Blur Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 25 May, 2010

He thought of cars.

Version tested: Xbox 360

Project Gotham Racing may have long since disappeared into Bizarre Creations' rear-view mirror, but from Blur's first brooding, synth-infused stabs of keyboard - played out as an ice-cool, predatory Audi R8 sits motionless among pulsing light beams - it's clear that while it's gone, it's far from forgotten. Good.

It's a feeling that grows as you learn how Blur works. Event victories earn "lights", with bonus lights handed out for special accomplishments. You earn "fans" for doing cool stuff on the track. Lights unlock new events; fans unlock new cars. You are Bizarre Creations and I claim my five pounds!

Handling is rich and dramatic. Acceleration and drifting are sympathetic enough to correct the rear if you're showing your inexperience, but the relationship between gas, brake, traction and apex remains complex. And it's fast.

Blur is not as supple in some areas as Forza Motorsport 3, mind you - a game where the only way to feel closer to the track surface is to get out of the car and rub your face on the ground - but terrain variation impacts performance and vehicle choice, and there's added novelty as you consider what might work best dancing through waves beneath the legs of the Golden Gate bridge.

Sometimes the world tour is like visiting old friends. Brighton Promenade echoes Project Gotham Racing's love of long, high-speed straights punctuated by awkward shimmies, and San Francisco's Russian Hill is a magnetic assortment of intersections stacked like shelves and tight, right-angle turns - a joy to bounce around in a Ford GT, assuming you can handle it.

Blur's Checkpoint mode. (By the way, I'm not sure who Danica Patrick is, but they can have her back.)

Elsewhere, nobody's saying "racification" any more (perhaps because it sounds like something that happens to fruit left in salt water), but the lines on the ground and scenery still guide your eyes to every apex, except this time it's just as likely to be in a cave or skirting a storm drain.

Some tracks are good for old reasons but enhanced by new ideas. The LA Docks level, for instance, punishes you if you line up your jumps incorrectly, a classic Gotham beat, but also needs you to judge speed and traction carefully or you end up in the water.

And sometimes, tracks are just good. Navigating some of the corner sequences in Barcelona Gracia at speed is heavenly.

At least, it's heavenly until you spot the red warning light at the foot of the screen and hear the matching sound effect, and then the fireball growing wide in your mirror arrives and sends you into an unwanted forward somersault.

Blur has power-ups, then, and there are eight - nitro, mine, shunt, bolt, shield, repair, shock and barge. Of the ones you might struggle to identify, barge emits a pulse that repels other racers, shunt is a red homing attack, and shock deploys a series of electrical vortexes near the race leaders, which sap speed if driven through but can also be avoided.

Each power-up does exactly what it should do. They can all be fired forwards and backwards (using nitro as an airbrake is particularly cunning), and there is no lottery to what you get: each has a specific, colour-coded icon that is distinct and eye-catching, so you choose what you want by driving towards that.

They are balanced, too. Shunt, for example, can be blocked with five out of the eight power-ups if you have one to hand and see it coming, and the forward flip it sends you into leaves the motor running and your car facing the right way.

The AI rubber-banding means that the 20-car races are chaotic from beginning to end, especially online, where going defensive and concentrating on your driving is a good early shout. As you progress through the game you can apply modifications, increasing your resilience, allowing you to steal intercepted power-ups, or giving you an extra nitro for every 500 fans you gain during a race, for example.

Of course, power-ups are traditionally divisive, which is hardly surprising given that by definition they should introduce imbalance, and in Blur's case you will often resent being shot out on the last corner when you hadn't put a wheel wrong.

If it could speak for itself rather than just looking sultry and cool on menus, the game might protest that you had put a wheel wrong - by not accumulating suitable defences to withstand whatever left you dead.

But while the game may be right, it's a semantic argument. The reality is that you still get fed up losing, and you don't feel the connection to the events five miles ago that may have contributed to your loss; you just know you got shot and couldn't defend.

Shooting up Brighton Promenade in Destruction mode.

Those moments of intense upheaval - especially getting pounded by shunts in the early running - are inescapably brutal and frustrating, and being conscious that minuscule diversions to stockpile shields or barges might have prevented them means nothing in context. Mario Kart gets away with this, but Blur isn't sure how.

There are other events as well though, which use elements of the toolbox rather than scattering the whole thing across the track, and the narrowed focus in these is responsible for Blur's best moments.

