GRIP: Combat Racing Gameplay PC

Most racing games are fairly simple, you start off on a track and try to make your way to the finish line as fast as possible, avoiding crashes along the way. GRIP: Combat Racing takes that into another direction, combining speed with combat- If you want to get first place, you'll need to fight for it! The game was created by Caged Element, a small indie studio aiming to impress with this mashup of genres. 

I first got my hands on this game during EGX in London, where I was lucky enough to win a copy for myself. I had only seen the split-screen mode at the time, so it was nice to see a full campaign, multiplayer and a garage option when booting it up at home for the first time.

Checking out the garage shows off the customisation options available for all of the different cars. Options are somewhat minimal compared to other games, but I personally like the fact that it isn't as in-depth as a serious racing sim. I'm not the biggest car fanatic, so I tend to get a bit bored in other racing games when trying to figure out different parts and balancing stat changes. In GRIP, you have simple customisation options, including the ability to choose to change colours, wheels, rims etc. There is also a selection of different vehicles to choose from, each with a different balance of stats.

The campaign mode has a list of tournaments to enter with 11 tiers in total. During this mode, you'll be facing off against AI opponents. However, if you leave a tournament early, you have to start again from the first level of the tier you were in. Getting first place in the races is just one part of the equation, you can also win the tournament by shooting down other competitors as the tournament progresses. I got first place, 3rd place and 3rd place again during one of the tournaments, but I managed to win the top prize by landing hits and wiping out other players.

The game has some really cool multiplayer modes too, including Deathmatch and Carkour. Deathmatch is my favourite, pitting you against other players, racing around to pick up defence and weapon orbs as you battle it out. Carkour is very different, having you race across tracks with obstacles, loops, jumps, windy walls etc. This mode is very much focussed on getting to the finish line as quickly and creatively as possible.

Multiplayer is really what makes this game stand out to me. I've never been a big fan of racing games. However, this game makes playing against other people so much fun. You can play all of the modes online or offline. You can also create your own multiplayer lobbies with custom rule sets.

KitGuru Says: I might not be the biggest racing fan but I can definitely see the appeal here. Speed, weapons, defying the laws of physics, it's all here. Have any of you played GRIP: Combat Racing at all since it came out?

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