GRIP: Combat Racing
bighearted budget biz seem to be steadily growing dim and slower as time go away by . Recent releases such asRed Dead Redemption 2take a relaxed approach to time , in the name of genuineness and make an immersive experience , while the heyday of the twitch shooter has been and gone , currently replaced by more ponderous experiences likeFortniteandCall of Duty : Blackout . As such , the main fit has been the place to sustain reaction - base game , andGRIP : Combat Racingis no exclusion .
GRIP : Combat Racing , from Caged Element , is come out of former entree and bring back fond memories of the solar day of high swiftness futurist racing , with tiptop - speed vehicles racing against a mixture of neon - drenched and decay succeeding landscapes . Whereas some buff of this style of racing game have been call in out for something akin to the long - dormantF - Zero , insteadGRIP : Combat Racinghas a more niche root , with heavy ties to 1999’sRollcage .
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As the name suggest , this is n’t a game where hovering vehicles are the stress , with instead histrion choosing from a selection of ground - based vehicles . Grip is , of course , what ’s required , with racers demand to swap between driving on the track , walls , and ceiling of each electrical circuit to gain the vantage . Thankfully , the cars are double - sided , and so this fix it easy to accomplish .
It ’s a dandy gimmick and one that work incredibly well . Quick reactions are needed to work out the good path to take , for get power - ups or speed boosts to beat the competition . As such , there ’s already a good variety within the track themselves , as the player tries to outmaneuver their opponents to get to the top spot .
The track themselves are also intriguing , with a potpourri of venue within its set framework . GRIP : Combat Racingcalls back to some of the best examples of futuristic racing games , perhaps not as colourful asF - ZeroorWipeOutbut certainly taking on the same feeling . Equally , those who enjoyed the facial expression ofStar Wars Episode I : Raceror Ubisoft ’s 1997 cult classicPodwill appreciate the look ofGRIP : Combat Racingas well .
Whether the gameplay quite matches the shudder of those initial titles is another affair . AlthoughGRIP : Combat Racingis pleasurable to play , it does n’t quite capture the same essence as what madeRollcageorF - Zero GXsuch master course of study in this panache of game , with the controls feeling a little too slack and the momentum breaks a little too jarring . Then again , it ’s a very fine residue to deplumate off , and nonethelessGRIP : Combat Racingdoes get clean close to achieve it .
Aside from that , the residue of the biz will finger very familiar to racing rooter . blame upMario Kart - esque top executive ups to take rivals down a leg or put up defensive carapace all works as expected , adding another secret plan to the roster of titles for those who are a little tired ofMario Kartbut do n’t want to stray intomediocre kart racer knock - offs . The way thatGRIP : Combat Racingmanages to range the line between high - speed racing and vehicular combat is impressive , similar in feel to 2010’sBlur .
The substance to how the plot operates , too , feel a little like déjà vu . The player can purchase new vehicle or upgrade their own , and do so by rake in the wins . Getting these victories is n’t always gentle , specially when perfecting the optimum itinerary through a track is tantamount to achiever , and so play back circuits to memorize the flying itinerary and build in that muscle memory is a common scheme .
Beyond that , there are some neat extras as well . There ’s the almost obligatory wipeout fashion , where players are thrown into an field and have to destruct the enemy rather than out - race them , but the best of the gang is the carkour . As the name suggests , it ’s parkour for cars , and it ’s effectively a cleverSuper Monkey Ball - esque bonus mode that examine the instrumentalist ’s understanding ofGRIP : Combat Racing ’s physics .
The best affair to say aboutGRIP : Combat Racing , however , is that this rarely feels like a task . The driving mechanics , although not perfect , are still plenty of fun , even ifGRIP : Combat Racingnever feels quite natural . All in all , then , it ’s a solid futurist racing biz that will be a tidy pick - up for those who know the genre but find starved of fresh releases .
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clench : Combat Racingreleases November 6 , 2018 for PC , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One and Nintendo Switch . Screen Rant get a PS4 download code for the purposes of this review .