In Destruction, the only way to add seconds to the clock is to collect bolt power-ups - each containing three dart-like, minimal-damage missiles - and take out AI traffic, which deposits mines, shunts and other nasty surprises in its wake once destroyed.

One-on-ones, meanwhile, are characterful showdowns unlocked at the end of each of the campaign's nine chapters: you, one other car, and whatever you find on the track. You're able to concentrate more on both driving and battle tactics.

Checkpoint races, the other variation, are my favourite: ostensibly all you need to do is reach the next checkpoint as quickly as possible to add more time to the clock, but in practice you need to chain nitro power-ups together and snake through sequences of stopwatch icons, alternately mastering precision at high and low speeds in the same way you did in cone challenges once upon a time (or 500 times upon a time).

Every type of event is enhanced by fan challenges, activated by cheery orange stick-men icons. You may need to navigate a sequence of gates, reach a certain speed under nitro, or barge during a drift, and while some may hold you back and others speed you up, you learn to love them all, and you want to complete them all because they reward you with extra fans and lights.

Gotham games were also famous for their leaderboards. Being 750th in the country was never compelling, and watching the best guy in the world be better than you was only worth one or two novelty ghost-car downloads, but they were definitely onto something - and then Geometry Wars 2 was a different genre, but a step in the same direction. Blur represents another advance. If you feel good about what you've just done, you can challenge certain friends to do better, and track how many attempts it takes them to do so.

You can also choose a rival from among your friends, whose scores you see every time you finish an event, and this works too: just as on-screen friend scores were a natural evolution for Geometry Wars 2 in 2008, specific comparisons make more sense in 2010 when everyone's friends list is full to the brim. Players who might have shut out the world and caned it through the campaign on launch weekend will now find themselves frequently and happily distracted.

Multiplayer shares some of these elements but is generally distinct from solo events and challenges, with a separate, longer-term ranking system that reflects the different ways people play in both contexts.

Blur: Racing through LA's storm drains.

Lag hasn't been an issue on the weekend before launch, host migration is fast and the beta test rebalancing has saved us much nonsense. Left 4 Dead-style post-race awards are cute, too. (Although "punching bag" for the guy who takes the most hits is a little insult-to-injury.)

Between single-player and multiplayer modes, longevity won't be an issue - completing the campaign on Hard takes twice as long as many full-price action games, with less repetition - and Blur has a number of ways to keep you interested.

Each chapter of the campaign issues specific demands for unlocking the one-on-ones - like executing four clean, triple nitros or barging someone off a container ship into the sea. You can progress without completing these - you always have loads of events open - but the added incentives beckon you back to races for which you only have four of seven lights, while the constant accumulation of fans, and breakdown of achievement progress, means you're always on the verge of an unlockable you want.

A new car, for instance. There are some grippy vehicles in Blur, like the Scirocco 24 and Lotus Exige, along with funky custom jobs like the Rat Rod - a crusty brown roadster with a shiny exposed engine - although the selection feels stronger among the drifters, from the Nissan 350Z and Ford GTs to the Camaros and Supras.

Key considerations are familiar - acceleration, speed, grip, difficulty, health - but mods and stature are sometimes useful, as you soon learn when you're bogged down by a flood on the LA storm-drain level while a 4x4 Bowler Nemesis with its three-foot clearance glides past like a pimped-out shark fin rocking bling.

Speaking of which, Blur is a bit visually impaired next to last week's Split/Second. At times the environments look unfinished, as though lighting effects have still to be added, and the game's appearance isn't always helped by its dusk-to-dawn obsession with neon, which means tracks take a bit longer to stand out from one another. But it is still attractive.

And you can't really fault any of the implementation across the game: handling, progress and rewards are as mature as you would anticipate from a developer that now has six similar arcade racers under its belt.

'Blur' Screenshot 4

There's a four-player split-screen mode. Has anyone seen my Christmas card list? I need to make an addition.

After a few hours, the comparison between Blur and Split/Second loses its meaning, too - the former is a pure racing game with power-ups in it, the latter is more of an action-adventure on wheels - and Bizarre's decision to sacrifice fidelity for intensity is hard to question.

Sired by Gotham, Blur is not quite the same as its indirect predecessor, and not quite unique, but it is at its best when it pays most attention to Bizarre's history, isolating particular ideas and turning them into addictive chunks of racing.

