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This thread has been linked to the game 'Blur'.
Blur is the latest racing game to come from Bizarre Creations,makers of Dreamcast classic Metropolis Street Racer and more recently the Project Gotham Racing series.Soon after the release of their last game (PGR 4) Bizarre Creations split from Microsoft (for whom they had previously made exclusive Xbox/Xbox 360 titles) to join Activision.This situation would obviously mean their titles could now be released on other platforms.The first game to be released via Activision is the arcade racing game Blur.Blur is not due out until the end of May but throughout March Bizarre Creations are running a beta test to check out the games online multiplayer system.
The game itself is quite a departure from the MSR/PGR games we have come to expect from this developer.This is obviously something of a gamble as a PGR clone would have undoubtedly sold,especially on the Playstation 3 as there has never been one of these games released on a Sony console.I feel both Activision and Bizarre Creations are to be commended for this decision.To a degree I feel they have gone out on a limb with a game which plays like Burnout meets Mario Kart.It’s very arcade like in both looks and playability but there is one thing the game most definitely is and that is fun.
The racing is very accessible right from the start,especially to those familiar with the PGR series of games.The cars handle very like those found in these games.The Kudos scoring system from the PGR games has been replaced with a fan scoring system.Fan points are awarded for pulling off drifts,launching attacks,dodging attacks etc.Bonus points are awarded at the end of the race for the top three finishers,fastest lap,highest speed,most accurate attacks etc.At the end of the race points earned equate to XP points,just like those found in the Call Of Duty games.As you progress through the ranks you unlock new cars,tracks,classes of racing etc.The races themselves are usually pretty short (probably average around 4 minutes) but are very frantic with rarely a dull moment to be found.Some of the racing classes allow up to 20 players in any online race.This ensures you are rarely given a quiet moment as there is always someone either inches in front of you or right behind you snapping at your rear bumper.The circuits have been very well designed and there is choice of paths available to take on each of them.It’s usually a trade off though as what at first appears to be a short cut usually compromises your speed as it forces you to turn in tighter as you rejoin the main track.I was pleasantly surprised how close the racing seemed to be,even in the ultra fast supercar class.There rarely seemed to be more than a few seconds covering most of the players,come the end of the race.The motor mash events are very similar to the derby class from the Flatout games.It’s basically a free for all as you attempt to score points by inflicting as much damage as possible to your opponents vehicles.This works OK but I found the playing areas to be a little too large as I could easily drive around for extended periods without anyone getting near me.In Flatout : Ultimate Carnage this is not possible as the playing areas are much smaller,resulting in a far more manic and action packed experience.Hopefully there will be some smaller tracks included in the finished game.But this is really just a small niggle rather than something that is fundamentally broken within the game.
The cars are divided into classes as well categories.Beginners cars for example handle much easier but usually lack a little bit of speed.Expert cars are very fast but handle on a knife edge so spinning out as you accelerate out of tight corner is all to easily done.Added to these are vehicles such as Land Rovers which are far more robust than other cars and can inflict and sustain much more damage.Apart from the obvious use they have in the motor mash events I actually won a race in one.I was the only player whose vehicle lasted the entire race without getting wrecked.I just kept picking up damage inflicting power ups and basically steamrollered my way to the front.The cars within any one racing class have their strong as well as weak points,yet they still seem to stay reasonably well matched.A lightning fast sports car such as the Lotus Exige is very quick but pretty fragile, and therefore easily damaged while a Camaro is still powerful but slightly more robust making it a little more resilient to attacks.
The key to doing well in this game is by mastering the use of the power ups.Each has it’s own unique advantage and the key is to pick up the correct one and use it at just the right moment.For example a repair power up is crucial if your vehicle has sustained serious damage,while a nitro burst can win you the race if you use it halfway around the final lap.The aggressive power ups (those which inflict damage) are by far the most fun to use.Bolts can be fired in quick succession to knock your opponents off track,while a mine can inflict huge damage in one big hit.Not only can these power ups be fired forward but also backwards.You can blast them straight into the face of an unsuspecting player !.Also you can take yourself down with your own power ups resulting in what is commonly known as an own goal.Fire an EMP shock up the road and it can slow down your vehicle as well as any of your opponents.The only real advantage you have is that you know it’s coming up.It is also possible to dodge attacks,quickly changing direction or using a nitro perk will usually successfully evade an attack.Some power ups can also be destroyed,while the shield power up makes you impervious to attacks for a short period.You can carry a maximum of three power ups and select the one you require at any given moment,you can also drop any power ups you no longer need.Bizarre Creations seem to have got the balance just about right between the racing and the power ups resulting in a game that is just a huge amount of fun to play.
