There are only so many ways you can make a racing game. You have the arcade racers, like Mario kart and burnout; and then you have the more ‘realistic’ titles such as Gran Truismo. Blur seems to be taking a little from both. Well, more like half Mario kart half and half GT. You have a range of popular car models with their particular strengths and weaknesses battling it out on a track, but with power ups not dissimilar to that of Mario kart.
I must admit I was sceptical at first. I didn’t think anything could come close to challenging the dip in and play fun of MK, but Blur does a damn good job. After about half a lap playing with 5 other strangers I had got the feel of the controls, figured out what power ups to use and, the most important thing, I was having fun. The power ups themselves were pretty straightforward I’m going to talk about just a few of the 8 available; you have the shunt which functions as your red shell, the barrage which acts a temporary invulnerability against approaching cars and attacks, the nitro acting as a speed increasing mushroom and, the most annoying and useful power, the lightning bolt.
So yeah, blur was less a kind of twisted homage to Mario Kart as directly stealing and renaming different power ups to use. Although in fairness, those used in both games are kind of what you would expect to be integral to such an arcade racer. Then a revelation hit me, here I was squeezed in a massive hall in-between cosplayers, dealers and desperate dealers, I felt relaxed and completely engrossed in the race. I was waiting for key moments to release mines, shield myself from incoming attacks and fighting for every place. Even though I only managed to finish second I left the stall with a smile on my face. Racers aren’t my main source of entertainment, but if I had the spare cash knocking about I’d definitely fork out for Blur.
That said, I think its best enjoyed as a multiplayer experience over single player, so it’s by no means perfect. I’m just happy that PS3 and 360 owners now have the ability to play a great multiplayer arcade racer without having to invest in a Wii or DS. Don’t get me wrong, Mario still wears the crown, but Blur is a great experience and I’d definitely recommend it as at least a rental for a gaming night or a definite purchase if you’re really into online gaming.
-That Bloke In The Beanie