As a hint of what may be to come - as the developer continues to absorb ideas from the studio's other games, like The Club and Geometry Wars, and trailblazers like Call of Duty - it's tantalising, and as a game competing for your money today it's almost brilliant. But it never quite reconciles the fantastic driving with the antagonism of its power-ups in the way Mario Kart does, and it could have made more of its best ideas, which often lie beyond the bounds of its chaotic races.

8 / 10

Blur is due out for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on 28th May.

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (92) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Vroom #1 2 years ago

    mmmmm

    Picking this up too then.

  • Tallon4 #2 2 years ago

    Good god not again...
    Another must buy

  • Praetorianer #3 2 years ago

    Sounds like a good game. Hope my brother will pick it up! I didn't expect it to be visually impaired to Split/Second though.

  • spiritsnake #4 2 years ago

    Better than split second

  • menage #5 2 years ago

    Meh, the demo was alright but it just didn't click. Must be the boring visuals or something.

  • Eraysor #6 2 years ago

    Think I'll wait until this and S/S are both about £20 so I can get two for the price of one.

  • Beano #7 2 years ago

    FIRST!

    (...to complain about 30 fps)

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #8 2 years ago

    And where, where to drive them...

    Cracking subheader. Even a reference to Space Invaders in the tune. Shame it wan't Geometry Wars, eh?
    Edited by 1 at 25/05/10 @ 12:08

  • Bi50N Verified Head of Global Communications, THQ #9 2 years ago

    'He thoughts of cars'

    Clever girl...

  • TJP75 #10 2 years ago

    Solid review and sounds like a lot of fun. Pre-ordering the game was a great move.

  • Icyclectic #11 2 years ago

    "He thought of cars" - Blur reference win! Unfortunately few will catch on.

  • muscleblade #12 2 years ago

    "Better than split second"

    How so? Split Second got an 8 too.

  • razzastuta #13 2 years ago

    I enjoyed the beta, got over 13 hours of playtime on that, got to be a good sign, well for me at least. Visuals be damned, the 20-car races were simply mental. Exhilirating stuff, managed to get a good few of my Xbox Live mates into it too.

    I'm definitely getting this game.

  • stampax #14 2 years ago

    Got split second last week and really enjoying it. Will pick this up at some point but probably leave it a while so as not to OD on driving games. Nice to be spoilt by good games though!

  • ZuluHero #15 2 years ago

    @Icyclectic

    As long as there are people online to drive them with, as it would be pointless if there was no-one...

    No-one...

    EDIT: Um, whoever negged me, that wasn't a diss about the online multiplayer btw, just a poor joke ;)
    Edited by 1 at 25/05/10 @ 12:26

  • Eraser #16 2 years ago

    Why is Mario Kart forgiven for it's utterly annoying imbalance of the powerups and Blur is not? I mean, Blur is far, far better balanced than Mario Kart ever was. The moments I felt annoyed by the powerups can be counted on one hand in the demo. Mario Kart, on the other hand, has been one long drag of annoyances ever since I stopped bothering with the GameCube version (which was basically my introduction to the series).

  • Bealsy #17 2 years ago

    Didn't think enough was mentioned of the multiplayer racing - its more important to this game than the single player imo? Still getting it regardless.

    edit - 20 player racing mayhem ftw
    Edited by 1 at 25/05/10 @ 12:23

  • Eurolamer #18 2 years ago

    Wow, a lot of negs on seemingly innocent comments. Have the Split Second PR team had a go at this? :-P

    Better get negging this one too lads...
    Edited by 1 at 25/05/10 @ 12:28

  • spiritsnake #19 2 years ago

    those who feel this is better than split/second neg me.

  • Vedfolner #20 2 years ago

    Tried the demo. Boring concept.

    Edit: Also tried the Split Second demo. Boring concept. And what's with the flippin' HUD just beneath the car!!?? It's not like you focus on your car while racing - you focus on the road ahead. Therefore a traditional racing HUD is much more convenient.
    Back to Forza then.
    Edited by 1 at 25/05/10 @ 12:36

  • MiniAmin #21 2 years ago

    There's been loads of random negging today.

    Perfectly acceptable comments in this thread and the UFC Undisputed 2010 thread have been negged. It's stupid. When a post is sufficiently negged it's hidden from unregistered users; it's sad to think that some informative, helpful posts, or interesting opinionated posts, will be hidden from public view simply because some idiot has decided to neg for no good reason.

