After spending now 6-8 solid gameplay hours both online and offline, here are my impressions of Blur:
Graphics: This game looks awesome. Damage to the cars is as "realistic" as you're going to get for a kart style game. The real vehicles are used in this game, and look the part. Powerups are really cool when used, and the color in this game is incredibly vibrant. The tracks that I raced looked great as well, from the actual track to the scenery. Everything in the game pops with vibrant color.
Music: Nothing that got on my nerves, but nothing that was incredibly memorable so far either. It's appropriate, high energy for a racing game.
Controls: If you got frustrated in games like Gran Turismo that you couldn't take a tight turn doing 100 in a Dodge Viper, you'll find more of the same here with some of the cars, as they handle just like their real life counterparts. For those that can handle the drifting cars, you'll definitely gain a boost in speed. The controls are mapped logically as are most PS3 games (accelerate with R2, brake with square, etc.). One of the major keys to the game is matching the car type (drifting, off road, etc.) with the track type.
Presentation/Ingenuity: Each races starts out with a neat take on a countdown (not just a simple 3-2-1). I found that to be really cool. You're never really out of a race with the powerups available, though the Shock one that is shot out in front of the leaders is really hard to avoid if you ARE the leader. You likely won't win too many blowout races in this game. I found the powerups to be neat takes on other ideas (example: The "Shunt" acts like a Red Turtle Shell in Mario Kart, which homes in on your target). Your goal in each race is to light up all the "lights" to move onto the next race. However, the secondary goals (getting enough fans, and going through all the gates) do add replay value to each track.
Online play is where this game really shines...as you advance in rank you unlock more cars, there are tons of trophies/accomplishments that can only be done online, this game runs butter smooth even with 20 cars racing at the same time, simply put, it's the best online racing experience on the PS3 and Gran Turismo 5 better have this figured out as least as well.
Replay Value: With all the stickers to earn, online leaderboards, challenges you can put to friends, Facebook/Twitter compatibility, as well as all the challenges on each track, this is one racing game you're not going to blow through in 5-10 hours. Through 8 hours I'm only 16% complete on the single player campaign, and heaven only knows how long it will take to get everything.
So overall, since people like those 1-10 scales:
Graphics: 9.5/10
Cars look great, explosions are awesome, and the tracks are nice and varied
Sound: 8/10
The 8 is on the strength of the sounds, not necessarily the BGM. Burnout Paradise
is far superior as they had licensed songs in their game.
Controls: 9/10
Pretty good for a racing game, not so punishing as a Gran Tursimo would be, but not unrealistic like many arcade racers are. It's a really good fit.
Presentation/Ingenuity: 8.5/10
Some of the ideas (like the whole powerup thing) you've seen all the way back to games like RC Pro AM for the NES. However, the layout of the races, the different modes, the linkability with FB/Twitter, etc. shows the developers are paying attention to the changes in techonology.
Replay Value: 10/10
There is SO MUCH to do in this game and accomplish, and when you add in the online multiplayer/challenges, you will most certainly get your $60 worth out of this game.
In closing...
Buy this game if:
- You've got fond memories of Mario Kart and like the fact you're never out of a race
- You want a robust, deep online multiplayer racing experience
- You like collecting trophies and a game that takes a while for 100% completion.
Don't buy this game if:
- You're expecting a simulation style racing experience
- You're hoping to hear epic BGM while you are racing
- You're going to play split screen (2 player) multiplayer a lot (this is one place the graphics/gameplay take a hit)
UPDATE (25 May 2011)
As some of you may know, Bizzare Creations ceased to exist in February. This has had a direct impact on Blur. As a result...
- you can no longer post your updates to Facebook
- you can no longer view individual race leaderboards; the only leaderboard remaining are those you access online (Driver's Score/Fans/Power up hit rate/Legend stats)
- the official website no longer supports account linking
Just something to be aware of if you have no purchased the game...as it appears Activision is content to let those features go away.
UPDATE #2 (6 Oct 2011)
This is the only game on the PS3 that I have earned the Platinum trophy for and outside of maybe Gran Turismo or the Dirt series this is the hardest Platinum racing trophy to obtain.
I'm also fully maxed out at Legend 10, Rank 50, and at one time I was ranked 39th in the world (PS3) but now I am hovering in the 150's or so.
This game is now an incredible value, despite the items I mentioned in Update #1, even if the online community is lagging at around 150-200 players during the nighttime hours (far more are on between 9 AM-3 PM, especially on weekends due to this game still being popular overseas).
Call of Duty numbers it ain't, but it still remains the most fun I have ever had playing online of any game, period.