GRID 2 Will Have Multiplayer Focus, Asynchronous Play

GRID 2 might be set for a summer launch, but the development team at Codemasters has offered limited information on the core mechanics of the new racing title so far, asking fans to wait in order to get a clear look at actual gameplay.

Ross Gowing, a senior games designer at Codemasters, speaks to CVG about GRID 2 and reveals that the team has learned a lot since the first game was launched and is watching the genre closely to see exactly how it can evolve the core ideas.

He says, “since the original we've seen the bar raised by a number of our competitors so we're well aware of the need for every one of our features to be absolutely first class or it simply isn't worth including - the entire notion of something being 'tacked on' these days is a non-starter.”

It seems that GRID 2 will follow current trends and offer a host of options linked to online gameplay, allowing gamers to connect with friends and quickly evaluate their performance and what it takes to surpass them.

Gowing adds, “previously players enjoyed simply being able to compete on track against others in any capacity; these days you need to offer so much more in terms of progression, longevity and asynchronous play.”

When the first Race Driver: GRID was launched, one of its major innovations was the rewind system, which allowed players to turn back time in order to see their own mistakes and rectify them.

Since then, the feature has become almost standard for racing games and the sequel will expand on it.

GRID 2 will include vehicles taken from close to 50 years of racing history and will allow gamers to race on circuits in Europe, the United States and the Middle East.

The game will be launched on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the PC.