very own race rules and difficulty, you can do that in custom mode. Race in day or night weather, customize your difficulty, select a desirable map, set the amount of laps, or just randomize the whole thing to your preference. In custom mode, you're in control.
The Bad
Awful control adjustments
"Grid Autosport was designed to be difficult" is one of the first tutorial tips you'll come across in this game, and it's the most sincere sentence in all the game. Grid Autosport is indeed a difficult game. Unlike some racing games that give you the option to enable features as auto accelerate and auto brakes, Grid Autosport does not offer these features.
Players can only use auto accelerate in Rookie and Professional difficulties. Difficulty levels such as Veteran and Master do not have auto accelerate or auto brake options that give you complete control of your car, making the game incredibly difficult as the slightest mistake could make you lose a race.
So while this isn't a negative aspect of the game, not everybody enjoys having to retry particular race tens of times and still not be able to pass it and be unable to change the difficulty. If you don't plan to play on Grid Autosport for a long time, you should stick to the easier levels, but if you wish to play to the point of Master difficulty, then your driving skills shall be tested.
Terrible Vehicle Handling
Another part of giving you complete control of your vehicle also extends to handling. A lot of vehicles in Grid Autosport have terrible handling that just makes them lose control with the slightest of turn. And the game's control adjustments aren't very helpful when properly adjusting the car handling to your preferred control type.
Some vehicles with solid grip have no problems at all, but most of them do. And while this isn't exactly a problem for someone who knows how to set the control adjustments, it will frustrate many players who don't understand how it works.
Rear View Camera Could Have Been Better
Compared to other racing games like Real Racing 3, the rear-view camera in Grid Autosport could've been better. Some of the light sports cars actually have great rear-views, but most cars have a kind of blurish rear-view that I wouldn't exactly call realistic.
Conclusion
So there you have it, our honest review of what is arguably the best racing game to launch on the mobile platform. Grid Autosport isn't without its charms. Obviously, they outnumber the negative aspects of the game. Those negative aspects aren't enough to deter or take anything away from your experience in this realistic racing game.
GRID™ Autosport