Blur

Blur is the latest release from one of the premier racing developers on the market, Bizarre. Their takes on racing, from the more traditional PGR series to the shooter-that-is-actually-a-

Yes, Blur is, overall, a kart racer. Yes, it uses actual carrs, but the gameplay itself is pure kart racer. You have your power ups and a bit of rubber banding AI to keep the races close. You have opponents who will hold their weapons until the last lap and then unleash hell upon you.

Bizarre has managed to craft a truly phenomenal racing title here. Single player is difficult, largely due to generous rubber banding, but there is so much to do that you will never get bored. There are daily challenges that are updated, naturally, daily. You get rewards for using weapons, perks for beating bosses, and other rewards for pulling off certain feats.

While single player can be quite frustrating, online is where the game REALLY shines. They lifted generously from Modern Warfare and made a Perks system of their own. You do cool things and you get cool cars. Its a simple, yet addictive, mechanic. And without rubber banding in multiplayer, skill plays more of a role than luck. The race will still be chaotic, but not to the same degree.

I like the track layout. Shortcuts abound and while some driving talent is needed, but you are given a wide enough berth to really cause some havoc. You race in fantastic versions of real locations. Weapon layout isn't random, so its not just blind luck as to what you pick up. I like the look of the game, though the visual effects when your ride is about to blow up make driving quite difficult.

I admit I didn't have high expectations here, but I will be damned if this game didn't shock me with its high quality. Its a really good take on a kart racer that needs consideration.