Games for Lunch: GRID
In a nutshell: I have no idea what the name GRID is supposed to mean.
8/11/2008 7:25 PM | 1 Comments | Page 2 of 4
0:16 I got my rookie license, but I'm told higher licenses are based on reputation and won't be so easy to obtain.
0:17 Spanky alert: "Hello, Spanky, I'm your new business manager. I'll take care of the money, you take care of the driving." It's that same semi-robotic voice. I have to start off driving for others teams. I pick AutoOrlando Sport for my first "job," because it has "Orland" in the name. They give middling reputation numbers but decent money, and even more money if I finish in the top three. Plus, I get to drive a Porsche. Boss!
0:19 I can set the difficulty for each event: Basic, Normal, Serious, Savage or Extreme. As the difficulty goes up, the amount of earnable "rep" also rises and the number of "flashbacks" go down. Seems like a good way of rewarding better drivers. I start with middle of the road "Serious" difficulty.
0:23 I only have to worry about beating the cars in my class, apparently. This is a moot point, as a few bumps on the first turn put me back in 13th place. A couple more sandy spin-outs later in the course put me way back in 16th. Seems Porches are not good off-road vehicles. I restart the race.
0:26 I start off better the second time around, jumping into 11th place, but a few false moves send me into the wall. I'm not used to driving a car with this much power. I'll have to keep it very slow on turns.
0:29 My strategy of "stay on the track and bump guys off the track when I have the opportunity" keeps me in 13th place (4th in my class) for two whole laps. Then, on the first turn of third lap, I go too fast and spin out on the sand. Looks like I'll be restarting again.
0:30 I'm really impressed with the way my car gets lost in a sandy cloud when I spin out. The smoke effects from the tires in front of me are pretty nice, too.
0:31 Just noticed the subtle red light by my radar that tells me if I'm going too fast for a turn. Using this helps me get into 10th place in a very technical first lap. Spanky alert: "Well done, Spanky, you're leading your class."
0:34 Grah! I get distracted on a straightaway and slide into a wall, falling back into 15th place. A few more desperate turns and I'm way back in 16th. Screw it, I'm finishing this race no matter what place I get.
0:37 I finish 12 second back from 15th place! I still get $6,000 for my crappy performance and another $6,000 bonus for not using flashbacks. I'm almost ashamed to take it. I wish my real job gave $12,000 for five minutes of work, regardless of performance. What a gig!
0:38 Next up, BMW team Deutschland wants to pay me $8,000 to race on a test track, plus $2,000 more if I beat a set lap time. "Could this offer be any more German?" asks the crypto-racist voice in my ear.
0:39 The first turn on the test course is a narrow 180-degree hairpin. Who designs a test course like this? Grumble.