  • thelzdking #22 2 years ago

    ...and where, where to drive them. And who to drive them with.

  • muscleblade #23 2 years ago

    This comparison from IGN might help some people decide:

    "If you love a more hardcore racing experience, and the idea of truly chaotic combat sounds appealing, than Blur might be for you. If you're looking for a fun, pick-up-and-play combat racer, then I think you need to go back to Mario Kart or, better yet, pick up the excellent Split/Second"
    Edited by 1 at 25/05/10 @ 12:34

  • razzastuta #24 2 years ago

    @ Eraser

    Totally agree with you there, I remember the old SNES version of Mario Kart could be just as frustrating at times. I think there's always an element of frustration though involved in these kind of racers. The "shunt" item was highly frustrating in the Beta at certain times, usually when I was languishing at the back of the pack, firing off a shunt to another car, yet it disappearing with no sign of a shield or barge to remove it. I hope that's fixed in the full version - but it didn't stop my enjoyment of the game no end, it didn't matter how good you were in terms of driving, one small barge and you soon went from 1st to 10th in no time. Unforgiving, unrelenting, unbelievable. Loved it.

    @ Bealsy

    Good point, I was expecting more to be told of the MP in the review. It's a tad like COD-on-Wheels, if only a bit.

    I wonder if there'll ever be a new Twisted Metal coming out...?

  • swisstony #25 2 years ago

    Hold on Miniamin, you're saying that you are actually saddened that some people won't read something on an article specific internet gaming forum?

    I'm saddened by the hurt people do to each other, but there is no hurt here.

  • des #26 2 years ago

    Crappy game,EG reviews have really become worthless.

  • MiniAmin #27 2 years ago

    @ swisstony

    By sad I meant "pathetic" or "disheartening". Doesn't actually sadden me :D I was an unregistered user for years, and there were many helpful comments I read which influenced my opinion or decision to buy a game, hence my earlier post.

  • byakuya83 #28 2 years ago

    i skimmed through the review so might have missed the answers so will ask here:

    how many cars?
    how many tracks?

    sounds like a great game if you're into the competitive online aspect, which this game clearly favours.

  • siro #29 2 years ago

    I'm a sucker for arcade racers, but both Split/Second and Blur didn't convince me, if in the overall proposition or with the demo/beta.

    Maybe I should get Burnout Revenge for 360, only played it on the original box.

  • jebus #30 2 years ago

    @Vedfolner "Tried the demo. Boring concept.

    Edit: Also tried the Split Second demo. Boring concept. And what's with the flippin' HUD just beneath the car!!?? It's not like you focus on your car while racing - you focus on the road ahead. Therefore a traditional racing HUD is much more convenient.
    Back to Forza th

    Err I don't think so - the car is on screen ALL THE TIME so I would think it's the ideal place to put it. To look at the HUD normally (say in Forza) you have to stop looking at the road and glance to the left and/or right which is much worse and far more time consuming.

  • razzastuta #31 2 years ago

    @ muscleblade

    Having read IGNs review regarding Blur, it's a little sparse and for IGN I'm surprised there's not more there, although in fairness it IS the US version and not the UK one. Mentions very little about the MP (wondering if there's a trend here) and more about the "brutal AI", something that is not featured in Eurogamer's review half as much. I wonder if IGN's review suffers from more of a hint of a sob-story about a "hardened-gamer" who has to put the skill level down to Easy just to finish the game, which is why he's decided to mark it down. Not a bad review, but not as in-depth and suffers a hint of sore-loserdom (for want of a better word).

    I'm getting the impression Blade that you're firmly in the Split/Second camp, which is not a problem for me, as I intend to get that too! :o)

  • brseg #32 2 years ago

    Good review. I was always wondering how well balanced the powerup stuff would be in Blur.
    Does the rear view mirror help much in dodging shots from behind? (the shots look quite fast).

    Multiplayer 20 cars does sound fun, though I'm still not convinced.

    @siro - I've also been thinking I should pick up Burnout:Rev, and possibly Flatout2 (Ult. carnage edition).

  • cianchristopher #33 2 years ago

    4 player split screen sounds epic. I wonder how the framerate holds up under that?

    Also, shame to read that about the graphics, PGR4 had (and still has) outstanding graphics, it's one of the prettiest racers of this generation.

