Sometimes it just pays not know your bread and butter, and for Codemasters, the perennial British development house, their bread is tires on track and their butter is pure unadulterated speed. With fan favorite titles like F1 and Dirt though, fans were wondering if they would ever see a sequel to the 2008 cult classic GRID - well wonder know more. GRID 2 manages to evolve the formula while still holding true to the gameplay fans have loved. If it weren't for a few small hitches through gameplay, Dirt 2 would be an instant recommend.

The main difference between GRID 2 and its predecessor is the inclusion of much more established story mode. The game has you going across the country and challenging other racers - and then inviting them to compete in the World Series Racing league. The main draw of GRID 2's story mode is growing the League and the culture around it. This entire segment of the game is presented with ESPN branded cut scenes and production values.

"...you're likely to get tired of the mode long before you should."

It's a shame then that this section of the game feels so tacked on when compared to the other sections of the game. The development team should be commended for trying to instill a new type of gameplay, as the WSR segments are most easily compared to an RPG, but the gameplay gets so tedious that you have to wonder if the game would have been better without it. You'll race, earn XP and then grow your garage...and then you'll repeat the process again and again. There are a few different challenges thrown in, but you're likely to get tired of the mode long before you should.

Lucky then that the core racing engine of GRID 2 remains so remarkably fun and solid. Cars handle extremely well, and since the vast majority of cars are plucked from the real world, it's exciting to collect them and try them out in different situations and tracks. There's a number of different tracks and event types for you to try out, and thanks to the new Live Route system, which updates and changes course maps on the fly, courses are rarely ever feel like they're repeating each other too much.

"...it is one hell of a good looking racing game."

Though it may not match the breathtaking visual style of games like Forza and Gran Turismo, it is one hell of a good looking racing game. Courses are well rendered and have beautiful draw distances while cars react like they would on similar real world conditions - like kicking up dirt and spinning out of control into fiery wrecks. Those wrecks are some of GRID 2's most gorgeous moments, but they do suffer from a bit of framerate issues when things get even more hectic.

GRID 2 plays it safely and won't surprise anyone - but fans of Codemasters' no apologies physical and finesse filled racing games will feel right at home. There's more events, more courses and more cars. What's not to love? Put the pedal to the metal and go because GRID 2 is one hell of a (flawed) racer.