(continued from previous page) ...truly the perfect hybrid title between a Gran Turismo and a Need for Speed.

While driving, you’ll notice that each car handles a bit differently than the last. Some may feel as though they under-steer a bit, while others will feel like they over-steer. Crash into the walls enough and you’ll notice all cars start to handle terribly due to your poor driving skills. One of the cooler in-race elements is the brake notifier (for lack of a better term). When you’re coming into a corner at a high speed, there is a small circular area in the bottom left of your screen that will fade range from yellow to red indicating if you’re going to need to break soft or hard whilst entering the turn. This isn’t something the hardcore enthusiast will appreciate, but it will definitely appeal to the casual gamer, thus making the overall experience of the title that much fresher.

On top of the braking assistant, Codemasters has thrown in a “Flashback” mode that will aid drivers in learning how to take certain corners and drive more effectively. The flashback works just like it sounds, allowing you to flashback to an earlier time in the race to prevent a crash that’s about to take place or a spin-out that is coming up. This feature can be triggered manually via the select button, but it's most helpful after its automatic trigger -- totaling your car.

While this sounds like a rubbish idea to some, the ability to take a deadly corner several times to perfect it without having to reload the race each time is a concept everyone should appreciate. A couple of things that do need to be pointed out regarding this is that you’ll have a very limited number of flashbacks per race and you’ll also have the ability removed entirely if you opt to drive on Pro difficulty or play online. Otherwise, the option to play with it on is always available.

As for the online aspect of GRID, what I’ve come to expect each time I’ve entered a lobby is lag free gameplay. Though you will notice sometimes it’s hard to find a game due to GRID intermittently believing races are full (even when they may not be), you’ll be treated to a very lag free experience once you start a session. Online, you’ll have the opportunity to jump into a quick match, custom match or to create your own session. There are both ranked and unranked races and leaderboards for lap times and experience. One of the cooler online features is the ability to race as your racing team from your career and this will enable your online vehicle to sport your team colors and sponsorships.

Outside of great gameplay, stellar presentation, a decent soundtrack and above average audio effects, GRID offers one of the most stylish and graphically impressive racing titles thus far in next-generation racing. While they may not be on par with the pristine models of Gran Turismo, they're not that far off and, we mustn't forget, they're entirely destructible. Not only will the car models impress, but so will the surrounding environment as you race your way onto the #1 spot of the worldwide leaderboards.

Overall, GRID is a perfect mix and match of simulation and arcade racing. If the Toyota Prius is the pinnacle hybrid vehicle, then GRID is the undisputed champion of hybrid racing. Codemasters has done every race fan a favor by releasing a title that manages to overcome most others in a genre overflowing with competition.