Game review: Blur - PlayStation 3

As the TV ad for the game says, you really can race like a big boy.

Blur’s name is appropriate for its impressive sense of pace on the track but also how it blurs the boundaries of the different racing game genres which it’s been inspired by.

Activision’s new release, developed by Bizarre Creations, comes across mainly as an evolved grown-up version of Mario Kart, but also draws in elements of titles such as Need For Speed and Gran Turismo.

The cartoony child’s play of Nintendo’s kart racer has been replaced by real-world cars and real-life settings, but Mario-style power-ups still play a major part.

The game mixes in over-the-top arcade action with the driving skills required by a sim, and then there are the weapons which bring equal helpings of craziness and strategy to the melting pot.

It all adds up to a hugely enjoyable game.

Blur features more than 70 vehicles from the likes of Ford, Chevrolet, Nissan, Renault and Land Rover. I was delighted to see my favourite car, the VW Beetle, included!

Customisation doesn’t go beyond spraying paint but all the cars have their own handling characteristics and also individual advantages for different types of courses such as being grippy or drifty.

When you head out to the track there is an artsy intro sequence and then it’s straight down to business. As soon as you pull away from the start line Blur’s racing is frantic and exciting, with up to 20 cars doing battle.

Power-ups are positioned around the courses and unlike Mario Kart you can see what they are before running over them, and see what other racers are holding.

There are eight types of power-up - homing shunt missiles, a barge attack which pushes other cars out your way, quick-fire bolts, shock domes that slow down rivals if they drive through them, mines, speed boost, shield and repair kit.

Many of the items have both attack and defensive uses when fired. You can shoot at cars ahead of you but also use them to stave off attacks from behind or disrupt pursuing drivers.

Up to three power-ups can be carried at once, and players can decide any they want to drop or which one to make active at any time.

Action takes place across 30 tracks at locations such as Los Angeles, Tokyo and Barcelona. Slightly less glamorously, Hackney and Brighton also feature.

There is a wide range of tracks from city circuits and off-road tracks to perilous dock-side roads and winding mountain courses.

Track design is quite generic, nothing that’s not been seen in many a racing game before.

The courses aren’t especially memorable. It’s like the developers decided players would have enough on their plates without admiring the surroundings so track eye candy is kept to a minimum. Background scenery is kept very much in the, well, background.

Colours are muted and almost washed-out. Glowing power-ups and the dazzling visual effects they set off when activated are what really bring the environments to life.

While the tracks aren’t anything special to look out, the car models are very good.

There is some nice attention to detail on the vehicles, and to the damage they suffer while tangling with other cars or falling victim to power-ups, getting dented up and losing parts in the process.

You need to keep your own car safe from harm because if it gets wrecked you’ll lose valuable seconds while a new one appears.

Crashes in the game are not as impressive as I’ve seen elsewhere. It’s also slightly disappointing that a game as polished overall as Blur is has lacklustre audio throughout but particularly during races.

Driving is very smooth thanks to the intuitive controls. The left stick handles steering, the shoulders buttons do accelerate and brakes, then the face buttons perform certain actions such as launching power-ups.

The one very slightly awkward thing is drifting. It’s a bit hard to get into a good drift and when you do get into one it’s then quite easy to overdo it.

Driving in Blur requires some skill, including slowing down for corners. This isn’t a game where your finger will be constantly on the accelerator.

Blur’s excellent racing action is contained within extensive single-player and multiplayer content.

The solo career features 63 events divided into nine sections.

Each set of seven events is a combination of races, checkpoint challenges and destruction mode in which you must shoot as many other cars on the track as possible.

By doing well in events you’ll earn lights which unlock new events. By driving with style you’ll also acquire fans, the currency needed to access new cars.

After working through each set of events and completing required objectives you’ll get to compete in a one-on-one boss battle. When you win this you’ll get your rival’s car and unlock a new mod.

The mods are like upgrades to the power-ups. After winning the first boss battle the awarded mod allows you to have one extra shot in future events whenever you collect the bolt power-up.

In the multiplayer mode of Blur you can enter competitive or team-based events online, racing with up to 20 players. You can race with or without power-ups, and take part in several other challenges such as demolition derby-style battle arenas.

You can also tweak the game’s setting to create your own custom multiplayer events.

If you have friends round you can play four-player split-screen on the same console.

Even when you don’t have friends in the room you can still compete using Blur’s social networking features.

You can challenge friends to beat your scores in events, you can pick a particular friend to be your rival during the game and you can even send taunts via Facebook and Twitter.

Overall, Blur is an incredibly fun experience.

It does something which very few other racing games manage to pull off – innovate.

Particularly thanks to its clever use of power-ups, Blur is a breath of fresh air in a genre which can feel quite stale sometimes.

Deeper than the usual arcade-style racers but still accessible enough to anyone who wants to get behind its wheel, Blur is action-packed, absorbing and should appeal to all racing game fans.

Verdict: 9 out of 10 – Blur races out on to the track with panache, power-ups and prangs. This isn’t kids’ stuff, this is racing for big boys.