  • mfnick #34 2 years ago

    @ Siro - get it mate. Burnout Revenge is still the best, pure arcade racer available this gen (even though its really a last gen game).

    Although i just ordered Split/Second yesterday. Im hoping that may knock it off that perch for this gen when i play it. But if you see Revenge cheap, get it. Still looks fantastic too. Definitely cleaned up from Xbox/PS2 version. Still bitter abouit Paradise. One of the biggest disappointments in gaming for me that.

    As for this, I played the Beta & thought it was horrid TBH. However theres been a few very positive review popping up so decided im going to give the full game a chance & rent it. Hope it impresses.

  • siro #35 2 years ago

    mfnick: I perfected the whole game on xbox, so I know it's quality. And I stil feel the temptation to go at it again. In that context: Burnout Paradise was a huge disappointment.

  • mfnick #36 2 years ago

    I did the same mate. 100% on Xbox & then did it again on 360.

    Worth going through again. Especially if its been a while since you last played it. :)

  • ccfb #37 2 years ago

    Is there any reason to brake in this game?

  • andywilkie35 #38 2 years ago

    Oh fucking hell, I have to resist this. Got Split/Second and RDR to get through but this looks immense. I'll wait til its reduced I think

    /hovers over order button

  • Goffee #39 2 years ago

    Danica Patrick is lovely, leave her alone

  • knightmt #40 2 years ago

    Meeouw someone likes mario kart. I have to say I think it is unfair comparing anything to Mario Kart on the Wii I did play it a lot, but I found it rediculously easy and the stearing was not proportional.

    I must be retarded because I looked at the score before the review, but I only read the reviews of games that I am interested in and whilst I think it a hassle to read a lot of pages(I know four is not a lot of pages?), I was surprised how quickly and how short this read.

  • wizlon #41 2 years ago

    I preordered this yesterday against my better judgement, especially since I plan on spending more time with the mind blowing S/S, but the multi-player looks a load better in Blur, I absolutely loved the beta. Time will tell on which is the better game but for the moment I think we have to realise that they are both completely different games.

  • Collymilad #42 2 years ago

    Good review.

    I'm getting this for the multiplayer to be honest. Played the beta for 15 hours and it never started to get old. So much fun.

    @ccfb, yes - especially considering they said they were going to change it to punish wallriders more - ****ing wallriders.
    Edited by 1 at 25/05/10 @ 13:22

  • dave-on #43 2 years ago

    love that song

  • chubster2010 #44 2 years ago

    re 'He though of cars'

    Nice one Eurogamer - that's a fantastic song.

  • fiery_jackass #45 2 years ago

    man I can't cope with weapon-led racers, drives me batshit. See also: the otherwise-dazzling Wipeout HD.

  • UncleLou #46 2 years ago

    Generally interested, but no way I am buying this without a (PS3) demo, I need to try out the handling for myself.

  • Climhazzard #47 2 years ago

    Eraser - I wouldn't judge Mario Kart by the Gamecube version, cant judge a whole series on its worst outing.

  • muscleblade #48 2 years ago

    @razzastuta

    "I'm getting the impression Blade that you're firmly in the Split/Second camp, which is not a problem for me, as I intend to get that too! :o) "

    I guess i am. I love Split Second. I dont say its better than this, just different.

  • speedjack #49 2 years ago

    Finished Split/Second last night.

    Was great fun while it lasted but did get a little 'samey' towards the end.

    I'm hoping Blur sacrifices eye candy in favour of depth and decent multiplayer.

  • Tonne #50 2 years ago

    maybe a bargain game in about a year or so. right now the only race game i wanna play is modnation

  • muscleblade #51 2 years ago

    I also think Burnout Revenge was much better than the dissapointing Paradise. Split Second has a lot of the same appeal as Burnout Revenge had to me. Burnout Revenge is one of my favouite games ever. Among the top ten 360 games imo.

  • muscleblade #52 2 years ago

    "Finished Split/Second last night."

    To me finishing the game means winning every event. I have some trouble with the time trials . The races are easy though.

  • muscleblade #53 2 years ago

    The IGN review wasnt very good but the comparison with Split Second seems spot on.

  • AgentBalti #54 2 years ago

    "...specific comparisons make more sense in 2010 when everyone's friends list is full to the brim." *sniff* Not my bloody friends list, chummy! (Go on people, bite..."Pinju";)

  • DoctorFouad #55 2 years ago

    so is this better than split second ?

