Race Driver: GRID demos this week

By Robert Purchese Published 6 May, 2008

On PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

Codemasters has told us to be prepared for a Race Driver: GRID demo at some point this week.

The official website promises it will appear on all platforms other than DS - so that's PS3, 360 and PC. It will feature three events to put your foot to the floor in.

First of these is the eBay Motors Muscle Cup that puts you in a Mustang GT-R on the streets of San Francisco. Then there is the Advan International Trophy where you'll drive a Nissan S15 Silvia in the Yokohama Docks - probably not actually in them - and finally there is the Euro Touring Car Series where you'll thrash a BMW 320si around the curvy Jarama course.

Codemasters is also planning some sort of competition for the demos where you'll be able to win an "amazing prize". Maybe it's a car. That would be nice.

Race Driver: GRID is due out on PS3, 360, PC and DS this summer, and has impressed us with its arcade charms on multiple occasions.

Pop over to our most recent hands-on with Race Driver: GRID to find out much, much more.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (35) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • BooMMooB #1 4 years ago

    brilliant. Can't wait to get my hands on the game. I hope it turns as good as it looks. :)

  • ccfb #2 4 years ago

    It wont be a real car, but it may a new downloadable skin for an in-game car for when you buy their game.

    Wouldn't that be spiffing.

  • BrokenSymmetry #3 4 years ago

    I think this news has already been removed from the Codemasters' web site, because I don't see it when following the link.

  • UncleLou #4 4 years ago

    No, it's there.

    Clear your schedule, make sure your hard drive has space, Ensure you close all unnecessary downloads; the GRID Demo will be released next week (Week Commencing May 5th) for all the non-handheld formats.

  • Prodigy_BE #5 4 years ago

    I'm guessing all of you have seen this:
    [link url=http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=cP1Q6sxNJoY
    ]http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=cP1Q6sxNJoY
    [/link]
    If not, you really should.

    Go Codies!

    /puts his racing helmet on and waits for the demo.

  • Goodfella #6 4 years ago

    ^^LOL, how sad, to go to that effort to make one game look really poor (which is in fact not even near finished). For GT5 he chooses a really crappy car, picks the crappy piano music from the GT menu and drives backwards round the track, fo GRID he chooses exciting fast music, fast cars and exciting crashes. Yeah, fair comparison.

    Twat.

    Edited by 2 at 06/05/08 @ 10:25

  • Rash' #7 4 years ago

    Yeah, for the Neon engine (or whatever it's now called)! Looking forward to this being a good game regardless of platform.

  • Prodigy_BE #8 4 years ago

    @ Goodfella

    I know, it's not a fair comparison, but you have to admit, GT5 Prologue is extremely dull compared to Codemasters' series.
    No damage, laughable crashes, those ridiculous tiny cars, a small amount of cars on track and plain awful a.i.

    Yes, it looks amazing. And driving physics feels great... but that's about it for GT.

    With Codies TOCA series, that was just the start.
    Hopefully GRID builds upon that legacy.

  • Darren #9 4 years ago

    I've already pre-ordered this game from the impressive videos I've seen over the last month or so. Really looking forward to trying the demo for myself though, looks terrific and the sense of speed is great, makes other racing games look slow.

  • Beano #10 4 years ago

    Any real in-game PS3/360 footage from this game yet?

    I have only seen trailers so far...
    Edited by 1 at 06/05/08 @ 11:13

  • UncleLou #11 4 years ago

    There's quite a bit of stuff on EGTV, including this one. No idea if it's PC or consoles, mind.

  • Beano #12 4 years ago

    "I'm guessing all of you have seen this: "

    Seriously??

    Comparing real GT5 in-game footage to a pre-rendered GRID trailer?

    LOL :)


    @UncleLou : Thanks - looks pretty good... but still only 720p/30fps and lower detailed cars (compared to GT5 1080p/60fps). But could still be a lot of fun is it's smooth on PS3/360 :)
    Edited by 1 at 06/05/08 @ 11:25

  • Prodigy_BE #13 4 years ago

    Euh...
    I was told by a journalist that visited Codemasters that all footage released is ingame.

  • Beano #14 4 years ago

    Well it's not - may be using in-game assets but clearly a pre-rendered trailer with added effects.

    EDIT: I'm not trying to diss' GRID, but got burned on DIRT which was extremely choppy and glitchy, so I'm very sceptical about the GRID footage. At least we will get to try it on 360 and PS3 this week :)
    Edited by 2 at 06/05/08 @ 11:32

  • Prodigy_BE #15 4 years ago

    Euhm... The GT5p footage is replay footage (with cinematic camera), and the GRID footage is replay footage (with a better cinematic camera). I don't see that much difference.

    Oh well, we know for sure this Thursday.
    imo, TOCA 3 beat GT4 hands down. So I'm guessing they will do the same now.

  • UncleLou #16 4 years ago

    Well it's not - may be using in-game assets but clearly a pre-rendered trailer with added effects

    Some reliable forum peeps have seen the game in action and have confirmed that it looks exactly like in the trailers.


