Race Driver GRID

There's nothing wrong with being good looking. All too often people are criticised for being attracted to the physical traits a person might have rather than their personality, but it's a biological fact that each and every one of us is drawn to qualities that, subconsciously, appeal to the individual nuances we seek in a partner. Sometimes, being 'fit' really is fit for purpose.

That's something that Glu is no doubt acutely aware of, having produced, without doubt, one of the best looking racer ever seen on mobile. The graphical quality of Race Driver GRID is quite startling; both the car models and indeed the scenery scattered around the sides of the track set new benchmarks. Unlike some of its rivals, GRID isn't a 2D racer posing as a 3D equivalent – this is a game that feels as 3D as they come.

Like many of the best looking folk out there, however, GRID's speed is a little compromised as a result. Actually, describing it as a 'little compromised' is being kind – the game suffers from a shocking amount of slowdown, making it feel like each race is actually a slow motion replay rather than a real-time encounter. It's a disability that goes beyond the superficial, actually changing the way you play the game.

While it's certainly something you eventually get used to race after race, having to anticipate the game's slower reactions during play is still relatively frustrating and counteracts GRID's otherwise impressive looks to an alarming degree.

It's also somewhat mystifying, given the early code we were privy to demonstrated almost nothing but speed; this final review version feels like the very antithesis of that. But don't stop reading yet, because that's not to say that GRID doesn't have other merits. For starters, its ensemble of tracks is one of the finest to have graced a mobile package. For once, corners actually feel like corners, with a real sense of gravitas and beauty gracing the game's courses.

GRID's cars also move around the track with both weight and momentum. While the game's physics may not be entirely realistic – it's often possible for parts of the car to merge with objects surrounding the track rather than buffer off them – the mere fact the game has some semblance of physics is an instant advantage over its rivals. Competitors also provide a stiff challenge, keeping pace with you in a realistic manner rather than just appearing on the screen when you make a mistake.

This focus on a more realistic mobile racing experience does jar with the fact the game accelerates for you. Of course, this is hardly unique to GRID. Due to concerns with having to take charge of a car's acceleration, direction and braking at the same time on a mobile's crowded keypad, it's become the norm for racing titles to accelerate by default. Glu has therefore stuck to this tried-and-tested formula, only requiring you to turn left or right with keys '4' or '6', braking with '8' when needed.

Sure, it's a system that works as well here as it has done in GRID's numerous rivals previously, but with the developer having served up a racer with genuine depth, here it feels more like cheating than accommodating the game's chosen format. And that doesn't sit entirely well with the game's Career mode, which is all about proving yourself as a fledging racer, building a team and steadily moving up through the rankings.

All that said, this is as authentic as most mobile racing titles come. It's also further evidence of Glu's determination to have a serious crack at moving the genre forward. GRID has real cars, real tracks and provides a real challenge, but it's tainted by graphics that seemingly send the game's engine over the edge. Something of a fresh start for the racing genre as a whole, then, but Race Driver GRID isn't quite leading the pack just yet.