  • wizlon #56 2 years ago

    I'll be your friend AgentBalti

    .. why does this remind me of the South Park episode "You have 0 friends"
    Edited by 1 at 25/05/10 @ 14:14

  • optimusprym8 #57 2 years ago

    As it has tracks from Brighton in, I'll stick it on the Lovefilm list but sorry Bizarre, not giving Activision any money

  • muscleblade #58 2 years ago

    @DoctorFouad

    Depends on what your after obviously.

    Both got an 8 here. I do think that Blur will get a lower metacritic average in the end.

  • dr_faulk #59 2 years ago

    Hmmm, reads more like a Brit-pop album.

  • Vedfolner #60 2 years ago

    @jebus
    Obviously I don't agree with you there. Large numbers on top of the screen - as in Forza - makes a far more comfortable (and faster) read in my opinion than a bunch of small numbers stuck beneath the car. It really is appalling design and it's clearly there in a desperate attempt to try something new to make the game stand out in an overcrowded genre.

  • FortysixterUK #61 2 years ago

    Did you just review an incomplete version of this game just to get the review in early ?
    Didn't that used to be frowned upon ? You know, when the written word was primarily printed instead of projected onto a screen ?

  • FortysixterUK #62 2 years ago

    QUOTE:-
    Eraysor 25/05/10 @ 12:06
    ignore poster | #6 +9 You buried this comment Comment below viewing threshold Show
    Think I'll wait until this and S/S are both about £20 so I can get two for the price of one.

    LOL, a most excelllent choice, I think I'll join you. If I can just hold off buying ANY games for around 6 months, I too can stop being an insanely poor early adopter and start getting games at the prices they should have been sold at when brand new anyways.

    Ok, I AM making an exception for the Starcraft 2 collectors edition. But thats it !.

  • Waldo #63 2 years ago

    Unfortunately few will catch on.

    You pointing out how clever you are will help the unwashed masses.

  • Bander #64 2 years ago

    How come this gets a 4 page review when something like Sonic and Sega All Stars Racing only gets 1?

  • dr_zoidthrob #65 2 years ago

    Arrgh... This or Split Second??

    Whichever I choose, it'll have to wait - I've just landed in Mexico (in RDR)

  • Miths #66 2 years ago

    It looks like RDR won't win the price for worst PS3 version this month - I just saw this PC vs. PS3 vs. 360 comparison:
    [link url=ht tp://www.pcgames.de/Blur-PC-231933/News/Blur-Das-Rennspiel-i m-Grafikvergleich-PC-vs-Xbox-360-und-PS3-748799/
    ]http://ww w.pcgames.de/Blur-PC-231933/New...[/link]

    I'm definitely getting the PC version here. While those screenshots for the console versions are blown up to twice the normal size, obviously making all the flaws much more visible than they would be in the native resolution, the PS3 version still looks like it might almost be too ugly to bear (not that the 360 version looks like a work of art compared to the PC version either, but that's to be expected of course).

  • Seabeast #67 2 years ago

    Good review, much better than the 1 page moan about it how hard it is on IGN. Looks like we got two great racing games this month (S/S not my cup of tea tho)

    I have had this pre ordered for well over a year now, and GAME have already taken payment for my copy, yay.

  • razzastuta #68 2 years ago

    @Milky1985

    Nailed it there Milky. Not only is the AI doing it right it's playing the game it's meant to be played. On the Beta I was forever hit at the most inopportune moment! That was part-and-parcel of the game! Yes it's part driving/drifting, but it's also about ensuring you got something to defend yourself, something to attack with and something to use for overtaking. Not to mention that little bit of luck.

  • BillMurray #69 2 years ago

    Sold. Loved the beta so i'll be getting this come payday.

  • Koborover #70 2 years ago

    Another racing game without online splitscreen, did devs forget about it? I can't live without it, so glad it was in the Reach Beta (thanks Bungie).

    @ Bander
    I was thinking the same thing.
    Edited by 1 at 25/05/10 @ 19:38

  • JayKwon #71 2 years ago

    "I enjoyed the beta, got over 13 hours of playtime on that, got to be a good sign, well for me at least. Visuals be damned, the 20-car races were simply mental. Exhilirating stuff, managed to get a good few of my Xbox Live mates into it too.

    I'm definitely getting this game."

    Yup. Second that.

