Coming from those who created Project Gotham Racing and Geometry Wars is BLUR, an action-packed arcade racer that just keeps the thrills rolling.
Every gaming blog I’ve seen has tried to come up with a way to describe this game by combining two games to create this “love-child” of sorts. Well I’m going to complicate it even more…
I’m going to call out four games that are could be involved, which would mean that this is the grandchild of previous generations. Let’s say Twisted Metal and Wipeout got together, then the other tree is PGR and Mario Kart. So we’ve got a mix of genes that infused to make this sweet gem of Arcade Racing mayhem. The most prominent showing would be PGR and Wipeout, which give the main feel of the game. The multiplayer’s Motor Mash/Mosh (whatever you want to call it) shows the Twisted Metal attributes, while, really, the only thing Mario Kart-ish to me would only be the commercial aired close to it’s release…
Career- I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the Career mode. Bizarre Creations throw in a great system to get things rolling. There is a progression system much like Modern Warfare, but instead of Experience they give you “Fans.” As you accumulate more fans you unlock more cars available to you (and yes, the cars are licensed). They give you 9 Rivals to face throughout your career. These Rivals have a set of “Demands” you must complete before they give you a one-on-one. These Demands are set up like the challenges you have available as you progress. Rivals’ cars have special paint jobs and have a slight tweak making them a tiny bit better than one of the cars you unlock for yourself. Defeat your Rival in their one-on-one and you gain their car.
MultiPlayer- This is where Blur shines through. On the MP side of Blur you are given 9 gametypes to stir it up in.
- Driving School- This is meant for the beginners, just to show you the ropes. Only players leveled 1-10 are allowed in.
- Skirmish Racing- Racing events for 2-10 players. Skirmishes are good for a balanced run, a good race with a good walloping from time to time.
- Powered-Up Racing- Want to get down and dirty? This is the way to do it. This is pure chaos in the track. Powered-Up is the way to go when you want to get plenty of action and fans. From 4-20 players, you know you’re in for a crazy time.
- Motor Mash- Basically, you’re thrown into an open field or a close street course and then it’s all out war… Weapons are strewn all over the map and it’s Twisted Metal… BLUR-style.
- Team Racing- 20 players, 2 teams. The teams are allotted one of two colors so you can tell them apart and points are given for position finished. The team with the most points wins.
- Team Motor Mash- Just like Team Racing, but Motor Mash instead.
- Hardcore Racing- You a big fan of PGR, but don’t like getting blown up? This is the playlist for you. All racing no weapons.
- Community Events- These are Popular user created “custom” events.
- World Tour- Random car, random track, and random gametype… a complete mix of everything Blur Multiplayer has to offer.
Pitted against random opponents in many different play styles you race, blast, and boost your way through numerous tracks and countless hours of fun.
Blur also has a social twist to it. Bizarre has incorporated Twitter and Facebook into the game so you can let everyone know how you’re standing in leaderboards and Multiplayer Rank.(Make sure you enter your accounts in through the option menu, though.) You can also challenge your friends to try and keep up. If they accept the challenge and beat it, they can send it right back to see if you can best the new score. The Friend Challenge can even be edited to make it tougher on them. Speaking of leaderboards… Blur has a stat tracker built in to keep things up-to-date. Link up your account online here to let your friends (and the rest of the world) know haw awesome you are at this game.
The good- This game has so much potential for replay it’s scary. I’m sure I’ll hit it through at least twice for career mode, but the multiplayer will get may too many hours of my time. Every time you level up in rank it’s always exciting to get that new unlock. Then, you just can’t wait to see what’s next.
The bad- There have been way too many reviews I’ve seen that complained about the Career mode being a breeze from the start, then becoming the most frustrating racing game ever. I have seen this for myself. It can get rough (but I don’t think it’s as bad as they’ve made it out to be). Multiplayer can get that way too, especially if the people you play with/against have mastered the tracks and have an ungodly knack of nailing you with a reverse fired weapon from a crazy distance.
My advice- Through Career don’t get picky trying to master every event the first time around… like I did. Focus on getting one thing done at a time. If an event is giving you trouble, move on to the next, unlock some better cars, then go back to it. It will keep you from getting frustrated and you might have fun through the whole thing. I know there’s a certain satisfaction with getting all the lights in one shot, but getting 1st-3rd is hard enough without trying to get the Fan Runs or Fan Demand at the same time.
When it comes to Multiplayer, don’t do it unless you’ve gone through Career first. It will give you time to learn the tracks. But, if you’re stubborn and just want to jump in to play with your friends, don’t push yourself to get first right away. It won’t happen. You get Fans and ranking for everything you do in a race. Take your time to get to know the tracks and the weapon layout. For those who played Career first, the weapon layout is different in Multiplayer… keep this in mind.
The price- Most outlets have already dropped the price of this gem since its release. I think that is because it didn’t get the publicity it deserved. Red Dead Redemption and Split/Second came out around the same time so they might have hindered Blur’s sales. It’s ranking in at $49.99 in most cases. But it doesn’t matter how/where you find it, or how much it costs, I advise grabbing it quickly. It’s worth it. I’ve added a link to Amazon below to make it easier on ya…
AMMIH Rating: 5/5 (Awesome!)
Sicky’s Motion Sickness Rating: 0/5 ( Hours of Fun!)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
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