A gift that starts to give....I hope

I recently (like, in the past few days) reconnected with an old internet friend and started sharing memories from the good old days. Part of the discussion turned towards the current games we are both playing. Even after all this time (it's been a few years since we last "hung out"), it seems we still share a lot of the same interests.

We covered a lot of ground, from talking about First Person Shooters and Military themed games, to Puzzle, Survival and Building adventures. However, I managed to steer the conversation towards driving games. We both had a fun time back when Need for Speed World was still active and spent a lot of time racing with and against each other. Those days are gone, so it was time to find a new common experience.

I made mention of Forza 6 Apex and how much I was enjoying that game (despite not playing it in the past while), but I expressed my disappointment with the lack of a Multiplayer component. Turns out my friend had a solution to that....

So, before I went to bed and off to dreamland, I started the download for GRID Autosport. My friend decided to purchase and gift it to me through my Steam account. I figured I would try it out in the morning.

So, where to begin? How about with a video of trying the game out cold?

Now, for my short list of first impressions. Number one, I love the look of the game environment. Although you can't escape or deny that it is a game, the developers have gone to great lengths and effort to make it about a realistic as possible (much like Forza 6 Apex). The sky looks real, the trees are convincingly trees, the grass, everything is on a much higher detail from my good old Playstation 2 days (Need for Speed Most Wanted, on the Wii U is the only console comparison I can make that meets the caliber of detail against these two games). Even my old favorite, Need for Speed World just looks so dated....

I couldn't tell you if this is dawn or dusk, but it's just beautifully rendered in my eyes. Now, for number two, the Multiplayer aspect. After trying a few races in Singleplayer, to try and get a better feel for the game, it was time to spend some time with the friend the bought this for me....

One thing I have missed a lot, playing a good racing game and hearing a voice from another living and real person, talking back to me! Sharing a good time, no matter the outcome, is what will make this experience very rewarding to me.

That and learning how to drive these cars better, for the win!