On the technical side the game runs very well indeed.Graphics are bright,colourful and well defined and even the faster racing categories run with no issues such as slowdown or screen pop up.Audio wise the game sounds fine as well,adding to the arcade environment I believe the developers are trying to create.Menu’s and screen selections are all straightforward and easily navigated.The game is technically on a par with Bizarre Creation’s last game,PGR 4 which is in my opinion still one of the best looking racers out there.I don’t really want to comment further on the technical side of the game as this is a beta and therefore basically unfinished work.What I would say though is even in it’s current late development stage Blur looks,runs and sounds as good as any racer I have played on the Xbox 360.
Online though things currently do not seem to run so smoothly.On a few occasions I have been unable to get a game in certain classes,even though there were around 400 people online in that category.On other occasions I have been thrown into a game with only one other player.Once I was actually put in a race by myself,which ended within a few seconds and I was declared the winner !.But these are problems which are probably to be expected in a beta test though ?.The whole point of a beta is obviously to iron out any problems of this kind.I have spoken to other players on the game who also mentioned they had experienced similar issues but I’m sure these problems will be sorted when the finished game arrives.On the positive side I have not noticed any lag during the races,even in a race with the maximum 20 players online the game ran with no issues of this kind.
Overall,I found the experience of playing Blur a to be a refreshing one.I did not feel as though it was a game attempting to be groundbreaking in anyway,just a bit of fun.The XP levelling up system seemed fairer than in other games (such as the Call Of Duty series) and appeared to be a lot more accessible to new players.I have been in a few races when a level 1 or 2 player has won in a beginner class vehicle with level 10 players in a higher level cars finishing right at the back.The other thing I found refreshing was people didn’t seem mind getting beat on it,very strange for an online multiplayer game these days.I honestly laughed when inches away from the back bumper of a rival player he fired a mine straight into my face and took me out.It was totally unexpected and I found myself screaming back through the pack determined to repay the favour.But it was all good fun,which is kind of my point.Fun is exactly what I believe this game was designed to be and in my opinion that is exactly what it is.I am not going to give this game a score as it technically still unfinished work.All I will say is I will most definitely be picking up a copy when it hits the shops at the end of May.
The game itself is quite a departure from the MSR/PGR games we have come to expect from this developer.This is obviously something of a gamble as a PGR clone would have undoubtedly sold,especially on the Playstation 3 as there has never been one of these games released on a Sony console.I feel both Activision and Bizarre Creations are to be commended for this decision.To a degree I feel they have gone out on a limb with a game which plays like Burnout meets Mario Kart.It’s very arcade like in both looks and playability but there is one thing the game most definitely is and that is fun.
The racing is very accessible right from the start,especially to those familiar with the PGR series of games.The cars handle very like those found in these games.The Kudos scoring system from the PGR games has been replaced with a fan scoring system.Fan points are awarded for pulling off drifts,launching attacks,dodging attacks etc.Bonus points are awarded at the end of the race for the top three finishers,fastest lap,highest speed,most accurate attacks etc.At the end of the race points earned equate to XP points,just like those found in the Call Of Duty games.As you progress through the ranks you unlock new cars,tracks,classes of racing etc.The races themselves are usually pretty short (probably average around 4 minutes) but are very frantic with rarely a dull moment to be found.Some of the racing classes allow up to 20 players in any online race.This ensures you are rarely given a quiet moment as there is always someone either inches in front of you or right behind you snapping at your rear bumper.The circuits have been very well designed and there is choice of paths available to take on each of them.It’s usually a trade off though as what at first appears to be a short cut usually compromises your speed as it forces you to turn in tighter as you rejoin the main track.I was pleasantly surprised how close the racing seemed to be,even in the ultra fast supercar class.There rarely seemed to be more than a few seconds covering most of the players,come the end of the race.The motor mash events are very similar to the derby class from the Flatout games.It’s basically a free for all as you attempt to score points by inflicting as much damage as possible to your opponents vehicles.This works OK but I found the playing areas to be a little too large as I could easily drive around for extended periods without anyone getting near me.In Flatout : Ultimate Carnage this is not possible as the playing areas are much smaller,resulting in a far more manic and action packed experience.Hopefully there will be some smaller tracks included in the finished game.But this is really just a small niggle rather than something that is fundamentally broken within the game.
The cars are divided into classes as well categories.Beginners cars for example handle much easier but usually lack a little bit of speed.Expert cars are very fast but handle on a knife edge so spinning out as you accelerate out of tight corner is all to easily done.Added to these are vehicles such as Land Rovers which are far more robust than other cars and can inflict and sustain much more damage.Apart from the obvious use they have in the motor mash events I actually won a race in one.I was the only player whose vehicle lasted the entire race without getting wrecked.I just kept picking up damage inflicting power ups and basically steamrollered my way to the front.The cars within any one racing class have their strong as well as weak points,yet they still seem to stay reasonably well matched.A lightning fast sports car such as the Lotus Exige is very quick but pretty fragile, and therefore easily damaged while a Camaro is still powerful but slightly more robust making it a little more resilient to attacks.
