GRiD 2 Review – Gamedot

12pm. It’s late and everyone is asleep in the house. Patterns of light create a fast moving kaleidoscope of colours that dance on quiet walls. “Waiting for players” is glowing beside the rev counter, it’s needle is lifeless on 0 RPM. Fingers lightly dance of the triggers, squeezing subconsciously as we wait for all players to join the room. Voices crackle in and out of the ear piece as the grid is finally filled. Red lights fill before winking out, 12 touring cars slingshot down the straight, three or four abreast before the inevitable brown trouser moment at turn one…..

The game is TOCA motorsport and it’s being played on the original Xbox, the year must be around 2002. Games such as this defined Xbox LIVE and for those joining the service like myself back then were in awe of how good, and how special it was to play against eleven like minded virtual drivers on the world’s most illustrious tracks. With the Caffeine driven DiRT series and the F1 franchise draining Codemasters resources, one would be forgiven for lamenting the loss of the TOCA heritage, but of course five years ago GRiD came hurtling onto our consoles and whilst not TOCA, it surely is it’s spiritual successor.