GRID Autosport

GRID Autosport is a competitive racing video game developed by Codemasters. Released in 2014, it was designed as a direct response to the community feedback following the more arcade-focused GRID 2, aiming to return the series to a middle ground between simulation and arcade racing (often termed "simcade").

Career Mode and Disciplines

The core of the game is its career mode, which is structured around five distinct professional racing disciplines. Unlike previous titles, the player is not managing their own team but is a driver-for-hire, taking contracts with various teams for seasonal championships. The five disciplines are:

1. Touring: Aggressive, pack-style racing with closed-wheel "tin-top" cars, often featuring two-leg races with a reverse grid for the second leg. This discipline emphasizes intense, bumper-to-bumper racing

2. Endurance: Longer races focused on time rather than laps, often held at night. This discipline introduces tire degradation, requiring the player to manage car wear and avoid overly aggressive driving.

3. Open Wheel: Precision racing in fast, lightweight formula cars. Success often depends on strong qualifying times and maintaining clean lines.

4. Tuner: A varied discipline featuring events like American muscle car racing, Drift challenges (where scoring is based on angle and speed), and Time Attack events.

5. Street: Races held on point-to-point tracks, typically involving high-performance supercars and hypercars.

Players can choose which discipline to focus on each season, allowing them to specialize or conquer all five. As they progress, they earn XP, reputation, and eventually unlock special multi-discipline events.

Gameplay and Physics

GRID Autosport features a realistic yet accessible handling model that successfully distinguishes between the classes of cars. The light, sharp feeling of an open-wheel car is distinct from the heavy drift of a muscle car.

• Advanced AI: The opponent AI is noted for being one of the best in racing games, exhibiting believable mistakes, defensive driving lines, and aggressive overtaking maneuvers, creating a strong sense of rivalry.

• Car Damage: The game features real-time damage modeling, which is both cosmetic and mechanical, affecting the car's performance.

• Requested Features: In response to fan demands, Codemasters brought back the popular cockpit view (absent in GRID 2) and the Flashback feature, which allows players to rewind the action a few seconds to correct a critical mistake.

The game offers over 100 routes across 22 real-world and fictional venues and is considered a solid, pure racing experience, praised for simplifying the presentation and focusing entirely on the action on the track.