  • DjFlex52 #72 2 years ago

    "always thought the powerups with realistic, production model cars was a mistake. "

    well, I guess your thoughts were misled since this game is really good ;-)

  • Collymilad #73 2 years ago

    "always thought the powerups with realistic, production model cars was a mistake. "

    Really? One thing I always though when playing MK was how cool it would be with real cars. It's even better than i expected.

  • superdelphinus #74 2 years ago

    he thought of planes
    Edited by 1 at 26/05/10 @ 09:01

  • Vedfolner #75 2 years ago

    "always thought the powerups with realistic, production model cars was a mistake. "


    Spot on.

  • PuppyFiddler #76 2 years ago

    Going by the vids I can see the handling in Blur is excelent but the tracks look dull as ditch water. Also getting hit from behind with powerups is bullcrap, at least in Splitsecond you more often than not can avoid potential damage if you learn the tracks.
    They definetly lost a bit of money with SS being released at the same time because I'd more than likely be off to get Blurr otherwise.

  • Seabeast #77 2 years ago

    Puppyfiddler....

    So if you know the tracks on S/S you can avoid most of the one trick it has that is supposed to make it good? Kinda glad I didn't invest in it now then.

    Blur has a fantastic balance with its power-ups and requires a lot of skill to play the game well, theres no 'knowing the tracks' and avoiding the whole point of the game.

    P.S The tracks looks great imo.
    Edited by 1 at 26/05/10 @ 18:51

  • razzastuta #78 2 years ago

    @ PuppyFiddler

    You can avoid the attacks in Blur, Pup. You just have to find out the best way to do it. It's the same in all these types of racers, such as Mario Kart and Split Second.

    As for the tracks, well, maybe some are derivitive but when you're racing online against 19 other opponents, I doubt you'll have time to admire the view! :o)

    I've only played the demo of Split Second but I do intend to buy the game at some point, although I've discovered within the demo a tactic which is used by most of my mates on Xbox Live, they mention that the single-player is definitely a "one-trick pony" in the full game. According to my mates, they said that they tend to build enough drift behind the leading car to shorten the track using the bigger power-ups to make the course as quick to complete and then just storm into the lead on the last lap. I have to admit, having played the demo, I picked up the same tactic early on. Can't make a comment about the MP though I would like to see what that's like.

    I have to say though, Blur is my leading choice of purchase having played and loved the Beta.
    Edited by 3 at 26/05/10 @ 12:51

  • vizzini #79 2 years ago

    I don't get why people think split second's fixed location pre-set takedowns count as playability, and ModNation Racers, Mario kart, Sega Allstars & now Blur all get criticized for unfair power ups.

    They provide a greater level of fun through dynamic game play!

    And at least in ModNation everything can be defended with shield or booby trapped, provided you are half decent at games and didn't need to buy an unlock pack as DLC.

    I haven't tried Blur yet, but I hope when I do, its' nearer to ModNation by skill set than Split second was.

  • PuppyFiddler #80 2 years ago

    When i said you can avoid a lot of the damage in Splitsecond that doesn't mean you're immune. You WILL get hit by something if only a shockwave if you're lucky in it. It's amazing online and it gets more indepth the more you learn where the powerplays are and when to use them. It's not just the explosions either it's activating shortcuts and route changers as well that make it a great racer. honestly it just gets better and better with each race.

    I can see the potential that Blurr has for 20 player battles but I can't see it being as much of a laugh as Splitsecond is.

  • razzastuta #81 2 years ago

    @ PuppyFiddler

    "I can see the potential that Blur has for 20 player battles but I can't see it being as much of a laugh as Splitsecond is."

    Just out of interest Pup I take it you never got to try out the Blur Multiplayer Beta? From that comment I'd say not. It doesn't take 20 opponents to make a game have "potential". From what I understand Split Second only has 8-player races and those that play it don't seem to mind so I don't understand what you see as "potential" in comparison. Could you elaborate?

  • PuppyFiddler #82 2 years ago

    What I'm saying is having 19 other cars on a track is potentially more fun that 7 due to the constant jostling and wipeouts over the course of a race.
    But personally I'll take environmental damage in a racer over having neon 'bullets' fired up your arse which going by the vids happens far too often.