The key to doing well in this game is by mastering the use of the power ups.Each has it’s own unique advantage and the key is to pick up the correct one and use it at just the right moment.For example a repair power up is crucial if your vehicle has sustained serious damage,while a nitro burst can win you the race if you use it halfway around the final lap.The aggressive power ups (those which inflict damage) are by far the most fun to use.Bolts can be fired in quick succession to knock your opponents off track,while a mine can inflict huge damage in one big hit.Not only can these power ups be fired forward but also backwards.You can blast them straight into the face of an unsuspecting player !.Also you can take yourself down with your own power ups resulting in what is commonly known as an own goal.Fire an EMP shock up the road and it can slow down your vehicle as well as any of your opponents.The only real advantage you have is that you know it’s coming up.It is also possible to dodge attacks,quickly changing direction or using a nitro perk will usually successfully evade an attack.Some power ups can also be destroyed,while the shield power up makes you impervious to attacks for a short period.You can carry a maximum of three power ups and select the one you require at any given moment,you can also drop any power ups you no longer need.Bizarre Creations seem to have got the balance just about right between the racing and the power ups resulting in a game that is just a huge amount of fun to play.
On the technical side the game runs very well indeed.Graphics are bright,colourful and well defined and even the faster racing categories run with no issues such as slowdown or screen pop up.Audio wise the game sounds fine as well,adding to the arcade environment I believe the developers are trying to create.Menu’s and screen selections are all straightforward and easily navigated.The game is technically on a par with Bizarre Creation’s last game,PGR 4 which is in my opinion still one of the best looking racers out there.I don’t really want to comment further on the technical side of the game as this is a beta and therefore basically unfinished work.What I would say though is even in it’s current late development stage Blur looks,runs and sounds as good as any racer I have played on the Xbox 360.
Online though things currently do not seem to run so smoothly.On a few occasions I have been unable to get a game in certain classes,even though there were around 400 people online in that category.On other occasions I have been thrown into a game with only one other player.Once I was actually put in a race by myself,which ended within a few seconds and I was declared the winner !.But these are problems which are probably to be expected in a beta test though ?.The whole point of a beta is obviously to iron out any problems of this kind.I have spoken to other players on the game who also mentioned they had experienced similar issues but I’m sure these problems will be sorted when the finished game arrives.On the positive side I have not noticed any lag during the races,even in a race with the maximum 20 players online the game ran with no issues of this kind.
Overall,I found the experience of playing Blur a to be a refreshing one.I did not feel as though it was a game attempting to be groundbreaking in anyway,just a bit of fun.The XP levelling up system seemed fairer than in other games (such as the Call Of Duty series) and appeared to be a lot more accessible to new players.I have been in a few races when a level 1 or 2 player has won in a beginner class vehicle with level 10 players in a higher level cars finishing right at the back.The other thing I found refreshing was people didn’t seem mind getting beat on it,very strange for an online multiplayer game these days.I honestly laughed when inches away from the back bumper of a rival player he fired a mine straight into my face and took me out.It was totally unexpected and I found myself screaming back through the pack determined to repay the favour.But it was all good fun,which is kind of my point.Fun is exactly what I believe this game was designed to be and in my opinion that is exactly what it is.I am not going to give this game a score as it technically still unfinished work.All I will say is I will most definitely be picking up a copy when it hits the shops at the end of May.
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Nooooo! Guess I'll have to buy it ;D
If anyone was interested there is now a further 5 levels which can be unlocked on the Blur beta for it's final week.Can now get to up level 15 (finished game will have 50 ).There's a few new cars and challenges within those 5 levels.Beta is due to close at the end of the month.
Yeh I was thinking the same thing. Should be a bit of fun!
Sonic Chris wrote:
> Thanks very much pete :) i'm on the signup page right now ready
> to put it in, just have to get onto xbox.com and get it. Cya
> online! :D
No problem mate,hope you like it.I'm off to so some DIY missions now,awesome !.Will have to have a game with a few of us from here while the beta's still running.
> Thanks very much pete :) i'm on the signup page right now ready
> to put it in, just have to get onto xbox.com and get it. Cya
> online! :D
No problem mate,hope you like it.I'm off to so some DIY missions now,awesome !.Will have to have a game with a few of us from here while the beta's still running.
Thanks very much pete :) i'm on the signup page right now ready to put it in, just have to get onto xbox.com and get it. Cya online! :D
Awesome! Can I have one off either you or pete please? does excited dance for code :)
I've still got 3 redemption codes as well.
Looks a pretty good game. Reminds me of GRiD and Mario Kart.
Are you just going to post it on here? Because I've got the signup page up now :D
Are you just going to post it on here? Because I've got the signup page up now :D
Redemption code mate.When you have registered an entered it they send you the code to put download it from Xbox Live.If either you or Jason want it I'll happily send it to you.Only got one code left though and I'm not picking as I like you both ! :)
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