So I have now spent a few hours with the Blur open beta and I thought it was about time to weigh in on it. 
 
First off let me say that I have always enjoyed racing games, even though I'm not that good at them. In fact "realistic" racing games have only really become fun for me since the introduction of rewind features in games like GRID and Forza 3. The ability to jump back to make up that one mistake that slipped you from 1st to 8th makes those types of games much more fun for someone who isn't the most technical of drivers... 
 
That said, Blur is in no way a realistic racing game. The handling feels good, though not accurate, and obviously the addition of power-ups moves this game squarely into the realms of fiction. Some have likened it to the Wipeout series of games, but I have always felt that they lacked the damage and crashing feel of on-wheels games. Others have looked towards the Mario Kart games for a reference point, but the cartoony style again means that there is no sense of damage. In fact, for me, this game feel a lot like my favourite series of racing games of all time, Rollcage. 
 
The beta really does well in getting you into the action and the available "tracks" are varied enough to get a feel for the game in general. The one thing that really makes the beta enjoyable is the addition of Call of Duty 4 style perks and ranks. This customisation gives the game just enough persistence to make the quick and frantic races seem worth-while, even if you are coming in at the bottom end of the leader-board. 
 
I do wonder how fun the single player experience will be, as I am not sure that some of the mechanics will translate as well over from multiplayer. That being said, the combination of fast paced gameplay and online persistence makes this game a purchase for me, and I look forward to seeing what the full version of the game brings to the table.

So I have now spent a few hours with the Blur open beta and I thought it was about time to weigh in on it. 
 
First off let me say that I have always enjoyed racing games, even though I'm not that good at them. In fact "realistic" racing games have only really become fun for me since the introduction of rewind features in games like GRID and Forza 3. The ability to jump back to make up that one mistake that slipped you from 1st to 8th makes those types of games much more fun for someone who isn't the most technical of drivers... 
 
That said, Blur is in no way a realistic racing game. The handling feels good, though not accurate, and obviously the addition of power-ups moves this game squarely into the realms of fiction. Some have likened it to the Wipeout series of games, but I have always felt that they lacked the damage and crashing feel of on-wheels games. Others have looked towards the Mario Kart games for a reference point, but the cartoony style again means that there is no sense of damage. In fact, for me, this game feel a lot like my favourite series of racing games of all time, Rollcage. 
 
The beta really does well in getting you into the action and the available "tracks" are varied enough to get a feel for the game in general. The one thing that really makes the beta enjoyable is the addition of Call of Duty 4 style perks and ranks. This customisation gives the game just enough persistence to make the quick and frantic races seem worth-while, even if you are coming in at the bottom end of the leader-board. 
 
I do wonder how fun the single player experience will be, as I am not sure that some of the mechanics will translate as well over from multiplayer. That being said, the combination of fast paced gameplay and online persistence makes this game a purchase for me, and I look forward to seeing what the full version of the game brings to the table.

I'm a little more on the fence about this one.
I think the racing is generally quite fun, but it definitely has issues and for a full price game I don't think I'll be diving in.  
 
I really enjoyed the ranking system, gaining experience, leveling up, unlocking new content and filling bars..  It's a really great system that encourages you to keep playing, even if you're not always winning.  I'm glad to see more games using this sort of system too.  At the same time I often felt I was at a disadvantage to higher ranked players who have access to better mods and vehicles.  Perhaps that's fair enough, but a lot of the time I felt I was losing because I was at a statisitical disadvantage.
 
I also have to question the power up system.  I often get hit by a few barges near the begining of the race which can easily send you very far back, to the point where you don't have a chance of ever catching up to the leaders.  And vice versa, if you get into the lead early on, chances are you won't lose it, as everyone else is behind you fighting amongst themselves.  The player in 1st place will often go on to win by a very large margin.

I know what you mean, and I have been in a few situations where I have spent a large part of the race at the back, and had trouble catching up. The only way I could get round it was to make sure I hit every speed boost and use it at the best times. It is a bit of a pain, but generally the main pack seems to be fighting amongst themselves so you can catch up. 
 
As for the person in first screaming away, it seems that most people seem to ignore the shock power-up in exchange for more direct ones. In actual fact, if 2 or 3 people fire that off, it makes being in first place pretty hard work, and even if you avoid them all, you are likely to lose a fair chunk of your lead doing so.  
 
The perks and things do change a game a bit, but none of them seem to have a huge impact. It will be interesting to see what it feels like when people have unlocked everything available.
 
The game is certainly not without problems, but I have to say, I would rather play this than any realistic racing game online. Getting into a group of 3 or 4 cars and taking them all out with a barge though is just fantastic fun, and being in the thick of it is really where this game shines.