  • Lamb #83 2 years ago

    Meh. Blur looks too busy and in Split Second the car looks and handles like a boat. If I feel like a proper racing game I'll play Forza 2. If I want to play for fun I will play Mario Kart. For crashing Burnout. The new games just feel OTT (Over The Top).

    edit Just checking out ModNation Racers and it looks like SSX meets Mario Kart, impressive. :D
    Edited by 2 at 28/05/10 @ 03:07

  • Lamb #84 2 years ago

    @ The_Cloud

    No I think that was the Minority Report.
    Edited by 1 at 28/05/10 @ 03:10

  • MinerWilly #85 2 years ago

    Really glad this got a good score , my friend has been working hard on this game for ages at Bizarre Creations . I hope he can get me a cheap copy now ! The Club didn't go down as well as hoped so a lot is riding on this title , looks like a real return to form .

  • swisstony #86 2 years ago

    agree with puppyfiddler, i'm sure blur is a blast online, mayhem etc. but i'm playing split/second online and it's clearly underrepresented in reviews, i'm finding car choice for each track is very important, and altering how you spend power based on race position and what's been triggered already makes for a lot of thinking on your feet as you assess how far you are from the next player/the next routechanger/shortcut etc.

    Sure it's easy to know where the powerplays are after a few hours, that doesn't mean that the dynamics of the racing gets boring. Indeed, where there are few opportunities to trigger powerplays at any point you can focus on the quite satisfying drifting or just plain driving well for that 10-20 second spell you aren't triggering. As such the action is punctuated and actually benefits from that. As someone said on this or another thread, it's a driving game with insane powerplays rather than a powerplay/powerup game that happens to have cars in it.

  • MaxiSleep #87 2 years ago

    Got SS and Blur and have to say am (so far) very dissapointed with blur, esp given how much I loved pgr.. Graphics are very unclear, and the handling model does not really suit the game type. Might be good online but as a single player game SS beats it hands down imo.

    In fact I would go so far as to say that as a single player experience it feals a bit unfimished.

  • RobTheBuilder #88 2 years ago

    Good review apart fromthe fact that Mario Kart has NEVER balanced the feeling of losing to weapons.

    MK64, MK: Double Dash, MK DS and MK Wii are all horribly banded cheating games that lose all their repeat value through inbalanced weapons and AI.

    Perfect lap one, perfect lap two, perfect lap three, 5 seconds from finish line, blue shell, red shell, lightning, finish 7th.

    From my beta playing I would say Blur is far more balanced and enjoyable in terms of it's weapons than Mario Kart has ever been. (Barring the original SNES version.)

    Or put simply: Blue Shells are the single worst thing Nintendo has ever done in a game.
    Edited by 1 at 30/05/10 @ 20:16

  • WJF #89 2 years ago

    Well, I spent the first 5 or so hours cursing this game. SP too hard, MP too random etc. etc.

    But really, I realised it was because I was playing it like Mario Kart and not, well, like blur.

    It's quite a clever title - you've got to know both how to take the corners, drift/understeer in (depending on car) AND pick the right line to grab the power-ups you need for the situation/place in the pack.

    Once that clicked, I went from fighting out for 18th to almost constantly popping up in the top 3 both online and in SP. It's very much a skill-based game. As Tom says, you may not know what mistake you made earlier (especially when you first start out), but there IS a method to all the madness.

    Personally, as arbitrary scores go, 8 is correct. It's still a damn fine game though with one of the best MP progression systems around (daily challenges, very mmorpg) but the difficulty spikes in SP are killer and it's not exactly the most approachable game on the market (in both it's handling and power-up play)

  • Vedfolner #90 2 years ago

    Stated earlier in this thread that I found the concept of real cars/power-ups to be ill conceived and boring. In theory I still do but I've had a chance to enjoy the game now and must admit I was too quick to judge. Blur is in fact a whole lot of fun - if you disregard the graphics which without question are sub-par. Strange for a Bizarre Creations title. 8/10.

    Edit: Oh, and thank God for a racing game that puts up a fight for once!
    Edited by 1 at 07/06/10 @ 23:22

  • ibenam #91 2 years ago

    I just bought a copy of Blur off Fleabay for £17.

    Having loads of MP fun with it, bargain!
    Edited by 1 at 17/07/10 @ 16:07

  • eiocreative #92 2 years ago

    Brilliant game and I don't get the comments regarding the graphics? It looks great to me. Silky smooth with so much happening on the screen at once. The lighting looks fantastic too. Excellent game!