    I am looking forward to it, although I hated the last TOCA. I'd still prefer a PC version of the "boring" GT5, though. ;-)

  • Vordred #17 4 years ago

    I think this will probably be my favourite racing game for awhile. The Forza's and GT's are good but i always find them dull after awhile. they seem to lack the excitement of game like PGR. but i always liked the TOCA games, because they managed to make it feel realistic without making it dull.

    that and i like the fact they were purely based on proper racing. rather than being about buying cars. which is probably why they only really sold well in europe, sinse the yanks dont know what real motorsports are. which is why they have added all those american and japanese section to try and flog it to them aswell. just hope it doesn't end up some shoddy NFS type game

  • Darren #18 4 years ago

    I've seen footage of the Xbox 360 version which clearly showed the replay controls complete with 360 button mappings and the odd bit of screen tearing, although it seems significantly reduced compared with Colin McRae DiR which uses the same engine.

  • Beano #19 4 years ago

    "just hope it doesn't end up some shoddy NFS type game "

    I agree completely. The NFS series is completely ruined.

    GRID looks like competition for PGR3/4 and not GT5 or Forza 2.

  • malteaserhead #20 4 years ago

    (compared to GT5 1080p/60fps)

    heh

  • Beano #21 4 years ago

    yes?

  • Prodigy_BE #22 4 years ago

    I really don't get Gran Turismo anymore. Yes, it used to be the best in the PSX era, but since then, other games have added damage, cars flipping over, better a.i., more cars...

    GT has done none of that.
    They promise to, but never do.
    Al we got with GT5p is an online mode with no friends list and shoddy gameplay (bumping others of the road without getting damage)

  • Beano #23 4 years ago

    True - GT5 is behind the curve featurewise compared to Forza 2 which is the best console racing sim. IMO.

    But graphicswise it's currently the best looking and amazingly detailed- although a bit sterile.

  • Prodigy_BE #24 4 years ago

    Yes, GT looks great. Up until the point where two cars collide.
    I really don't get it.

  • Beano #25 4 years ago

    Polyphony have promised damage for the full GT5 game - and perhaps for Prologue with a update later this year, but let's see :)

    Car handling and driving physics are still some of the very best - on par with Forza 2 when assists are turned off and simulation model is used.

  • SUNDANSS #26 4 years ago

    I played GT and Grid at Play Live, GRID beat GT hands down in all departments(unless you want to be boring and collect cars for no reason). The gritty realism and handling were spot on in the touring cars however the Jap drift racing was quite fidly and awkward. I can guarantee this will be the best wheel to wheel racer on Live folks.

  • Beano #27 4 years ago

    That reminds me... will the demo feature online play?

  • malteaserhead #28 4 years ago

    Beano: Yes?

    I have gt5p and a 1080p set.
    If you saw it running you would know the 60fps claim was ambitious at best ;)
    Tears like a mofo too...

    Anyway, so GRID eh?
    Hope the demo lives up to the early hype.

  • Beano #29 4 years ago

    "I have gt5p and a 1080p set."

    So do I... yes GT5 is not 100% perfect and free of tearing (but still very good looking) but neither will GRID be which is running at a lower resolution and half the framerate which was my point.

  • Vin #30 4 years ago

    GT5 looks great until you pick up a pad the pad and play the thing.

  • Darren #31 4 years ago

    GT5P has framerate issues and tearing at 1080p although it is admittedly a stunning-looking game otherwise, almost photo-realistic at times but perhaps a little too ambitious for the poor old PS3 to run maybe. It's an impressive achievement nevertheless. I'm quietly confident that the full GT5 game will be much better and have no tearing and even less slowdown.

    /crosses fingers

  • Darren #32 4 years ago

    Oddly... if you play GT5P at 576p there's no tearing (or none that I've noticed) which kind of begs the question of why we even have HD in the first place when the hardware isn't really powerful enough to handle it.

  • Arwin #33 4 years ago

    But then you switch to in-car view and all is right with the world.

    Seriously, GT5 looks awesome. Grid is going for something completely different which is great too. But I wish I could get Codemaster's spit and polish combined with the wonderful realism that they had over a decade ago already with the original TOCA series, where you could drive in the rain, at night, and if you were driving top speed a tiny steering error or tap could send you spinning off the track. Awesome game that, and it never got close since. Race Driver series was good for the online support and the AI, and it stood out over GT4 because GT4 was weak and below expectation in those areas, but now that GT5 Prologue has 16 player online racing, even if it could be better with lobbies and password rooms, it's still pretty awesome. The driving in that game is just so much superior still that it eclipses everything else. For me, that is. I fully respect that other people have different preferences of course.

  • TagemandBagem #34 4 years ago

    GRID looks promising, especially the crash dynamics. But the handling and sense of speed look a little off.

    Definitly worth a download though. GRID/Bourne/Haze/Condemned 2... oy vey!

  • SuperU123 #35 4 years ago

    @ Beano
    "Well it's not - may be using in-game assets but clearly a pre-rendered trailer with added effects."


    The footage shown in many trailers is taken from in-game replays... so the camera angles are all that are different from the actuall gameplay. I know, i've played the demo. And yes it rocks. The effects are like nothing i've see before in a racing game; they are amazing. You can fill the screen with smoke from a wheelspin doughnut.

    Well done Codies.... You Rock.